In the Absence of Truth
Ipecac, 2006
rating: 3/5
reviewer: keith kawaii

Really, I'm surprised it's taken "metal" music this long to turn into what it is. To shed the confines of one-trick-pony-ism. The general rule that heavy metal is always extremely heavy was one of its most defining but limiting aspects. Isis aren't always heavy. They employ huge guitar sounds, but have shifted to subtler writing techniques. There's quite a lot more legitimate "singing" on In the Absence of Truth. The song structures are twisted and elongated and are probably supposed to be more epic. Essentially, it's a good new age metal album. Or art metal, I guess? But something doesn't quite click.

Supposedly Isis were worried about touring with Tool, thinking their rabid fans wouldn't tolerate another particular brand of metal. Yet, the closest comparison to Isis in 2006 is probably Tool circa 2001. A big part of this parallel is the drum work on In the Absence of Truth. Toms are employed in healthy amounts, while the beats are much more fragmented, refusing to stay still for too long. Such rapid shifts in dynamic actually mirror the songs' more convoluted section changes, but at the cost of any sense of balance or economy. My favorite moments on In the Absence of Truth come when every instrument locks in for a longer instrumental passage, such as the last few minutes of "Holy Tears" and "Dulcinea." A much needed sense of rising tension is employed and explodes into the second best part about Isis: their unabashed, rocking-the-fuck-out metal moments. When things actually get dark and erupt into death metal goodness, a lot of pitfalls are forgiven.

But at the same time, the very middle-of-the-road, very clear production obscures some of the band's former glory. Everything is defined precisely in the mix, save some of the background guitar textures, which really shine on the album's shortest track. Isis clearly want to take their music to its next level, but about half of In the Absence of Truth simply feigns complexity. It's the worst aspect of overindulgent progressive rock bands, who don't realize that a song isn't necessarily bettered by an overload of sections or shifts in mechanics.

On the whole, Isis' sense of harmony isn't their strongest point either, though it far surpasses your typical metal outfit. Most of their melodies are extremely straightforward, and a handful of verses rely on a simple, three-note vamp. All the while, the drums never let up, almost beckoning the guitars to match their level of technical proficiency. Yet, as mentioned, about half the album seems to mesh fairly well. It's this apparent duality that makes it difficult to access Isis completely. Every strong point is matched by a weaker one, but there is never an extremity of either. In essence, there's a lot to like or dislike, but never much to love or hate.

1. Wrists of Kings
2. Not in Rivers, But in Drops
3. Dulcinea
4. Over Root and Thorn
5. 1000 Shards
6. All out of Time, All into Space
7. Holy Tears
8. Firdous E Bareen
9. Garden of Light