LIVE 2 - 03.19.03

On this album, we witness a bit more of the power and glory that is Isis. This album, recorded for a live radio broadcast, is of surprising production quality given its origin. The sound is not as tight as their studio work (whose is?), the guitars are a bit overloud (hey, it's metal), and the vocals seem more harsh than usual, but the overall sound is still good for a live recording.

Better than the production, however, is the musical content. Isis seem to never play the same song twice. No track on the live record is the same as its studio counterpart. Both ambient parts and heavy parts are extended, new instrumentation is added (keyboards, sound effects, etc), and the music almost gives the feel of a psychedelic/space concert instead of a metal show. This was recorded after the release of 'Oceanic', but before 'Panopticon', so the content is all from Oceanic, Celestial, and SGNL>05. The stand-out track on the album is the near-15 minute version of 'Weight' from Oceanic, which features the female voice repeating her words "all in a day" as the music ebbs and swells around her.

Overall, given the trippy musical content, and good-but-not-great production quality, I give this album 3+ stars. I would rather listen to this record than 'Oceanic', but it cannot measure up to the behemoth that is 'Panopticon'. If you're just getting into Isis, check out their studio work first, then explore the live arena.