thePULSEBy Jillian Locke
In the wake of their May 2010 dissolution, the almighty masters of progressive metallic sludge evolution offer five live recordings spanning their 13 year career. To experience a live ISIS set is to truly lose all physical connection to reality, being slowly and steadily swept into their web of fluid, emotionally-charged hymns, rendering listeners virtually helpless against the siren songs of heightened awareness and existence that defined the Los Angeles-by-way-of-Boston band from 1997-2010. 
The first installment, entitled ISIS Live 1 9.23.03 (recorded at The Fillmore, San Francisco), was released on May 31st and includes forty minutes of four sprawling tracks from their 2002 release, Oceanic: “Carry,” “Weight,” “Hym” and “The Beginning of the End.” The watery, desolate, hopeless underpinnings of the album’s theme flow seamlessly through frontman Aaron Turner’s impassioned, burley delivery.
The subsequent albums have all been released in two week successions, all featuring a majority of Celestial, Oceanic, and Panopticon tracks: ISIS Live II 03.19.03 (recorded in Stockholm Sweden), released June 14th; ISIS Live III 12.17.04 (recorded at The Launchpad in Albuquerque, NM), released June 28th; ISIS Live IV Selections 2001 – 2005 (recorded during various performances, including WMBR (Boston), The Troubadour (Los Angeles), CBGB’s (New York), The Rotunda (Philadelphia) and The Middle East (Boston), released July 12th; and ISIS Live V 07.23.06 (recorded at Koko’s in London), released on July 26th.
Each album delivers the very essence of what made ISIS the progressive, enigmatic post-metal phenomenon they evolved into over the course of 13 breathtakingly epic years ~ the mesmerizing depth of intellect and harrowing emotions, mixed together and beautifully crafted to represent the inner psyches of a group of men who strove to write songs and create music that meant something. All of these things set ISIS apart from their compatriots, and ~ although they’ve disbanded ~ their energy and message will remain some of the most revered and respected in the metal world.
Even though ISIS no longer exists, the members are still busying themselves with film scoring (22nd of May), pumping out more music under the name MGR, and various side projects. Visit www.isisband.com for all ISIS merch, including older, out-of-print items, as well as the five ISIS Live albums.
