ISIS is a band that defies categorization.
Tag them as metal and they will transition into an instrumental passage that’s so delicate and pretty, the label will disappear. But then call them a post-rock band — the term for music that doesn’t have a traditional song structure or much singing — and Aaron Harris will blast through the speakers with a voice so aggressive and metal-friendly that comparisons to bands like Explosions in the Sky seem ridiculous.
One thing is for certain, though: Isis isn’t afraid to purse whatever musical whim they want, and they are all the better for it.
“The music of ISIS is a suitable metaphor for their 12-year career: Patient, meticulous, fraught with tension and gradually building towards an apex of seismic proportions,” said the band’s publicist. “From the hypnotically bludgeoning down-tuned riffs of their early years to the gracefully sprawling passages on their pivotal sophomore album…ISIS have successfully navigated the process of growing and evolving without disavowing their initial vision.”
ISIS formed in Boston in 1997 and cited bands like Godflesh, Neurosis and the Melvins as influences. The five-piece got a boost in exposure when they opened up for Tool during the avant-garde metal band’s 2006 tour.
The band’s latest album, “ Wavering Radiant,” is a must-hear for fans of interesting, genre-bending music. The record was produced by Joe Barresi — whose resume includes Queens of the Stone Age, Melvins, Enslaved — and has been hailed by the press as being the band’s best work.
“This is metal played at its arresting best,” wrote “Slant Magazine.”
ISIS supposedly has a furiously intense live show that has been heralded as a “much see.” Keelhaul — a four piece that specializes in similarly complex metal — is opening for ISIS when they play in Denver tonight. The lineup is a good enough reason for any music fan with a taste for heavier rock to fly down to the Bluebird and catch these promising acts in person.
Where: Bluebird Theatre
When: Tonight at 8
Cost: $18-$20
Information: BluebirdTheater.net
