Review Summary: Yes, Isis material made before 2002 is, in fact, worth listening to.
There's a reason that the early incarnation of Isis often earned the slightly mocking tag of "Neurisis." Before this widely known American group began incorporating prominent post-rock themes into their music beginning with 2002's
Oceanic, they played a much harder-hitting style of sludge that was eerily reminiscent of
Neurosis' trademark sound.
The Red Sea, an EP originally released in 1999, was the second in this string of
Isis' heavier and ballsier records that began with their debut,
The Mosquito Control EP, and ended with
Celestial, their first full-length. True to the "Neurisis" sound, its 36-minute runtime is packed with dark and sludgy riffs, grating vocals, and scattered tribal elements. Frontman Aaron Turner has described
The Red Sea as "one of the darkest things [Isis] ever recorded," and it truly lives up to this description. While it may not be as dark and crushing as albums like
Neurosis' masterwork
Through Silver In Blood, it is a far cry from the works of the post-
Celestial Isis. Over the EP's entire duration, the only remotely ambient sections are found in brief bursts during the title track and during closer
Lines Across Eyes. Everything else is drowned out in waves of dark, heavy, and crushing sludge. From the dissonance of the EP's title track, which may very well be one of the best songs of
Isis' early career, to the unrelenting hardcore vibes of
Catalyst,
The Red Sea is not for the weak of heart. Looking for where
Amenra drew their sound from? Look no further, for the menacing and harsh atmosphere of this EP is not one whose influence would go unnoticed for the legions of imitators that would follow. It might not be as well-developed as
Celestial or as powerful as
Panopticon, but the visceral bleakness of
The Red Sea makes it just as integral a part of
Isis' discography as anything else. This is a call to those who only pay attention to the post-2002
Isis: You all are missing out. Man up, grow a pair, and jam to the dark, early days of the band that would go on to create all of your favorite meandering post-metal buildups and climaxes.
