Isis

Reading this quote got me extremely excited to see these guys open up for Tool:

"We want to be the kind of band that demands a certain amount of attention to really grasp the full effect of what we're going for," [frontman Aaron Turner] added. "The way we approach our writing and the way we record, we purposely bury a lot of elements deep in the mix, so it's like little subtleties and nuances that are unearthed after repeat listens."

When I listened to TVOTR's "Wolf Like Me" for about the 30th time I noticed these horns that come in around 1:45. They play a quick 3 or 4 note burst several times and add an amazing layer to the music. There is nothing I enjoy more than continuing to discover different aspects of a song long after it's initial play. Like The Mars Volta and Tool, Isis is no foreigner to experimentation in the studio. They blur the lines between metal and prog and post-hardcore in a seemingly heavier (and, I'm sure, less salsa-inspired) way than TMV. It will be interesting to see how this all translates live. I have been blown away by bands much simpler than Isis at the MCI Center (Death From Above 1979), so I have high hopes. Isis doesn't necessarily share those high hopes, but they seem to have a very cool head about them:

"You're bound to have a larger meathead contingency in your audience when you open for a band as big as Tool, and we're very aware of the fact that a good portion of the people at these shows will be bored to tears or perhaps even angry while we're playing," said Turner, who also owns Los Angeles-based Hydra Head Records. "There's also a good chance a lot of 'em won't even be there and will be finding their seats as we're finishing up our set. In one way, we're really excited about it, but in another way, we're realistic about it too.

The article, which I found on vh1.com, was initially posted at MTV.com and noted the following about recent Isis news:

While on the road with Tool, Isis will be promoting a pair of new releases: the band's debut DVD, "Clearing the Eye," which will be in stores September 26, and In the Absence of Truth, the follow-up to 2004's Panopticon, slated for release this Halloween. ("We picked a good date to release a heavy metal record, I guess," Turner laughed.) The DVD contains live footage the band started culling back in 2000. "It's the stuff we felt was most representative of us as a band and our evolution over the last few years," the singer said.

Releasing a provocative, cerebral metal album at this time is a smart move for Isis. With records from Mastodon, Sunn 0))), Botch and the Mars Volta (not a metal band, but certainly an outfit metalheads revere) on the not-so-distant horizon, Turner said he considers Isis part of a movement, perhaps even a revival of progressive rock and metal.

You can stream the majority of Isis' releases at their website, which is a pretty neat visit even if you don't dig the music.

Isis guitar player, Bryant Clifford Meyer, also plays in a band Red Sparowes that has a similar experimental sprawl to it. They use vocals only for "subtle instrumentation" and just finished touring the northeast (to include two stops in Canada) with Versoma. They toured with fellow instrumental metalheads, Pelican, last summer.

MP3: Isis - "Constructing Towers"
MP3: Red Sparowes - "Alone and Unaware, The Landscape Was Transformed In Front Of Our Eyes"
MP3: Red Sparowes - "Like The Howling Glory Of The Darkest Winds, This Voice Was Thunderous And The Words Tangling Their Way"

[VH1.com | Isis | Ipecac Recordings | Red Sparowes]

Remaining Tool/Isis Dates:

Sep 05, 2006 Rabobank Arena Bakersfield CA
Sep 07, 2006 Staples Center Los Angeles CA
Sep 08, 2006 Staples Center Los Angeles CA
Sep 09, 2006 Cricket Pavilion Phoenix AZ
Sep 11, 2006 The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion The Woodlands TX
Sep 12, 2006 AT&T Center San Antonio Texas United States
Sep 14, 2006 American Airlines Center Dallas TX
Sep 15, 2006 Kemper Arena Kansas City MO
Sep 16, 2006 Target Center Minneapolis MN
Sep 18, 2006 Allstate Arena Chicago IL
Sep 21, 2006 Nationwide Arena Columbus OH
Sep 22, 2006 Palace Of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills MI
Sep 23, 2006 The Molson Amphitheatre Toronto Ontario
Sep 25, 2006 Wolstein Center at Cleveland St. Univ. Cleveland OH
Sep 26, 2006 Peterson Center Pittsburgh PA
Sep 28, 2006 Tweeter Center at the Waterfront Camden NJ
Sep 29, 2006 Tweeter Center Mansfield MA
Sep 30, 2006 Verizon Center Washington DC
Oct 02, 2006 Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza Wilkes Barre PA
Oct 05, 2006 Hartford Civic Center Coliseum Hartford CT
Oct 06, 2006 Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford NJ
Oct 06, 2006 Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford NJ
Oct 07, 2006 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Uniondale NY
Nov 24, 2006 Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester UK
Nov 27, 2006 Wembley Arena London UK
Nov 30, 2006 Cardiff International Arena Cardiff Wales UK
Dec 01, 2006 Nottingham Arena Nottingham UK