Oceanic - Isis

US post-metal/progressive sludge band ISIS had been developing their neurosis-influenced sound since back in 1998, but whilst previous Ep 'The Red Sea' and 2000 full length 'Celestial' garnered them a lot of attention in the underground it was with the release of their 2002 album 'Oceanic' that the band broke through into the metal mainstream, achieving widespread praise and attention from right across the rock/metal spectrum. As the album title and watery cover art would suggest, 'Oceanic' has a distinct (abstract) maritime theme about it, and its a subject matter that suits the style of the music perfectly. It can often sound very cliched to talk of 'waves ...  Read the complete review

Oceanic is a progressive post-metal album from Boston post-rock outfit Isis. It is available on Ipecac Records (Mike Patton of Faith No More's label) and is their second full length album, the first being 'Celestial.' The album follows one main theme, a despondent man, who finds his soulmate and begins to feel a sense of completion at having gained a true and intense emotional connection with a female counterpart. By the fifth and sixth tracks however, it becomes apparent that she has been engaging in a long and passionate incestuous relationship with her brother. The man is then left with only one way to deal with his tortured emotional state. It ...  Read the complete review