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Isis > In the Absence of Truth > Reviews
Isis - In the Absence of Truth

A 'failed' experiment - 75%

Napalm_Satan, March 30th, 2018

I say 'failed' because this album is not a total loss - far from it. It's still good but while the album is on it becomes apparent that everything could have been done a little bit better. It's not as if the band were running out of steam when writing it either, given that the songs are more ambitious than on any of their past efforts, and as is the case with their entire career they aren't repeating themselves. However, the songs simply never come together quite as well as they do on past or future efforts, and while the results yielded from this experiment are interesting and can work they aren't quite up to standard for a band as great as Isis. The band themselves admit this was a disappointment, and in general they had too many ideas and didn't know what to do with them. While I'd agree, those ideas do occasionally dovetail to create something truly wonderful, as Isis' music almost always is.

This album is an experiment in the sense that the band delve very heavily into the post-rock and progressive rock influences that were creeping into their music with Oceanic and Panopticon, and at the same time a lot of the sludge influence those works carried has been dialled back significantly. As a consequence this is by far the least heavy Isis album - the heavy, sludgy aspects of their sound are spread more thinly and most of the runtime is spent playing delicate clean sections, driven by keyboards and guitar chords. The heavier sections are largely used to release tension and don't make up the main body of a song as they would have done on the preceding two albums. In general the clean sections are much better than the heavier ones, and there are two reasons for this. The first issue is a simple one, and that is that the riffs, when they do come into the music, aren't all that impressive. They tend to be predictable in construction or simply a louder chord repeatedly hit, and because of this the impact these heavy parts have is substantially less than say, the ending of 'In Fiction'.

The second issue becomes apparent to anyone who's listened to Panopticon, which to my mind is both the greatest example of the band implementing progressive songwriting into their sound and their finest achievement. On that album the quieter parts of the songs, even at their most minimal, never felt overly repetitive. Every minute of that album was spent progressing the music in a flowing and logical fashion by slowly developing just a small handful of musical ideas, and just about every clean section on it was building up to a huge explosion of sludgy, enormous riffs and passionate, intense vocals. On this however most of the clean sections meander too much and don't build up to the heavier parts all that well. The band spends too much time throwing in new ideas and not enough time developing them. It doesn't help that the songs are made up almost entirely of this clean noodling, meaning that the songs themselves tend to meander before suddenly breaking into a heavier section in a somewhat unsatisfying way. This issue is admittedly somewhat mitigated by the fact the quieter parts of the music are actually quite good and make up most of the music, meaning the less than impressive riff-driven parts don't take up too much time.

I feel like the album would have been better had they made a full on progressive/post-rock release and did away with the metal influence entirely, as they would no longer be aiming for contrast in the music and could focus entirely on crafting delicate, atmospheric music using these quieter sections. They achieve this to an extent when the songs aren't heavy, with all of the songs taking on a larger than life, spacey and tranquil feel at one point or another. Another thing to note on the album is expansion of musical technicality: the keys on this simply have more to them than past efforts and are used extensively to great effect. The growls are deep and powerful and give the heavier sections some intensity, while the clean singing is smoother and more emotive, to fit the softer music. The bass is more intricate and plays a greater role in the music than before, ringing away to great effect as in the intro to 'Not in Rivers, But in Drops'. The drumwork, in spite of the overuse of a rolling tribal beat, is more detailed and loose and fits the music perfectly. In general they do succeed in exploring the quieter dimensions of their sound on this album and had the songs been more focused and riffing been better this would truly be on the level of their last two releases. It isn't even like the songs always meander and I'd point to 'Dulcinea' as an example of that. That pummelling build up towards the end, beginning with a rolling tribal drumbeat before the rest of the band follow suit and come crashing in leading up to that huge ending is fantastic. The first section of 'Holy Tears' is an example of the band writing better riffs for the heavy parts of the music, giving these sections more impact than on the rest of the album. Had the album had more moments like this I would not be complaining one bit: when they occasionally get these parts right, they really get it right.

As I've mentioned, I don't want to give the wrong impression about this album. It is an enjoyable and overall a good work despite its flaws and is an important release for the band. They explore musical territory they had seldom entered in the past and the more delicate, prog rock strains of this album would be successfully combined with the power of their previous works on their excellent swansong Wavering Radiant. That said, those trying to hear what this band is all about should definitely start with Oceanic and Panopticon; while this is an important stepping stone for the band and a good album, it doesn’t represent the band’s music at its finest.

I'm in sackcloth and ashes - 83%

bartosso, August 28th, 2012

Okay, I was wrong. I was terribly wrong. This is not just a passable album. With their penultimate release Isis turned me off initially (in 2006) but I was young and stupid then. In the Absence of Truth is indeed a journey one of its kind, a journey set in a peculiar dream in which one experiences both things already seen but those unknown and singular as well. Landscape is blurry and distorted, seen through hundreds of rainy lenses. And there is bleakness.

Every album from the band has different sound that suits its concept and highlights its specific mood. In the Absence of Truth is obviously not an exception. As this is their most "post" and least "metal" record, the sound is more airy and organic than ever before. Its oneiric, gloomy atmosphere is highlighted with organic guitar distortion and naturally sounding drums. Since we're on the subject, the drumming is based mainly on tribal-sounding tom-tom patterns. It may seem a bit repetitive to some, but it suits the mood pretty well.

I took a dislike to this album due to strong Tool influence I immediately spotted in it. I loved Tool at the time and Isis seemed to blatantly imitate them. I was obviously an ignoramus as this is not the whole truth about In the Absence of Truth. While being strongly influenced by Tool's evolutionary approach to composition and unique mood of Lateralus, Isis adds a huge amount of their own style to the music. Sludgy heaviness and genuine depressive mood known from such albums as Panopticon and Oceanic, pervades the record thoroughly. With the opening track the listener's mind is immediately flooded with feelings of anxiety and imminent menace. From now on the music takes him to terrains of sadness and shows him surreal, gloomy visions of life and death. It's an intriguing construct made of sludgy build-ups, atmospheric post-rock passages and emotional post-metal climaxes.

Plenty of post-rock albums oozed through my headphones within the space of the last 3 years and 99% of them bored me half to death. I'm glad I survived long enough to finally appreciate Isis. Although the album is a bit uneven, it has some real post-metal masterpieces on board. And most of all, unlike legions of uninspired post-rock clones, this really is emotional and deep stuff. Let it sink in your mind. It's worth it.

TRACKS BY RATINGS: 10/10[masterpiece!!!]: Not in Rivers, but in Drops; Dulcinea || 9/10[fantastic!]: Holy Tears; 1,000 Shards || 8/10[great]: Wrists of Kings; Garden of Light || 7/10[very good]: Over Root and Thorn || 5/10[not bad]: Firdous E Bareen ||

-- Originally written for Metal Music Archives [www.metalmusicarchives.com] --

Hopefully an Aberration - 58%

Prairieshadow, February 9th, 2009

I had high hopes that this record would end up being my favorite Isis album, especially considering the band's stellar progression, but alas, I ended up disappointed. I wasn't expecting Panopticon II or Oceanic redux, all I was really expecting was an awesome piece of music, which this, really, is not, especially by Isis standards. After all, I pretty much love everything they’ve ever done, including the early EP’s, which I think are fabulous. In fact I really wish they would’ve done more in the style of their first two EP’s, though I certainly don’t expect them to and never judge new material on that basis. I like their newer style (except this record) just as much anyway. I’ve simply always felt they never fully explored their earlier tendencies. Anyway…

When listening to this, it just seems mediocre. Nearly every single song has parts I don't like (the only exception being Dulcinea—which also has a nice Tool ripoff. Something like that doesn’t normally bother me, unless it’s absurdly blatant, but with this bad of an overall album, it just piles on the downsides.). This is somewhat strange as I don't think there is a part I hate on Panopticon--maybe one I mildly dislike. For example, the song Firdous E Bareen is awesomely annoying, and at more than seven minutes it is not a brief interlude. I’m not generally a fan of instrumental music, but a few on an album with vocals are certainly fine. This one, however, the percussion bits fading in and out just drive me up a wall. Not to mention as far as instrumentals go, it’s pretty boring. Garden of Light, the closer, has an amazingly anti-climactic ending, Not in Rivers But in Drops starts off as if it’ll be the best track, but it just kind of fizzles out in the end. And on and on. The best song is probably Holy Tears, but that song really needed a rawer production job to be classed as a great song.

The vocals don't seem to fit quite as well either. Its not that I don't like his clean/harsh vocals, its just that on this album they don't seem to fit with the music the way they did in the past, like another instrument. But I think the biggest thing about this record is that a lot (most, in fact) of the heavy riffs are simply not very good. For starters, they are barely what you might call “heavy” riffs, and the intensity is not simply lacking, it just doesn’t exist. (Turner even said recently, talking about the new album (2009), that he felt they had lost their energy recently, that some of their recordings were too clean. I can only hope this is what he was referring to.) The heavy parts are, simply put, bad.

There are some really great parts, no really great songs. Everything seems almost average. I think the biggest thing that dooms this album is the non-heavy parts, the post-rock sections if you will. On Panopticon, those parts were always massive in intensity. On this album, they just seem to wallow, not really doing anything, not really interesting to listen to. Some parts are just boring and/or poorly written. I’m not sure how this happened, as on previous records the non-heavy parts are absolutely fantastic and really make the records great.

As a side note, I actually think I like the Melvins/Lustmord remix of Rivers/Drops better than most of the songs on this album as it seems to have a somewhat rawer feel, or at least more of an edge to it.

Frankly, if this were not Isis I don’t think I’d even be rating it this high.

Transcendant - 94%

theox2789, March 19th, 2008

Isis at their finest right here. Wonderfully orchestrated and composed, it seems to me to be organized into movements: tracks 1-3 are Act 1 that ends in one of the most epic riffs I've ever heard at the end of Dulcinea... its got almost a surfer vibe to it. Then we have a transition with Over Root and Thorn, which are less songs and more a collection of cohesive sounds. The next three seem to fit in as Act 2: 1000 Shards floating in and out of consciousness with its distant melodies while All Out of Time, All Out of Space continues the distance as whispered voices, guitar feedback, and what seems to be the far off cries of seagulls float through the void, phasing in at the last moment to give way to the album's single Holy Tears, a much more conventional piece of music. It begins almost tediously with the slow chugging ("Alwaaaaays reaching fooooorwaaard"), however the song molds into a quiet high-end jam with fragmented stressed vocal melody, easily culminating into a transcendent conclusion that allows the tedium at the beginning hold its place. Again, a transition occurs with Firdous E Bareen, a tropical exploration jam that turns from electronic composition to more riff-based material, leading us into Act 3, the 9:17 Garden of Light, which is a journey in and of itself, beginning with a lighter mood in contrast to the dark brooding often found in Isis's music and coming to a crushing culmination midway into the track, then ending in an Explosions in the Sky/ Red Sparrowes-esq eclectic, nostalgia-ridden jam that seems to float on indefinably.

This album is for the experience. It's built for meditation and full-length listening and it's a beautiful piece of work, or art. This is by far one of my most valued albums.

On paper, the best Isis album. - 88%

duncang, July 15th, 2007

Since 2004's 'Panopticon' (and more recently their stadium supporting tour with Tool), Isis have been getting some substantial attention, and drawing more and more fans of different genres into metal of the more droning sort. They've been the band to bring their style (started by Neurosis, among others) to light in the rock community. With friends Pelican and other bands, the genre is getting stronger and more popular as time goes on, however Isis have been the most famous exporter of the music for quite a while now.

Isis' sound has evolved over the years, as they have gradually progressed from crushing droning doom metal to ambient soundscaping which now sounds more like Explosions In The Sky than Godflesh. 'In The Absence Of Truth' is by far their softest album to date. If you're a big fan of Celestial's colossal attack, expect a big surprise (though the stylistic change was made on 'Oceanic', long before this album), but not a disappointment.

The songs are incredibly well put together. The structures do not follow any one formula, but have build-ups, guitar driven mellow sections and ambient interludes which all remain for the perfect amount of time, change when they should and the instruments all lock together tightly. The post-rock influence is more evident than ever before on 'In The Absence Of Truth', as the guitar work has gotten more intricate and less droning. The basslines have loosened up from the guitars which gives the guitars freedom to work their melodic capacity while the bass has room to breathe and has more of an opportunity to hold a groove (this particularly impresses me on 'Holy Tears'). The electronics add another layer to their instrumental mood, the atmosphere that they give off often helps the sound retain its themes before it progresses to another section where the song reaches its climax and finally comes full circle. The drums vary from simple tom backing to half-time battery with touches that really make Aaron Harris an irreplaceable member of Isis (note that he is also the only member that is involved in no other projects). He's very creative but sometimes his drums follow the guitar rhythms too closely (the 'Dulcinea' intro could have been done better) which can sometimes ever so slightly diminish the validity of his rather unique approach to drumming.

The average song length on the album is 7 minutes (the shortest 'proper song' being 6 minutes, longest being 9) but, unlike their early hardcore-influenced work, and to a certain extent, their previous releases in this style ('Oceanic' and 'Panopticon') Isis really make every moment count. Their tone is perfect in every department and every song has a unique feel while still retaining the overall theme of the album.

One thing which really helps keep these songs afloat (if you will) is the vocals, because they are not frequently used. The second longest song on the album is instrumental, and the song where vocals are most used (opener 'Wrists Of Kings') only uses 65 words. Aaron Turner's clean voice brings individuality to each section even when the rest of the band's parts have only changed slightly. His aggressive grunts are even gloomier than on Celestial, and are used only when an extreme sense of scale and melancholy is needed, which works very well. The only problem that I have with the vocals (or indeed, any of the individual instruments) is the vocal's production. The voice always sounds muffled, and while this is good because it doesn't shift the attention entirely to what Turner is saying, it does get irritating when they cover it with effects. The shouts are very low in the mix and take away a lot of the power from the heavy sections. This has been a consistent problem with Isis (for me, anyway) and I'm disappointed that it hasn't been fixed yet. The performance of the vocals however is Turner's best yet.

The lack of definition in the vocal production can be explained by the lyrics, and perhaps how they are meant to truly blend in with the 'musical themes' of the music playing behind it, rather than someone singing a song with a band playing any old tune behind them. The lyrics are, in a word, mind-blowing. Cryptic and mysterious, the lyrics could honestly be about anything, but there are multiple references to past works, philosophy and characters which, rather than telling a story (which is the convention for albums which involve characters) portray a theme. I can't say I fully understand the lyrics or what they represent but there are definite repetitions of language which represents authority, searching, spirituality and a certain female character, who I think may be symbolic rather than physical. Certainly Aaron Turner writes amazing lyrics that provoke thought, particularly when listening to his music.

'In The Absence Of Truth' is Isis' most professional album to date, the structure and songwriting is near flawless and the letdowns are very minor. It's got more verve than previous releases and it's far more consistent. However, 'Panopticon' in particular has more moments which really drop your jaw, despite that album having more pitfalls. Overall I really cannot decide whether Isis have continued their habit of improving with every album but this is certainly an incredible album and certainly one of my favourites of 2006.

Originally written for www.heavymetalsociety.org

Everything is permitted - 93%

R0flmywaffles, March 1st, 2007

Isis is a pretty well-known band for what they are. Typically sludgy riffs, and usually an even pace to the music. But in later years they have been slowly making a transition. I think it's safe to say that the transition has come full circle with In The Absence Of Truth.

This cd is closer to post-rock than it is their original sludge. As such, it's really hard to compare this to most of their other work. But the album in itself is amazing in all ways, so there is really no need to. The drum work is extremely polyrhythmic and quite soothing at times. The vocals are very sparse, mixing harsh vocals with normal melodic-type singing. The guitar and bass still retain somewhat the tone of sludge metal, which is a big plus for me personally, and I'm sure for some others.

It's also one of those cd's that you really should listen to start to finish. It's not that the songs themselves aren't good to listen to individually. But the album is a piece of art in a sense. You don't simply look at one corner of a painting, although that corner may still be beautiful.

All in all, a very solid release from Isis. Whether or not it is their best, I can't say. But either way, it's saying a lot about this cd.

Isis switches genres - 93%

joreilly39, October 27th, 2006

Before their highly-acclaimed release “Panopticon” in 2004, everyone thought that Isis was just an Egyptian goddess and nothing more. Ever since “Panopticon,” Isis has been compared to the genre of post-rock, which leans away from the traditional elements of choruses, verses, repetitive vocals, or fast/repetitive riffs. With the release of “In the Absence of Truth,” Isis has justly earned the comparison as ‘the Sigur Rós of metal’.


Isis has strayed further from their metal roots than ever, finally crossing the boundary into post-rock. Clean vocals are more prevalent and higher in the mix than any of Isis’ other albums, but work extremely well with Isis’ developed sound. The guitars on this album are also very different, with the heavy parts on the album not having as much distortion and the clean parts having a faster pace. Drum work on the album has also changed, featuring more of a tribal style of beat somewhat like Tool.


Most of the songs start off at a moderate pace, with only a few instruments playing, a great way to set the mood of the track. Before you know it, Aaron Turner’s soothing vocals come in for a couple verses. His lyrics are then following by an extended instrumental, with more instruments coming in, tempo gradually speeding up, and a gradual crescendo. Almost suddenly, the calm intro has transformed into a massive epic, offering a full sound and emotionally-charged riffs. Songs like “Dulcinea” and “Wrists of Kings” exemplify this formula perfectly.


Unlike other so-called ‘progressive metal’ bands such as Dream Theater, where album after album sounds the same (thus not progressive), Isis has gone to the edge of metal, and perhaps have even jumped off. If you are looking for music to mindlessly head bang to, don’t bother with “In the Absence of Truth”. However, if you are someone who prefers to listen to albums all the way through and enjoy epic compositions, then by all means pick this up. Isis has produced an intellectual musical experience, highly recommended for fans of Sigur Rós, Tool, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Originally written for Texas A&M's student newspaper, The Battalion

The Truth Is Out, This Is Incredible! - 85%

Perplexed_Sjel, October 1st, 2006

Isis are a band who require no introduction. Since the iconic ‘Oceanic’ was released in 2002, Isis have developed a sound that is growing more mature by the record. Their sound is renowned for reinventing itself as they progress through the stages of maturity. With ‘Celestial’, Isis were a raw band with a sound any typical angst ridden teenager would have been proud of, but since then, the band have progressively … Progressed! ‘Oceanic’ took what the poor ‘Celestial’ had failed to convey and told it in a way that could be understood by the adoring audience. I’ve always considering the debut to be lesser in almost every aspect to what followed from Isis, but it still serves a purpose in terms of identifying with the listener and giving them a valid history lesson in the shape of how Isis were moulded. The sound that ‘Panopticon’ displays wasn’t always on show, in fact, this record offers a complete re-working of what Isis were even offering on the brilliantly atmospheric ‘Oceanic’, which is often given a ‘classic’ status by fans of the band and the genre in which Isis command.

Some say atmospheric sludge, which is what this is, was partially founded by Isis, if not heavily influenced by and records like ‘Oceanic’ display aptly why that is. Alongside Isis, the pioneers were Neurosis, whom Isis have began to resemble as the years have gone by. To adhere to the numerous do’s and don’ts of this genre of metal, every band must listen and take in carefully the progression of bands like Isis, as well as the aforementioned Neurosis. The sounds of these two bands, in particular, has become iconic and resonates within all fans. The true beauty of Isis’ progression as a band is the simple fact that, despite changing the layout of the songs and how the soundscapes are pieced together, the atmosphere remains. Isis are a band who are forever going through transitional stages, as previously mentioned. This record represents the third stage of their development, which is still continuing to this day.

They've evolved in every way possible since the early days of ‘Mosquito Control’ and ‘The Red Sea‘, even from their debut album ‘Celestial’ back in the year 2000. For me, the major differences come in terms of musical progression (which sees bass factor in its sound more and more) and the production of Isis' music. In the days of ‘Celestial’ Isis' production was hazy and worthy of their reputation as a sludge metal band, but with ‘The Absence Of Truth’ Isis have developed a far cleaner sound in which every instrument is easily distinguishable and the vocals can actually be made out, even when Turner displays his usual chaotic screams. As I’ve stated with many sludge bands before in the past, although the instrumentation might be superior and sublime, the make-or-break factor of every sludge band is in the vocals.

Thankfully, Isis have a talented vocalist on hand to save them their blushes. Differences between this and previous outings can be heard from afar. Its not difficult to establish what has and what hasn’t changed about the musical projection. Isis have implemented more clean vocals - which is a major positive if you ask me. These vocals are more emotive than the screams, which offer only one set of emotional values. The screams, although well portrayed, are restricted by their one-dimensional sound. Whereas the clean vocals smell as sweet as roses, lifting a scent of melancholy over the anger and anguish that the screams provide. This contrast in vocals sounds is appreciated by people like me. I like the fact that Isis aren’t scared to experiment with different vocals and in doing so, they’ve gained more of my respect.

Long gone are the days where Aaron Turner screams his way through song after song, but now there is a bit more variation in vocals which we started to see on ‘Panopticon‘. Seemingly Isis have resorted to a more repetitive tribal feel, which can be felt more so in the percussion than any other aspect. Something like that of Tool on the infamous ‘Lateralus’ (my favourite Tool album, actually). Its a welcomed addition personally. The texture of the music is also something that has been vastly improved upon. The layered structures are more recognisable with the cleaner production, giving the bass breathing space. The bass, like the percussion, reminds me of Tool in many ways.

The way in which it contains the sadder passages of Isis’ music like a weeping willow hanging its protective branches over the unprotected elements below its motherly appearance. Isis spin out some very beautiful melodies and harmonious vocals along the way, which enrich the atmospheric qualities that lie deep within and on the surface. Comparisons are likely to be made between Isis and a number of bands including, Tool, Pelican and Jesu. But Isis are in a league of their own. This album is simply stunning, it contains everything you'd want and everything that makes music great. Incredible melodies, fantastic structures and a bit of variation from the normality of the restrictive genre. Highlights include; Wrists of Kings, Not In Rivers, But In Drops and Garden of Light.

medicore album name, similarly average music. - 52%

caspian, August 28th, 2006

Mediocre album name, similarly average music.. 52%

Ever since "Hym" slapped me around with it's huge doom penis seven or so years back I've been a pretty big fan of Isis. The early sludge stuff was tops, the descent into post-rock with extra distortion also full of many satisfying moments. However as with many things in life you can have too much of a good thing; In the Absence of Truth is definitely the moment Isis got a bit too interested in post-rock, Mogwai-loving meanderings.

It's not a terrible album but it is rather boring. The clean noodlings are fairly decent, but there's no catharsis; "louder" sections are full of terrible, worthless riffing, "whole band slams on one chord" type thing, predictable octave riffs. Songs wander aimlessly; "Not in Rivers" sacrifices a brilliant tribal-ish intro for pointless wandering through a few useless riffing patterns, "Holy Tears" drifts from a rather cool gothic-ish intro for post-rock wandering, really boring riffs and a reprise of the intro. I guess the first track's a good enough example for what's to follow; a decent build disappates into the aether, with the climax being some completely unspectacular riffs and weak yells (it's hard to describe the "heavy" parts with anything but "really boring riffs" but, well, that's what they are, every time). Is this Isis or some completely unspectacular clone? It's hard to tell sometimes.

Moments of goodness are found throughout but overall it's a bit too rare for any real sort of redemption to be had, the songs in themselves tend to collapse under their own weight. "Garden of Light" is pretty good, I guess; there's more boring riffs but the ending build rips off Explosions in the Sky very well, wheras "Over Root and Thorn" builds up in a manner fairly reminiscent of a few Oceanic songs; always a plus. Caxide's bass is less about holding down the guitars in most sections and that's great; dude is a legend and his unique tone and great lines deserve more exposure. Plus, Harris finally busts out on drums a bit, certainly less of the human metronome from Panopticon and closer to the drum god that he is on Wavering Radiant, although damn if he doesn't way overuse that tribal beat.

So there's a few good bits. If you search through the filler and sheer unexcitement of most songs you'll find some stuff worth listening to. Overall it's not really too offensive, just not that good and a real shame, because Isis are capable of much better.