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Isis + Aereogramme, "In the Fishtank" 14
Isis are undeniably one of the most popular hard rock independent label bands in the business while Aereogramme deserve to be right up there with them, headlining mega shows with the same numbers. Both have soft and loud moments, both Aaron Turner and Craig B can coo like a dove and scream like Satan's spawn, but, even as this is one of the best In the Fishtank releases, I'm skeptical if it will gain new fans for either entity.
Both bands are known for epic monstrosities, so it comes as no surprise that 2/3 of the songs here hover around 10 minutes, but fans who are looking for massive dynamic shifts might feel a little let down. The EP is a technical success: while I was expecting some soup of distortion, the stellar production actually allows for each participant to be truly heard. On the first song, "Low Tide," for example, it slowly evolves over time, with Craig's crooning vocals against the ever powerful bass riff, straight up rock drums, and guitar. Drums and guitar give way to the distorted beats while the bass guitar lingers, ominous, like a heavy pendulum. The power is in the restraint here. We're expecting somebody to break, somebody to burst, but it's possibly a competition between both entities to see who can hold out longest.
"Delial," is once again driven by the killer bass riff, it reaches a peak early but isn't completely overblown with the layered screams, and nicely doesn't let the hum of the guitar pedal trail on and on like a tired cliche. "Stolen" opens like a pleasant Aereogramme ballad with Craig's echoed vocals buried almost entirely in the distance under a marching drum, beats and bass part for a gorgeous mid section with a thump and clap that brings me back to one of my favorite OMD songs (and possibly one of my favorite songs ever), "The Romance of the Telescope." Its vastness is more oceanic than Oceanic, and as it ends with the unexpected sounds of birds at low tide (strangely enough it's not the song titled "Low Tide"), at 10 minutes it feels like it stopped without trailing off needlessly.
What makes this a high-ranking In the Fishtank is that unlike past experiences, it doesn't sound like two bands just fucking around and releasing whatever came out. This has been my problem with things like the ones from Sonic Youth and even Tortoise. It's short, yes, and I would prefer something a bit longer and with a bit more variety, but these excellent 24 minutes sound very nicely following Aereogramme's Seclusion EP, issued over here earlier this year, coincidentally with cover art by Aaron Turner.
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