Bryant Clifford Meyer was prepared to hear boos. His band, Isis, for which he handles guitar and electronics duties, had just agreed to be the opening act for Tool's fall arena tour. Tool fans are, by reputation, a hostile and judgmental group, and Meyer had no reason to believe they would cut Isis any slack.
"Tool fans are definitely a quirky breed, and you don't really know what to expect," Meyer said. "Fortunately though, it went really well. There were two or three times where we heard some yells from the crowd heckling us, but overall it was great. I guess they noticed the similar aesthetic between us and Tool, and they liked that tangent of the music."
Formed in 1999 by Aaron Turner (vocals), Jeff Caxide (bass) and Aaron Harris (drums), Isis has consistently produced quality records with little more than a cult following. But now, following the nationwide stint with Tool, they have been thrust into the spotlight as a driving force in the resurgence of progressive-oriented metal in the popular music stratosphere.
"We've been playing for 10 years practically, and our growth in popularity has been so gradual, so it's easier to adjust," Meyer said. "But it's still weird to read about yourself in a magazine or see people praising you online."
Along with the recent tour, Isis released their newest album, In The Absence Of Truth, last October. The record, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Heat Seekers chart, sees the band moving away from the formula used in previous albums, notably Oceanic and Panopticon, and moving toward a more definitively metal sound.
"It was more of a conscious effort in Oceanic and Panopticon to create a certain kind of sound that would make the songs interesting and dynamic to listeners, so that when it came time to record ITAOT, that concept was in our subconscious, and it was easier to refine," Meyer said. "We didn't have to talk about what we wanted to do as much, we all knew what direction we were headed and where we wanted the music to go, and we knew when to throw pieces away and when to keep them, and it came out great, we were psyched."
The band's early albums relied on what is known as the 'drone' effect, a literal wall of sound saturating the background of tracks and creating a constant feel of musical tension. ITAOT is practically devoid of these inclinations and is marked by a more tribal tone, whether it be exotic riffs or intense beats on the skins from Harris. One thing is for certain, the album showcases the skill and maturity of a band at its creative peak, perfectly balancing sonic and aural atmospheres to entice and satiate the listener.
"We've implemented a couple of new techniques thanks to the new album," Meyer said. "Jeff plays keyboards now, so that leaves room for me to do more on the guitar. But it's basically the same deal we've had going on for years, we just all know how it works, so we're experimenting and having a great time discovering new sounds and ideas."
Described by Turner as a "thinking man's metal band," Isis has strived to incorporate intellectual elements in their material, particularly by the use of themes that run throughout their albums. ITAOT for instance, revolves around concepts inspired by Islamic mystic cult leader Hassan-i-Sabbah, Mark Z. Danielewski's novel "House of Leaves" and "Labyrinths," a collection of short stories and essays by Jorge Luis Borges.
"The most basic concept of the album is that nothing is true, and everything is permitted," Meyer says. "It's the idea that when one thing is happening, it can cross so many different aspects of life, anything from individual relationships to what you do in the morning when you wake up."
Isis, once a minor bolt in the machine of experimental avant-garde metal, now finds themselves as a fixture in the genre, with bands left and right claiming them as influences. Consistently disproving the stereotype that metal is a breeding ground for meatheads and untalented musicians, Isis is now carving their own path and seem to be on the brink of an art rock masterpiece in the vein of the Beatles' Revolver or Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.
"Right now, we're just concentrating on going out and playing great shows with the intensity and passion people have come to expect from us," Meyer says. "It's amazing that people are so into what we do, and we're fortunate that the fan base has grown, and we're able to grow because of that."
Isis will be playing at Emo's tonight. Doors open at 8 p.m. and show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are available online.
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