Before we get to the meat of the matter, allow me to make a proclamation: we let the terrorists win. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past couple of years, there’s a network of fundamentalist motherfuckers who have taken their ghost story a bit too seriously and to the point where they’re going around killing people and blowing shit up in the name of their god. Unless you’ve been living under a bigger rock, you should know that the name "Isis" has long represented a variety of other elements of the human experience, those that have nothing to do with murder and destruction in the name of some warped interpretation of fiction. Hell, Isis was an ancient Egyptian goddess long before anything that is familiar to any of us even existed (and yes, I recognize the irony of the above).
But, because of a combination of political correctness, fear and modern society’s tendency to react without thinking, the stories of people, businesses and organizations that previously made use of the Isis name have found themselves on the wrong end of the barrel held by those horrified by the unconscionable actions of a terrorist group. Sure, anyone with half a ball sack for a brain should be disgusted by beheadings, war crimes, rights abuses and the like, but c’mon, people! Do we really need to have it pointed out that a North American pharmaceutical company, a British language school, a Canadian immigration resettlement project or various software information systems using the Isis name or acronym have about as much to do with the violent establishment of a muslim caliphate as that bro walking along the beach wearing a sleeveless ‘Female Body Inspector’ souvenir t-shirt is actually employed by the actual FBI? So, when the creators of Archer, one of the greatest shows on TV, ends up doing a plot line re-jig (The Figgis Agency? Seriously?!), chocolate and dessert companies change their names due to lagging sales, I get the stink-eye from people whilst sporting an ISIS shirt or hoodie (at a metal fest, mind you, where you'd think people would fucking know better!), ISIS had to alter its online presence to “Isis the band” because of the heat they were taking, despite having broke up in 2010, and that I have to go on this rant in the first place, I’m going to point out that the terrorists won.
Moving onward… As you might imagine, Live VII is the seventh in a series of live recordings made while the band was still active; recordings that have seen a hands-on treatment by the band itself – drummer Aaron Harris mixed this particular release – and have been made available in limited numbers. Recorded at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia almost exactly seven years ago, Live VII sees the band performing as part of the Soundwave Festival and in the final days of touring their 2009 release, Wavering Radiant, let alone their existence. This explains Live VII being weighted heavily in favour of said release – five of the nine songs here – and as ISIS was never a band associated with flying off the free-jazz-inspired, improv handle, what you heard on Wavering Radiant – as well as Celestial, Oceanic, Panopticon and In the Absence of Truth, one song is taken from each – is pretty much what you get on Live VII, albeit in rawer form. Obviously, in consideration of its limited release (3000 on CD, 2000 on vinyl and 600 for indie retail) and the resulting collectors frenzy those numbers generate, this is geared towards fans. But in having given it a few spins, additional reasons are revealed as why one would want to invest in this beyond displaying them next to the previous six live albums, trying to hock the set online and/or making yourself feel like king/queen of the collector nerds for a day.
Long time fans and newcomers alike will be able to not only revel in how great these songs were in the first place, but in hearing these versions, pay deeper attention to their execution in the live arena where multiple takes, perfect performances and punching in aren’t considerations (though, what live album is truly “live”?). What stands out for this particular set of ears are the changes the band would make in leaping from pensive and layered post-metal delicacy to a powerful wall of sonic compression; sometimes at the click of a pedal as it were, other times progressing with a slow build like a smouldering, but threatening, fire. It’s interesting to hear how bassist Jeff Caxide’s sound ping-pongs between an aquatic warble that echoes throughout a room like ripples on a placid lake and a robust volley of bubbling fuzzy strychnine-laced molasses in each song, though it’s particularly pronounced in “Hall of the Dead” and the comparative switch-flipping once “20 Minutes/40 Years” kicks into a gear. Also of note is the spunky backbone provided by Harris; the way he seamlessly leads the band through light and dark moods with his tom-heavy tribal beats, kick-snare patterning and tasteful cymbal splashing. You’ll notice how Live VII illustrates how integrated ISIS’ components were, how the various pieces of the puzzle came together and moved in simultaneous motion like a well-oiled thing of beauty. The way vocalist/guitarist Aaron Turner and fellow six-stringer Mike Gallagher played with, around and against each other throughout a dense track like “Ghost Key” and how Cliff Meyer’s keyboards and noise-scape contributions danced along a line between grating abrasion and swells of sweetness. How it all came together as a whole in one movement was something that stands out during repeated plays.
Those of you desperately hoping to hear variations on established themes and pick out the outright fuck ups – trust me, there are people who pathologically fixate on, then complain about, the latter – will find interest in the little bits, pieces and fills that Harris does differently and how guitar parts and those sections you’d consider solos in the world of ISIS (for instance, the 2/3rd mark of “Threshold of Transformation”) veer away from the original themes and effects to deliver added depth and density. There are also Turner’s vocal misgivings, where his clean vocals can be heard wavering in and out of key, though his Justin Broadrick-like howl is a combination of chest thudding brutality and reminiscent of having a mound of Grizzly Adams’ armpit hair lodged in one’s gullet.
When I sat down to review this, I wasn't sure what there would be to say about an album comprised of live versions of songs from seven years ago recorded a mere three months before the band called it quits. But this brief look into the ISIS canon illustrates why they were one of the most important and innovative bands of the first decade of the 21st century. They raised the fucking bar when it came to diversification and presentation and we owe it to keep their spirit alive and spirit of these timeless songs alive. Wear your ISIS merch loud and proud and even if you can’t find a copy of this particular release, there are many recordings to immerse yourselves in, all of which are highly rewarding and illuminating listens. Don’t let the terrorists win. Even though they already did.
Score: 8/10
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