Isole // Review
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CD: Silent Ruins Released: 02 March 2009 |
Having only had Isole’s previous album, the quite magnificent Bliss of Solitude, for a matter of months I was rather surprised to see that the Swedish masters of epic doom metal had another album ready so quickly, particularly since this is the band’s fourth full-length album since 2005. With an EP released in that time as well Isole certainly can’t be accused of laziness, that’s for sure.
Fortunately this isn’t a case of quantity over quality because Silent Ruins is as well rounded a release as anything they’ve put their name to. Isole have always been a band that wore their influences on their sleeves and Silent Ruins is no exception with names like Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and Solstice coming easily to mind, indeed vocalist Daniel Bryntse has an incredibly similar delivery to former Solstice man Simon Matravers, albeit Daniel’s voice is somewhat stronger. Perhaps I’m reading too much into this but it seems even the song titles have a cheeky nod to their influences this time around with Nightfall sounding for all the world like a lost track from the Candlemass album of the same name and Forlorn being a nice nod to the band’s previous incarnation.
It would be easy to slate Isole for their lack of originality but quite frankly when a band make albums that have such well crafted, memorable songs that switch between crushing riffs and majestic melodies with the ease that Isole do then to do so would be rather churlish. Fans of Isole certainly won’t be disappointed with Silent Ruins and I would advise any fans of any of the aforementioned bands and, indeed, any fans of epic doom metal in general who have never checked Isole out to get this album and then work your way backwards through the band’s excellent back-catalogue.
Review by Neil Woodfin