Rating: 8.8

Country: Sweden

Release Date: 2006

Track list:
1. Autumn Leaves
2. Dreams
3. Demon Green
4. Throne Of Void
5. Insomnia
6. Bleak
7. Life?

Band Website: Isole

Isole - Throne of Void

Bryntse- Vocals, guitars
Crister- Guitars, vocals
Henka- Bass
Jonas- Drums

A couple of years ago I wrote a gushing, effusive review about Isole's 'Forevermore' (which, predictably, wasn't scored high enough, a regret I've grappled with in hindsight as the record has endured as one of my favorite doom records of the past few years), and proclaimed Isole as one of the most revelatory new prospects in an arena already boasting the fresh-faced likes of Forsaken, Doomsword and Thunderstorm. Of course, Isole aren't really an upstart band by any stretch of the imagination- these are essentially the same folks that were responsible for a series of CLASSIC underground tapes as Forlorn, a name that continues to be dropped as a benchmark for epic doom, as well as the impossibly enigmatic Ereb Altor (who, along with Scald and Belarus' Gods Tower, perfected a post- 'Hammerheart' brand of doom that sadly has not seen such dizzying heights since). Over time, 'Forevermore' has wedged itself firmly into my weekly playlists, its warmth, sensitivity and accessibility providing me a familiar friend to nestle up to whenever my yen for somber doom begs satiation. It would indeed be a considerable feat for their sophomore effort to dislodge 'Forevermore' from its vaunted, august seat, and while I am SLIGHTLY unconvinced that this album is as accomplished as its hallowed parent, I do reserve the right to return to this review when the songs have fully burrowed themselves into my skull.

In the interim since their last record, it appears that Bryntse (who, according to metal-archives, lends his hand to 928302938230 bands spanning the spectrum of heavy metal) has vacated the drum throne and is now assuming the familiar vocals/guitar role. The addition of a second guitar does little on record, though I suspect that it is of immeasurable benefit in a live setting, Candlemass ('Epicus Doomicus Metallicus') remains the primary touchstone from an aesthetic standpoint, though the band's inclination towards slightly more dynamic territory, interspersing dreary, guitar-led passages with more upbeat, mid-tempo sections also begs a parallel to 'Beyond The Crimson Horizon' Solitude Aeturnus. Somehow, this album feels more urgent, more nihilistic, more sinister than its predecessor, which echoed a detached melancholy that was altogether easier to swallow. Indeed, this record feels more desperate, more challenging in the fits of fury that intersect the passages of mournful despondency. “Demon Green” features a chugging, seething riff 4 minutes through that bears a passing resemblance to “At Gallow's End”, and somehow Bryntse's immaculately-produced vocals have a deeper fragility than was evident on 'Forevermore'. Every pore of this album bleeds with unadorned, unadulterated dolor, something that is heightened by the graven, cheerless presentation of the layout- “Throne Of Void” is a disarmingly vulnerable eulogy, the band indulging in plenty of bare-fisted, low-end heavy pummel punctuated by ghostly, sighing lead guitar, while “Insomnia” meshes staccato, surging riffing with lumbering, sparse, mammoth rhythms and Bryntse's phantasmal, ominous vocals to GREAT effect.

Truly, this is a band that understands that a lot of the time, less is more- each note and each subtlety contributes to the organic WHOLE of the song, weighed and measured for maximum efficiency. One might bemoan the occasional lack of adventure (the drumming can be a bit stock in parts, while the basslines are of the Leif Edling variety: painfully effective and workmanlike) in some of the musicianship, but this is really a slight nag when the songs are this good.

Again, Isole have produced a record to dwell in, to embrace, to savor, to live with. This is a record to plunge into and wallow in, and the thoughts I have noted here are but cursory, half-formed impressions of an emotional odyssey that I expect I shall return to with as much frequency as I have 'Forevermore'. If your epic doom Jones needs a brand new fix, Isole offer a richer, more rewarding and more absorbing high than most. One can only wonder, though, if they can milk this angle for much longer, if the forthcoming album will again prick this well-bled vein, or if the band will veer towards even more dynamic shores.

August 20th, 2006