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Isis breakup

Wed 19th May, 2010 in International News

The Los Angeles-based Isis has announced that after its current tour the band will be splitting up.

The band founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1997 and was a highlight on the massive Soundwave bill in 2010.

FasterLouder’s review of the Melbourne Soundwave highlighted the post-metal outfit as “a band whose ability far outweighs its reputation and who continues to suffer the indignity of being largely ignored by the general music community; a gross lack of respect for one of the most unique and powerful acts operating today.”

A statement on Isis’s website has announced the decision to split noting that “Isis has reached an end. It’s hard to try to say it in any delicate way, and it is a truth that is best spoken plainly. This end isn’t something that occurred over night and it hasn’t been brought about by a single cataclysmic fracture in the band. Simply put, Isis has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say.”

“We’ve seen too many bands push past the point of a dignified death and we all promised one another early on in the life of the band that we would do our best to ensure Isis would never fall victim to that syndrome. We’ve had a much longer run than we ever expected we would and accomplished a great deal more than we ever imagined possible.”

Fittingly the band’s last show will take place in Montreal at the site of the very first Isis show in 1997. After the tour the band plans to complete a final EP and compile live audio and visual material for a future release.

Check out the photos from Soundwave here

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jettimon

jettimon said on the 19th May, 2010

"Good Night!

ISIS has reached an end. It's hard to try to say it in any delicate way, and it is a truth that is best spoken plainly. This end isn't something that occurred over night and it hasn't been brought about by a single cataclysmic fracture in the band. Simply put, ISIS has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say. In the interest of preserving the love we have of this band, for each other, for the music made and for all the people who have continually supported us, it is time to bring it to a close.

We've seen too many bands push past the point of a dignified death and we all promised one another early on in the life of the band that we would do our best to ensure ISIS would never fall victim to that syndrome. We've had a much longer run than we ever expected we would and accomplished a great deal more than we ever imagined possible. We never set any specific goals when the band was founded other than to make the music we wanted to hear and to play (and to stay true to that ideal), so everything else that has come along the long and winding path has been an absolute gift.

As with any momentous life-changing decision (which this certainly is for the 5 of us), we feel a very dynamic range of emotions about this and cannot express all of it within the space of a few sentences, and perhaps it's best to do what we've always done in and let our music speak for us. It is and has been the truest expression of who we are as a collective and in some ways who we are as individuals for the 13 years in which we've been together.

The last and perhaps most important thing we might say in relation to all this is how grateful we are for the people that have supported us over the years. It is a lengthy list that would include those who put out our records, those that played on them and put them to tape, the many bands with whom we shared the stage, all of our family, friends and companions who supported us in our individual lives and thus made it possible for us to continue on in the band, and most importantly those who truly listened to our music whether in recorded form or by coming to out to our shows (or both). It is quite true that we would never have done what we have without those people, that is many of you who are reading this. Our words can never fully express what we feel, but we hope that our music and the efforts made to bring it into being can serve as a more proper expression of gratitude for this life and for everyone in it. Thank you.

In more immediate and practical terms the tour we are about to embark upon is indeed our last. We are hoping that these final live rituals can help us bring a close to the life of this band in a celebratory and reverent way, and also provide us with a chance to say goodbye to many of those that have supported us over the years. While there is a measure of sadness that comes with the passing of this band, we hope that the final days can be joyous ones during which any and all that wish to come and join us will do so. It seems fitting that the last show of the tour and of our active existence will take place in Montreal, the site of the very first ISIS show in 1997 (though that was an unintentional move when booking the show initially). After the tour we also plan to follow through with other projects set in motion some time ago - pursuing the completion of a final EP, compiling live audio and visual material for future releases, and generally doing whatever we can to make our music available for as long as there are people who wish to hear it.

Thanks again to any and all,

ISIS"

http://isistheband.blogspot.com/

strangely enough i am listening to their last album as i came across this news :eek:

The Fool

The Fool said on the 19th May, 2010

BTIazza

BTIazza said on the 19th May, 2010

Holy crap. I love me some Isis.

SO DID WE!

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 19th May, 2010

Great band, sorry to hear them call it a day.

Cpt_Pugwash

Cpt_Pugwash said on the 19th May, 2010

This sucks, but I totally respect the reasons.

time for some Panopticon.....

BTIazza

BTIazza said on the 19th May, 2010

This sucks, but I totally respect the reasons.

time for some Panopticon.....

Yes great album.

Chan_Marshall

Chan_Marshall said on the 19th May, 2010

Quite a shame. A brilliant band. Completely understandable decision. Each album has been an amazing journey.

demonofthefall said on the 19th May, 2010

A damned shame, but I think it was the right decision... Wavering Radiant showed they were sort of running out of ideas imo. Glad I got to see them live now.

jettimon

jettimon said on the 19th May, 2010

yeah i think it is a good thing, they had their day, best to pull the plug before it gets to stale

viktorwiener

viktorwiener said on the 19th May, 2010

"simply put, isis has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say.”
for me the end was at panopticon, i think they never really grown since that record. sad news, totally foolish of me that i've missed the corner hotel show...

Stuo

Stuo said on the 19th May, 2010

I'm glad I got to see them at Soundwave!

Demosthenes

Demosthenes said on the 19th May, 2010

Bugger. Now listening to Panopticon and recalling good times earlier this year seeing Isis.

yesterdaystoast

yesterdaystoast said on the 19th May, 2010

BTIazza

BTIazza said on the 20th May, 2010

"simply put, isis has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say.”
for me the end was at panopticon, i think they never really grown since that record. sad news, totally foolish of me that i've missed the corner hotel show...

I do agree. Panopticon is probably my favourite of all albums. Oceanic is close second.
In saying that, the others are still great pieces of work, but just really running over the same old ground. Especially when it comes to the vocals.