Isis - Sawblade ep

Label: Hydra Head
Year: 1999

This era of Isis, shit, this era of Hydra Head, could do no wrong as far as I could see. Total crushing, total suffocation, total riffage. Isis were insanely heavy at that point, and while still greatly indebted to Neurosis (which, if we're being honest, isn't a bad thing to be indebted to), they were beginning to mold that influence into a newly fashioned, colder, and more brutish form.
And the two covers they perform hear absolutely bookend their influences to a tee. The mechanized grinding pulverization of Godflesh's 'Street Cleaner' demonstrates their desire to explore the droning pound of the "big riff" as a repetitious assault. And the hazy swinging boogie of Black Sabbath's 'Hand Of Doom' show that Isis had a firm grasp of where that "big riff" originated in the first place.

Originally this four song ep was literally bolted as a cd to the back of a saw blade and sold on tour with...who else? Neurosis. Later, Tortuga Records pressed it as a clear vinyl 12", and ultimately the songs would show up on cd versions of ep rereleases and the Hydra Head 'In These Black Days' Black Sabbath covers series. So, maybe you've had these tunes over the years, but here they are in their original glory.

Also, totally unrelated to Isis, as I write this Crystal Palace are up 2-0 on Manchester City in what would be a beautiful upset (first goal being offsides notwithstanding), and would keep my Red Devils in third place going into the Manchester Derby. C'mon Crystal Palace!

DL