Isole have been moiling in the underground since the early 90’s. Completely underrated, this Swedish act has only just begun to see the light of day in metal news and charts. 2005’s debut record Forevermore was a healthy slab of traditional epic doom in the vein of Solitude Aeternus, but with its on twists and heaviness. Three years later and three steady albums, Isole are proving to be one talented group of guys and are an atypical band well worth and any doom fans attention.

Bliss of Solitude is really a great record and it is the most winsome out of the catalogue. However, the beauty is how steady Isole are. This record holds the same style and sound that each of its predecessors had. The only thing changing from year to year is better production and songwriting. The rest is just something that Isole lives and breathes as a unit. Nothing is more prominent in their music than the way they guide their vocal delivery. Stunning performances form Daniel Bryntse (lead vocals and guitar), Crister Olsson (lead guitar/bcaking vocals), and Henrik Lindenmo (bass and chants) on vocal delivery. There really are not too many bands out there today in any genre that can utilize harmonized vocals as much as this band does. They do it so much and so well that the music becomes very medieval and renaissance sounding. Clean chants are the best way to describe the vocal sound. Could even be described as Viking like.

Along with great pipes, the guys in Isole are talented guitar players as well. When I first listened to Isole there was something that didn’t strike me right away. Something was off with the way these guys produced their sound, and it lies in the chord progressions. Whether Isole plan their music to come out this way or it just happens, they can take chords and put them in areas where you didn’t expect them to go. It is a very interesting way of songwriting when you can take the song on a totally different path than one would originally think it was heading. Lets face it. Some music is just plain predictable. Not the case with Bliss of Solitude. Twists and turns that are not very abrupt but make their point will unfold after multiple listens. All part of stunning fretwork that is elegant, technical, majestic, and completely Isole.

As epic as the sounds on Bliss of Solitude are, there is no denying the sorrow within these seven tracks. If a doom act can portray as much triumph as despair and beauty, then they have achieved exactly what the genre is about. Isole seems effortless in this task. If you’re a fan of Sabbath, Trouble, Solitude Aeternus, or Candlmass this is your modernized epic doom release of the year. Check into one of the days finer doom acts

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments