(written by Islander)
I spilled a lot of words about the “devastating magnificence” of Isolert’s last album, 2020’s World In Ruins — words such as “soaring”, “sweeping”, “near-celestial”, “blazing”, and “tumultuous”, but also “crushing”, “stately”, “dolorous”, and “sublime”. It created ruinous maelstroms but also reached epic heights of glory.
It has therefore been quite exciting news to see that Isolert have a new album on the way, the work of a lineup that now includes new guitarist George S. (Kosmovorous, Herald) in addition to Panagiotis T. (vocals), Nick S. (drums, vocals), and Apostolos K. (guitars, bass). The name of their new album is Wounds of Desolation, and it’s set for release on September 13th by the band’s new label Non Serviam Records.
One song from the album has premiered so far, and today we’re fortunate to host the debut of a second one, a song called “Herald of Demise“.
Isolert have described the new album as one that “marks a shift in sound for us as this is the most complex, demanding and ferocious material we have recorded so far”. With respect to the song we’re premiering today, they’ve captured it in these words:
“In endless trance and venomous upheaval, enshrouded by stillborn hopes, ‘Herald of Demise‘ culminates in a whirlwind of scythes. Speak of me not, for this haze is heavier than these brittle bones. And as the waning moon descends and these waters recede, so shall the embers fade away forevermore.”
In line with those evocative words, this new song is both harrowing and haunting. With frightening screams as prelude, it explodes in a ravaging storm of sound. As the drums furiously hammer and the bass creates its own heavy turbulence, the burning riffs and soaring orchestration quickly create a breathtaking apocalyptic vision, vast and raging in its impact. The vocals are equally shattering, holding nothing back in their screaming, wailing, and completely unhinged intensity.
But this is a dynamic song too, and so after sucking the wind from their listener’s lungs Isolert make a change, introducing a headmoving rhythmic hook and a vibrant skittering and jolting riff, giving the song a more feral and fiendish aspect.
But they change again near the end, creating an emotional descent. As the drums slowly pound and pop, the music sounds like massed voices crying in the heavens, and a guitar solo channels sensations of pleading and grief, with the vocals declaiming their own grievous lament. The guitars also groan their own agonies, and the vocals soar again in frightening wretchedness.
We also encourage you to listen to “Where Dreams Die“, which was the first single from the new album. Isolert introduced it this way:
“‘Where Dreams Die’ is the all consuming void. Ever thirsty, ever hungry, satiated by naught. It reaches deep in granite mazes and pitch black caverns. And as everything else turns to noise, it reverberates with deafening silence and spreads like a virus. Alas nothing stands no more. Nothing but ash.”
The riffing in that song is a writhing blaze, the rhythms a thunderous turbulence, the vocals a scorching fury, the leads a boiling spiral, all combining to create delirious incineration.
But this song also mutates, with the rhythms thumping, and the guitars darting and magically swirling in a manifestation of sprightly jubilation. As we’ve come to expect from Isolert, the music also flies high in a breathtaking display of glorious and sparkling exultation, propelled even higher by an extravagant cry.
You can easily imagine some physical counterpart of the music, some ravenous and fiery hunger that leaves the world in ash, but as captured in this song the process would be as electrifying to witness as it would be devastating.
Wounds of Desolation was mixed and mastered at Suncord Audiolab by Achilleas K. (Varathron). It includes album artwork by Vamon VII and layout by Visionblack.
Non Serviam Records will release Wounds of Desolation on CD, vinyl LP, and digital formats, and you can pre-order those now. The label recommends the record for fans of Gorgoroth, Dissection, and Tribulation.
PRE-ORDER:
CD: https://www.non-serviam-records.com/products/isolert-wounds-of-desolation-digipak
VINYL: https://www.non-serviam-records.com/products/isolert-wounds-of-desolation-vinyl
DIGITAL: https://non-serviam-records.bandcamp.com/album/wounds-of-desolation
ISOLERT:
https://isolert.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/isolert
https://www.instagram.com/isolert_bm/