ISCHEMIC
ISCHEMIC "Condemned To The Breaking Wheel"
By Dr. Abner Mality
This Canadian band definitely has the potential to make some noise in the burgeoning death-doom scene. They've added a couple of members since their last effort and now exist as a 5 piece. I'm glad to see they still have Necro-Nurse Isabelle grumbling and rasping for them. She's one of the heaviest female vocalists in the scene.
ISCHEMIC have matured a lot since their self-titled LP. The sound here is cleaner and more varied...not as sludgy yet still extremely heavy. You sure won't feel like partying and cruising for chicks after hearing this mournful monolith of sound. Four lengthy tracks are laid out and each one has its own vibe. ISCHEMIC are thoughtful songwriters, piecing the songs together carefully to avoid the monotony that often drags death-doom bands down. Isabelle varies her tone from absolute death metal gut-busting to blackened rasps and she's very perceptive at when to use each sound. The songs have influence from giants like MY DYING BRIDE and HOODED MENACE mixed with pure death and surprisingly melodic passages. The song "Abandon" almost brings AGALLOCH to mind with its shimmering, haunting moments but also delivers heavy riffs.
There is something happening here. ISCHEMIC bear all the marks of a band that can take big steps forward on each new release. That's just what they've done with "Condemned to the Breaking Wheel".