I very much appreciate when bands link me to their music, taking into consideration my tendency to lean towards sludge, post-hardcore and post-metal. So it was a nice surprise when Roel van Oosterhout of Netherlands’ IZAH messaged me with a link to his band’s debut album Sistere released back in February 2015.
I can never get enough of atmospheric post-metal and the contemplative journeys it takes me on. Being a very big fan of progressive music, epic tracks that clock in at anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes in duration is not something that deters me. It actually entices me to pay close attention to the musical composition because bands that take this daring approach don’t conform to any standards, which is admirable. But though other acts have missed the mark when going down this path, IZAH is not one of them. It’s kind of hard to believe that this is simply a debut when Sistere is such a well-crafted experimental treasure.
“Indefinite Instinct” is without a doubt my favorite track from the album, making it my Song of the Day. It truly encompasses the powerful aggression yet gorgeous elegance that is said to define the IZAH (which is Arabic for ‘lion’) sound. Take a listen:
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Buy their debut album Sistere here.
For Fans of Cult of Luna, Rosetta, Mono, The Ocean Collective