ISON: Aurora (POST ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Initially, Ison was the fruit of a meeting between Daniel Änghede, guitarist with Crippled Black Phoenix, and Heike Langhans, then singer with gothic doom death band Draconian, a collaboration crowned in 2019 by the superb 'Inner-Space', which combined ethereal doom and stellar post-rock. While this first album owed much of its success and bewitching power to her, the South African decided, against all odds, to leave the project shortly afterwards, condemning it to an uncertain future.

Replacing her was no mean feat, since Ison was totally at one with her misty vocal spectrum of great dramatic power. Daniel could have been satisfied with a single recruit to fill the vacancy - after all, there is no shortage of fine voices, unknown or already established. Instead, he had the excellent idea of calling on eight different singers for as many tracks on the successor to 'Inner-Space'. It's no surprise that Sylvaine, Carline van Roos (Lethian Dreams, Aythis) and Gogo Melone (Aeonian Sorrow) have accepted the invitation. The presence of Tara VanFlower from darkwave band Lycia or circle&wind, with their more pop sound, was less obvious.

We might have feared, however, that this good idea would have undermined the cohesion of this second album, turning it into a vocal mosaic that was a little too fragmented. In the end, however, this is not the case, because although the singers are all different, their styles are relatively similar. Above all, their voices have an undeniable closeness to that of Heike Langhans, whose spectral consistency they share. You only have to listen to the opening track, 'Jupiter', which welcomes Vila behind the microphone to (almost) believe that the resigned singer is still there.

"Aurora' digs the same furrow as its predecessor, less spatial perhaps, but just as beautiful and hypnotic without a doubt, especially as Daniel Änghede's signature remains easily identifiable ('Celestial'). However, it would be wrong to claim that each singer doesn't bring her own touch, which is in fact nourished by the personality of each of them. Cammie Gilbert of Oceans Of Slumber lends a distinctly electronic pulse to 'Waves', Lisa Cuthbert drapes 'Aurora' in an intimate, atmospheric shroud, while circle&wind shrouds 'Penumbra' in bucolic fragility.

While it would be tedious to describe the performance of each of the guests, all of whom are worthy of praise, it is important to underline the beauty of certain compositions, foremost among which is 'Meridian', haunted by a Sylvaine more tragic and bewitching than ever. It's hard not to be bowled over when she utters her last words, like a final death rattle... This is certainly the most masterful piece Ison has produced, along with 'Inner-Space' from the previous album. The aforementioned 'Penumbra' and 'Waves', though a notch below them, also stand out from a whole whose only regret is that it drags on at the end of its 70 minutes, without fortunately straying too far or getting lost.

Moving away from the cosmic drone of their debut, 'Aurora' asserts a more intimate, earthier post rock, perhaps less hovering than 'Inner-Space', but just as bewitching. Of the eight singers, it was surprisingly Lisa Cuthbert (we'd have preferred Sylvaine) who continued the journey with the Swede, with whom she will record "Stars & Embers" alone (or almost)... - Official website

ISON

AURORA

AVANTGARDE MUSIC

POST ROCK