Candlemass' Epicus Doomicus Metallicus remains the primary touchstone from an aesthetic standpoint, though the band's inclination towards slightly more dynamic territory, interspersing dreary, guitar-led passages with more upbeat, mid-tempo sections also begs a parallel to Solitude Aeturnus' Beyond the Crimson Horizon. Somehow, this album feels more urgent, more nihilistic, more sinister than its predecessor, which echoed a detached melancholy that was altogether easier to swallow. Indeed, this record feels more desperate, more challenging in the fits of fury that intersect the passages of mournful despondency. Truly, this is a band that understands that a lot of the time, less is more- each note and each subtlety contributes to the organic WHOLE of the song, weighed and measured for maximum efficiency. Again, Isole have produced a record to dwell in, to embrace, to savor, to live with.

If your epic doom Jones needs a brand new fix, Isole offer a richer, more rewarding and more absorbing high than most.