Isis (Posted Date: 12 Jul 2009, 15:15)

Isis / Destructo Swarmbots

08.07.09 Bahnhof Langendreer, Bochum

Again Bochum hosted a band known for its wall of sound. Eight days after that impressive Mogwai show at the Schauspielhaus Isis played the good old Bahnhof Langendreer.
But before them a one-man band called Destructo Swarmbots enetered the stage. He created atmospheric soundscapes with a laptop and a guitar, well it seemed to be just one droning sound, You could only tell by the short breaks in between that a new song had started as it all sounded nearly the same.
I got into Isis when they recorded a split album with Aereogramme and immediately loved their massive sound (my first album I got was Panopticon). But it seems that they can't reproduce this sound live. That was my impression four years ago when I've seen them for the first time and was blown away by supporting band Jesu and nothing seems to have changed. The songs. nine played in about 80 minutes, most of them from their latest release Wavering Radiant, were great, the band played really well and the audience in the packed Bahnhof seemed to enjoy it very much. But I didn't feel any tension or even threatening guitar sound as it was at the Mogwai show when you literally got blown away in the loud moments.