i have tried to get into isis several times but whatever record i listened to, it didn't work for me. admittedly i didn't listen to all five full lengths, so probably i will change my opinion but for now isis isn't my cup of tea. at least not all their recorded material because there is one release that i like from start to finish and that always draws me to give them another try. this release is their 'the red sea' e.p. from back in the nineties.
these three, fifteen minutes spanning songs are full of desperation, aggression, darkness and sophisticated twists, that it is hard for me to see that this e.p. was only a small evolutionary step in the band's development. i really wished there was more of this great stuff. anyway, fortunately the band decided to include the '98 demo on cd first and all subsequent 12" pressings got it, too. the four songs of the demo are just as great as the original 'the red sea' e.p. check it out in all its glory.
'the red sea' was initially released on an 8" format. the first two vinyl pressings came on this quite unusual vinyl format. in 2006 the label decided to give it the 12" treatment, which i think is way better. i have a copy of the last, the fifth 12" pressing from already four years ago. it was pressed for record store day 2012 and comes in a fold-over piece of cardboard functioning as a cover and a printed dust sleeve. 500 copies made on this nice black and white merge colour pattern. second nature recordings. 1999/2012.
