isis is one of those bands that have a certain attraction to me but still i would never go over the odds to get a hold on their records. i'll gladly pick up whatever i find along the way but won't unload extra cash for a specific variant or something like that. nevertheless i am always very excited when an ebay option or colour re-press pops up. this being so i was surprised to find a coloured lp offer for the band's last full length "wavering radiant" from 2009 amongst the new stuff over at per koro.
even though the record was a little bit on the expensive side, i didn't hestitate to add a copy to my cart. i always loved the visual aesthetics of isis records and "wavering radiant" is no exception. the cover art looks like it was glowing and the blue streaks have almost a 3d quality to them. the haptic of the gatefold adds to spatial feeling because it is not smooth but a little wavy. well, sort of, you have to feel it yourself, i guess.
the gatefold is one of those ultra sturdy stoughton tip-on jackets. because of the cardboard being that thick, i can't even slip the gatefold into my usual reclosable pvc sleeves. a real piece of quality work. the vinyl itself is the european pressing on black with white splatter. i was a little sceptical if the outcome was looking good. in theory a cool colour-way but mostly those variants have way too less splatter and thus look still boring. fortunately i got a copy where the guys at the pressing plant didn't save on white vinyl pellets. looking sharp!
musically this is just the moody and avant-garde metal and hardcore mix i was expecting from isis. their stuff is nothing i can listen to on a daily basis but when i am in the mood for their atmospheric yet heavy stuff, i will definitely grab "wavering radiant" with a thrill of anticipation. it's hard to pick a favourite because i understand an isis record as a whole, so i suggest you listen to all of it. 775 copies on this variant. robotic empire. 2017.
