A lot of us weren't around for Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Not Megadeth or Slayer. Not Exodus or Dark Angel. We missed the development of metal as we know it. At least we have Isis.

Throughout the years, Isis have gone from a band accused of being a bad Neurosis rip-off to becoming a band that's all their own and sharing a similar air of influence along with Neurosis. They've pushed post-metal to entire new boundaries and inspired hundreds of teenagers to start following suit. Now, Isis release quite possibly their best album to date, In the Absence of Truth.

A lot of people have said that Isis sold out with Panopticon, and if you thought so, this album won't encourage otherwise. However, only a moron couldn't have seen this progression coming.

First things first with In the Absence of Truth: Isis have always been a band that were able to evoke otherworldly images, so it's not surprising that they've got lost in their own trance-inducing progressiveness. The Isis presented on In the Absence of Truth is a band that lies somewhere between the post-hardcore wasteland of Neurosis, the steroid shoegaze of Jesu, and the melodic connotations that bring to mind Opeth in quite a few areas, yet sounding distinctly American.

With this album, Isis have completely redefined themselves and wandered into territory that's more post-rock than anything this band has ever released. Sure, there are sludgy moments here and there, but ultimately, the band is relying more and more on melodies that are hypnotic and hallucinogenic, sounding completely at home with bands like Red Sparowes and Battle of Mice.

This is music awash in a sea of blissful illusion; a journey that's cerebral instead of physical. It's fragments and shards of dreams that aren't evil or divine, just like broken, blunt pieces of glass reflecting you back into yourself.

In the Absence of Truth is a beautiful album. True, it's nothing like their last few albums, and there's going to be a major dichotomy after its street release, but this is music that's going to please day-trippers and thinkers alike. It's the soundtrack to self-discovery. (10/10)