By: Victor Van Ommen
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 20/11/2015
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds |
Small Stone Records
Small Stone Records
…there’s a Lo-Pan feel to the riffing and touches of Corrosion of Conformity, too, making Isaak a modern band who has learned from both their peers as well as their predecessors.
‘Sermonize’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). Whore Horse
2). The Peak
3). Fountainhead
4). Almonds & Glasses
5). Soar
6). Showdown
7). Yeah (Kyuss)
8). Lucifer’s Road (White Ash)
9). Lesson n.1
10). The Frown Reloaded
11). The Phil’s Theorem
12). Sermonize
2). The Peak
3). Fountainhead
4). Almonds & Glasses
5). Soar
6). Showdown
7). Yeah (Kyuss)
8). Lucifer’s Road (White Ash)
9). Lesson n.1
10). The Frown Reloaded
11). The Phil’s Theorem
12). Sermonize
Isaak is
Giacomo H Boeddu | vocals
Andrea Tabbì De Bernardi | drums / Vocals
Francesco Raimondi | guitars
Gabriele Carta | bass
The Review:
With "Sermonize," Italian heavy rockers have plugged their guitars into the boulders of Stone Henge to create a record that is as thick ass it is textured. Italian imprint Heavy Psych Sounds is handling the album's vinyl release while Small Stone is taking care of those portable plastic discs fit for your car's CD player. The fact that Isaak has partnered up with two of the most trustworthy labels in heavy rock music should be enough persuasion to check this out.
The album isn't out yet but when it is I'll be placing an order for it. What has me scratching my head, however, is which format will I choose? "Sermonize" works well for wax; Side A displaying the more aggressive side of the band to which Side B counters with more depth in both emotion and songwriting. What has me gunning for the CD release, though, is how naturally "Sermonize" unfurls in its uninterrupted linear form. And i like driving. Choices, choices.
At the end of the day, regardless of the format, "Sermonize" is a collection of twelve burly slices of guitar driven rock. The first song revealed to the public was "Fountainhead," whose steady, rolling groove and punchy chorus ultimately serves as an appropriate introduction to the album. It's Side A's focal point but don't let it detract from "Soar," the first song to find the balance between balls out aggression while allowing the song to come into its own.
"Sermonize"'s B Side is actually where my preference lies because of the band's willingness to play around with their sound. What strikes first is that Giacomo H Boeddu opens up his throat more, branching our from Side A's delivery, leaning more towards melody without sacrificing any of the dudeliness that Isaak controls so well. For example, in "Showdown;" while the band keeps up the pace, Giacomo is able to create space in the rumble and fill it with a delivery that bellows. Aside from the vocals, Isaak also experiments with a cover of Kyuss's "Yeah," playing it seven times faster than the original, showing that there is also a bit of punk attitude coursing through their veins. For the rest, theres a Lo-Pan feel to the riffing and touches of Corrosion of Conformity, too, making Isaak a modern band who has learned from both their peers as well as their predecessors.
The album isn't out yet but when it is I'll be placing an order for it. What has me scratching my head, however, is which format will I choose? "Sermonize" works well for wax; Side A displaying the more aggressive side of the band to which Side B counters with more depth in both emotion and songwriting. What has me gunning for the CD release, though, is how naturally "Sermonize" unfurls in its uninterrupted linear form. And i like driving. Choices, choices.
At the end of the day, regardless of the format, "Sermonize" is a collection of twelve burly slices of guitar driven rock. The first song revealed to the public was "Fountainhead," whose steady, rolling groove and punchy chorus ultimately serves as an appropriate introduction to the album. It's Side A's focal point but don't let it detract from "Soar," the first song to find the balance between balls out aggression while allowing the song to come into its own.
"Sermonize"'s B Side is actually where my preference lies because of the band's willingness to play around with their sound. What strikes first is that Giacomo H Boeddu opens up his throat more, branching our from Side A's delivery, leaning more towards melody without sacrificing any of the dudeliness that Isaak controls so well. For example, in "Showdown;" while the band keeps up the pace, Giacomo is able to create space in the rumble and fill it with a delivery that bellows. Aside from the vocals, Isaak also experiments with a cover of Kyuss's "Yeah," playing it seven times faster than the original, showing that there is also a bit of punk attitude coursing through their veins. For the rest, theres a Lo-Pan feel to the riffing and touches of Corrosion of Conformity, too, making Isaak a modern band who has learned from both their peers as well as their predecessors.
