In a post-9/11 world (that is a phrase I never thought I'd put on this site), Panopticon is a letter of warning, a letter of reflection and a recitation of apology. Indeed, Isis accomplishes this all while maintaining a minimal lyric sheet. I'm not sure I've everheard a record say so much with so little in the way of lyrics. No, it's not instrumental, but Aaron Turner uses simple lines ("Backlit" features a lovely "Always on you" line to build the song's structure). Similarly, the guitar work is measured and phrased in such a way that the band is almost writing a concise story. The "Syndic Calls" guitar breaks are rhytmic and heavy, repeating and building. Like the best post-rock, Panopticon is not afraid of slowly constructing musical phrases.
Every time I listen to Panopticon, I marvel at how layered and beautiful it is, as an album. Relying on anticipation more than anything, the album has an unparalelled tension. Even with the cookie monster growl and a reminder of our fucked up existence, it's the album of the decade. Both gorgeous and reflective, it's brilliant.
I'm not a huge metal person, with the exception of some Rammstein Tony got me into in high school. But a while back, Ross lent me a bunch of quality metal albums at my request, and I can definitely say Panopticon has stuck with me. It's less squashed-cat-yowly than a lot of metal, and that's a great thing. The record sounds to me like an angry ocean, the roar of a tide that's pulling you under. If you're intimidated by metal but want an entry album that's uncompromising and strong, I'd definitely reccomend Panopticon, and Isis more generally.