Isaurian - The Pulsing Rush

Isaurian – The Pulsing Rush
Release Date: 25th October 2024
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Doomgaze, Post-Rock, Post-Metal, Shoegaze.
FFO: Iress, Chelsea Wolfe, King Woman, Dreamswell, Emma Ruth Rundle.
Review By: Mark Young

This is a very accomplished collection of songs, with a stunning vocal performance courtesy of both Hoanna Aragão and Jorge Rabelo, who between them combine to elevate the material to a new level. The cleans are incredible, and the guttural is brutal.

Their innate handle on doomgaze is apparent straight from pressing play, the way that the band pull the loud/quiet dynamic in a way that keeps our engagement high. Each song is a separate journey that is built from their own personal experiences, allowing them to explore soundscapes that are in turn savage and beautiful.

Heart Like A Curse is our introduction to that amazing voice, and it is backed up by some heavy guitar work. It also shows their grasp of how to deliver effective doomgaze that is full of atmosphere and emotion. This is further supported by the ethereal Godlike, those vocals floating like leaves in the wind. The way they use the space to really drive home the emotional aspect of their songs is handled brilliantly, Carved Earth, with it’s barely whispered vocals that rise ever so gently is an incredible piece of work that keeps moving forward so when they drop the harder edged guttural attack it works so well.

Pale Blue Dot, well it is an instrumental and I have a love/hate relationship with them and I think it is offered here purely as a reset switch before they come back Primal Life, which sees them up their tempo a little without sacrificing any quality, and it is a track that manages to get a grip of you with its unhurried arrangement. That balance of the quiet/loud is again handled superbly, with some stand-out drumming from Roberto Tavares, who brings the steel and does so with a deft touch. Entering the endgame, Great Hunger comes in to give an injection of pace and urgency with chiming guitar lines and those attention grabbing vocals. Again, they convey the right amount of atmosphere to avoid any signs of repetition and final track, Murmurations, has a delicate start, content to let it ride and evolve with soft keys that provide an almost happy feel to it. What they don’t forget is to bring the riffs, and these are spot on with a machine-built precision so that they fit the song completely.

For an unsigned band, this is an incredibly well produced and put together set of songs. Everything about it sounds great, with all the moving parts given space to shine when required. It’s one of those albums that just comes out of nowhere and demands attention, and for fans of this genre, you should definitely give them a go. Great stuff!!