To really enjoy Isis' oceanic, tension-and-release art-metal, you've got to immerse yourself in it. Unfortunately, the audio accompanying the '00s-spanning performances collected here simply isn't up to the task; it's better than bootleg or soundboard quality, but never really translates the alternating hugeness and subtlety of the band's sound to satisfying effect. A full set captured in Australia circa Feb. '05 comes closest and makes Clearing The Eye a document that fans will want to check out (as does the single, rarely seen video, a heavily Asian-horror-influenced clip set to "In Fiction"). The DVD doesn't really cut it as either a full-blown in-concert presentation or the-story-so-far anthology, however; Isis is still a project whose power is best felt either via headphones or vibrating through one's skull at a gig. 2.5 stars
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2006.
