Celestial (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Celestial
Type = studio
Artist = Isis

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Released = April 3, 2000
Recorded = January—February 2000
Genre = Sludge metal
Drone doom
Post-metal
Minimalist
Length = 49:57
Label = Escape Artist
(EA07.0)
Hydra Head
(HH666-59)
Producer = Isis, Matt Bayles
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hl7zefwk2gf6 link]
Last album = "Sawblade EP"
(1999)
This album = "Celestial"
(2000)
Next album = "SGNL>05"
(2001)|

"Celestial" is an album by American avant-garde metal band Isis, released in 2000 by Escape Artist and Hydra Head Records. It is their third solo release and first full length. While Celestial is heavily rooted in experimental sludge and minimalist drone, it is a significant work because of its use of abrupt dynamic shifts, an element that Isis would later refine in "Oceanic" and "Panopticon" to become a pronounced characteristic of the post-metal aesthetic.

In addition to the regular CD and vinyl LP editions, "Celestial" is available in a double release, coupled with its sister EP, "SGNL>05".

Themes

Celestial and "SGNL>05" reintroduce the control tower and female character themes; specifically, a central "mother" tower ("Celestial (The Tower)," "Divine Mother"), which is built ("Constructing Towers"), decayed ("Deconstructing Towers"), and finally crumbles ("Divine Mother (The Tower Crumbles)" which isn't featured until their "SGNL>05" EP). As well, the SGNL theme is introduced ("SGNL>01" through "SGNL>05 (Final Transmission)"), and the mosquito ("Mosquito Control") is linked through the artwork on both releases.

Track listing

All songs written by Isis.

# "SGNL>01" – 0:55
# "Celestial (The Tower)" – 9:42
# "Glisten" – 6:35
# "Swarm Reigns (Down)" – 6:02
# "SGNL>02" – 0:51
# "Deconstructing Towers" – 7:30
# "SGNL>03" – 0:35
# "Collapse and Crush" – 5:55
# "C.F.T. (New Circuitry and Continued Evolution)" – 5:43
# "Gentle Time" – 7:02
# "SGNL>04 (End Transmission)" – 1:07

Personnel

Band members

* Jeff Caxide – bass guitar
* Aaron Harris – drums
* Michael Gallagher – guitar
* Bryant Clifford Meyer – electronics, guitar, vocals on "Gentle Time"
* Aaron Turner – vocals, guitar, art and graphic construction

Other personnel

* Matt Bayles – producing, audio recording and audio mixing
* Jason Hellmann – video stills
* Dave Merullo – mastering and audio editing