Panopticon (album)

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


Released = October 19, 2004
Recorded = Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California, June–July 2004
Genre = Post-metal
Length = 57:04
Label = Ipecac Recordings (CD)
(IPC-057)
Trust No One (vinyl)
(TNO027) (Europe)
Robotic Empire (vinyl)
(ROBO 041) (US)
Producer = Isis, Matt Bayles
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:pl508qnxbtv4 link]
*"Decibel" (Positive) [http://www.decibelmagazine.com/reviews/dec2004/isis.aspx link]
*"Drowned In Sound" rating-10|10 [http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/3814 link]
*Ground and Sky (Positive) [http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=isis-pan link]
*"The Metal Observer" rating-10|10 [http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=7265 link]
*"Pitchfork Media" rating-10|8.4 [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/18757/Isis_Panopticon link]
*"Rock Sound" rating-10|10
*Scene Point Blank rating-10|10 [http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/322 link]
*Transform Online (Positive) [http://www.transformonline.com/music/reviews/001695.php link]
Last album = "Live.01"
(2004)
This album = "Panopticon"
(2004)
Next album = "Live.02"
(2004)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Vinyl edition cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = The cover of Robotic Empire's vinyl edition.

"Panopticon" is the third full-length album by Los Angeles, California, USA-based post-metal band Isis, released on October 19, 2004 by Ipecac Recordings.cite web | url = http://www.ipecac.com/bio.php?id=15 | title = Ipecac Recordings - Isis| publisher = Ipecac Recordings| accessdate = 2008-01-23]

The album's title derives from philosopher Jeremy Bentham's panopticon prison ideal and philosopher/historian Michel Foucault's later allegorical appropriation of the concept. The liner notes also include quotes from technology writer Howard Rheingold and futurist Alex Steffen. The album artwork shows an almost isometric aerial photograph of San Francisco (specifically of San Francisco International Airport), reinforcing the notion of "being watched", or omniscience. This reintroduces the tower theme of past releases through convention; the center of the circular panopticon was designed either for a lone guard or a central tower, with which the surrounding cells/rooms/etc. are governed. The tower links to a major theme of "Celestial", which also links to a female character (as featured in the story of "Oceanic"). Note, however, that the themes and their connections are merely conjecture, and are open to interpretation.

It is also worth noting that the album artwork bears a strong resemblance to ambient musician Biosphere's 2001 album Substrata 2

Track listing

All songs written by Isis.

#"So Did We" – 7:30
#"Backlit" – 7:43
#"In Fiction" – 8:59
#"Wills Dissolve" – 6:47
#"Syndic Calls" – 9:40
#"Altered Course" – 9:58 (audio|Isis_-_Altered_Course_(Edit).ogg‎|sample)) Features Justin Chancellor of Tool on bass.
#"Grinning Mouths" – 8:27

Personnel

Band members

* Jeff Caxide – bass guitar
* Aaron Harris – drums
* Michael Gallagher – guitar
* Bryant Clifford Meyer – electronics, guitar
* Aaron Turner – vocals, guitar, photography and design

Other personnel

* Justin Chancellor – additional sounds/bass guitar on "Altered Course"
* Matt Bayles – audio engineering, audio mixing and production
* Greg Moss – live sound
* Jason Hellmann – website design

References

See also

*Big Brother (1984)