Formed in 1997 in Boston, Isis were an experimental doom/sludge/post-metal band, heavily influenced by bands like Swans, Godflesh, Melvins and Neurosis. While their first album was firmly rooted in metal and hardcore, the band's 2002 record Oceanic expanded their sound beyond conventional song structures into post-rock and ambient. Critical acclaim followed and their audience expanded. After three more well-received albums, the band broke up in '10, stating that they had achieved everything they'd set out to do and were opting to stop rather than risk repeating themselves.