Isis really was a goddamn force of nature live. They put on an excellent show. I miss them a lot. I had enjoyed their earlier stuff but Oceanic hit me like a ton of bricks when it came out - right place at the right time for me, I guess - and it remains my favorite of theirs.
And yeah, all of my various experiences and opinions listening to Palms, Sumac, and Old Man Gloom line up with yours. I am looking forward to giving them another shot... except for Palms, I think I tried hard enough with that project. There have been a lot of times where I've come back to something with a fresh perspective and really had it click, so I guess I'm holding out hope that might happen here.