This is actually one of those rare albums with all of it’s positive press. And don’t worry Neurosis still has that bombast & fire within them. However, they are looking inward & outward to expand what they are capable of so you hear a lot more “clean and strummy” melodies here & there. However, this move that Neurosis has taken is like their forefathers/mother, Swans who did just nicely in adjusting their style.
((((1)))) Typical Neuosis-style in that in has the percussion, bulid up but then again this throws a curve and slows down and gets more pastoral and relaxed in places.
(((((2))))) Slow, strummy and winding.Sounds almost like Slint in some places except instead of that band’s weird whispered tones you get the well-worn but classic tone of Steve Von Till. Definetely one of his best vocal performances. Overall this shifts from the quiet to loud/low to high volume. Eventually fades out with lot of flanger effects. Totally worth your while.
((((3)))) Ambient drone and slow, spacey beats & floating electronics (think Jessamine). Very stark and kind of etheral, too. Another one you can easily get wonderfully lost in. Epic length at 11:53
(((((4))))) Sheets of thunderous noise and heavy drum beats (both of which work excellent together) then suddenly pulls back at 1:05 with a very relaxed, slow tempo and sort of Slint crossed with Nick Cave feeling but generally it’s still in the Neurosis vein with lots of bombast and that ever present “building up to something” feeling.
((((5)))) More ambience and suuuper slow strummed guitars and goes back to the floating electronics we heard in track #3.
(((((6))))) Minimal guitar notes with a bit of echo and Steve (or Scott?) singing in a slow folk format. The doomy bombast does come up and quite nicely starting at 5:05.
((((7)))) Ambient space sounds and that constant pounding druming with a very small piano notes. Sounds like Neurosis for sure but mixed up with Black Heart Procession and Nick Cave. Great use of “maximal minimalism”, too. In the last 2 minutes it gets better loud & heavy with giant fuzzed out guitar strums and intense vocals.
((((8)))) Slow acoustic guitar and possibly cello reverberating. Some slow folk & doom rock. Very nice!