Neurosis

"Unleashing the Depths of Sonic Introspection"

"Are you lost?
Yes

Because we don’t know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible Well
Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number, really
How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you can’t even conceive of your life without it?
Perhaps four, five times more, perhaps not even that
How many more times will you watch the full moon rise?
Perhaps twenty
And yet it all seems limitless.
Are you lost?"

Sampled section from

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

Song: - Lost

Album: - Enemy of the Sun

Year: - 1993

History and Background

Boy, where do I start when it comes to Neurosis. It is one of those obscure, underrated but supremely talented bands which you will find hard to notice on a metal playlist. But those who have had the commitment to give in to their sound, claim it to be one of their best experiences ever. Most of their work is a heavily acquired taste and would require multiple listens to actually understand and comprehend. If I were to describe their music using a single word, it would be "Transcendental". Speaking about their musical artistry, it would be analogous to one of those mad artists/painters whose paintings are near abstract masterpieces that are difficult to comprehend by the common folk, mostly requiring keen observation and attention to detail to actually understand them.

Formed in 1985 in Oakland, California as a Hardcore Punk band, they quickly transitioned to a more experimental style of sound. Their pioneering work would be the 1992 album "Souls at Zero" which was their first attempt at incorporating avant-garde elements into their work. Heavy attention was given to the sonic atmosphere backed up by unforgiving and grim, sludgy guitar riffs.

In the following years, they unleashed 3 records, "Enemy of the Sun" in 1993 and "Through Silver in Blood" in 1996, and "Times of Grace" in 1999, forming the basis and setting a gold standard for Post-Metal.

"Through Silver in Blood" still remains to be one of the best Post-Metal albums, and arguably one of the greatest Metal albums to ever exist. With the coming albums, Neurosis has gained an immense ability to craft immensely unforgiving landscapes sonically. Incorporating sludgy, mean riffs, a fusion of industrial sounds, tribal beats, sampling otherworldly sounds (something outer space-like), haunting vocal textures, and employing ethereal sonic tapestries that manifest impending doom and despair.

Band Logo

Dynamics

Their music may not be the most technically complex or have flashy solos like in other metal and/or rock genres, but they do know one thing that other bands may not know, which is Dynamics. The heavy reliance on countless layering, texturing, sampling, repetition, and post-production sound engineering wise, make them one of the loudest bands on Earth, so much so that their two guitarists (Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till) make an arena feel small with their wall of sound as if they are a band comprising of 10 guitarists.

Conventional Defiance

Neurosis also excels at defying genre conventions, swaying away from the current trends, instead becoming trendsetters themselves. They don't encourage categorization and often tend to blend various elements from different genres like sludge, doom, industrial, and even elements of progressive and dark ambient. Other musical incorporations include tribal beats, bagpipes, violins, and sampled white noise.

Lyrical Themes

Lyrical themes often circle around existentialism, life and death, self-catharsis, and inner turmoil and often revolve around abstract, surreal imagery of consciousness to convey messages. Sometimes, their lyricism is cryptic and would require looking through a broader perspective helping you to evoke inner self-realization about ultimate truth and life.

Influences

Neurosis is one of the most important metal bands to ever exist since the 90s. Without them, there would be no industrial metal, post-metal, alternative metal, Stoner Doom, or Sludge metal.

Countless bands have cited them for their important influence. Some of the popular ones are Mastodon, Tool, Slipknot, Isis, Baroness & Pelican. Others include Wolves in the Throne Room, YOB, Sumac, Cult of Luna, and Rosetta

On the other hand, bands, and artists that have heavily influenced Neurosis are progressive acts from the likes of The Melvins, Swans, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson, Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost, and punk rockers Black Flag. Other major influences include Black Sabbath, Voivod, Jimi Hendrix, and Joy Division.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a transcendental experience, Neurosis has got you covered. Most of their music will connect with you on a deeper level helping you to evoke untapped emotions and question reality and the very reason for existence. Their raw energy and darker vibe set a listening environment for an honest expression, ultimately paving the way to a suffocating way of emotional cleansing. Sooner or later, the listener would feel in deep connection with their work.

First-time listeners might find their songs to be generally unpleasant, confusing, or uncomprehensive. This is not a gateway metal band by any means. If you're just getting into metal, there are plenty of other bands that might suit your ears for now. Neurosis, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of a traditional metal band. They have challenged conventions from time to time. Even veteran metalheads find their work to be confusing at first. But giving them time is what is needed if one is really interested in their work.

If you're a very inquisitive, curious person always seeking out something that you really don't know anything about, then listening to Neurosis might help you look at the world and understand life and introspect.

I'm not endorsing the band in any way. It's free will and this is what my experience was after listening to them for almost 2-3 years since I discovered Neurosis. In the end, it all comes down to individual taste in music.

Thanks for the read.

In the meantime, some of the popular songs to check out by them if you are interested.