Disco de Neurosis: “Eye of Every Storm”

NEUROSIS - The Eye of Every Storm

-

Neurosis is a band that has been progressing with each release they have done... `The Eye of Every Storm' is no exception. They started in 87' as a punk/hardcore Metal band. `Souls at Zero' came out in 92 and set a new direction which they perfected in 96 with `Through Silver and Blood'. Now in 2004 they've moved into Post-Metal territory (which they were slowly heading with `A Sun that Never Sets'-in 2001) Truth is... Not every fan will like this. Personally I do. I love bands like Pelican, Isis, (Specially their newer stuff) Red Sparowes, GY!BE, and Mogwai. More so I enjoy seeing a band that started heavy go Prog. Honestly... When bands `age' they want change, they generally have 3 choices:

#1) Progression - Bands like Opeth, and Amorphis, have taken this route and continued growing as musicians

#2) Stay the Same - Slayer has kept their general sound for decades. (Sure they've grown and matured a bit, did some lower tunings but overall still the same focus)

#3) Sell-Out - And yes of course I'm going to cite Metallica...

-So ideally progression is my preferred choice (And obviously the choice for Neurois as well)

Musically this album is `softer' in terms of Neurosis but just as dark as anything they've ever done. Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly have never sounded better, their deep beckoning voices only further an atmosphere that really could be the soundtrack to the eye of a storm... The Guitar work is subtle but effective and the Keys are more dominant on this album. Also the minimalist drumming truly helps keep the ambient feel flowing throughout the entire album.

Patience is a virtue exercised while listening to this album but it will pay off if you let the albums beauty unfold in front of you.

Honestly if you like Progressive Music, Post-Rock/Metal, or any of the bands mentioned above check this album out... Also for a heavier journey check out there back catalogue.

Favorite Songs: Burn, No River to Take Me Home, and A Season in the Sky.

-5 Stars

IF YOU LIKED, AGREED, OR APPRECIATED THIS PLEASE CLICK YES FOR:

"Was this review helpful?"

Neurosis is a band that redifines their sound with every release, and each time they pull of these technical and difficult transitions flawlessly. No matter what game Neurosis seem to be playing, they always come out on top. Whether it be super aggressive hardcore ('Pain of Mind'), a more progressive brand of metal / hardcore ala early Isis (Enemy of the Sun'), crushing doom-ish noisecore ('Through Silver in Blood'), or an experimental, yet heavy sound ('Sun that Never Sets'). Unlike the vast majority of Neurosis's extensive catalouge, 'The Eye of Every Storm' incorporates many aspects from ambient and noise recordings. Sound something like Godspeed You! Black Emperor meets modern day Isis, the album is perhaps the most powerful, well executed, and emotion record that Neurosis has released (yes, even surpassing the absolutely stunning 'Sovereign' E.P., which up until now was my favorite Neurosis release). Like 'Sun that Never Sets' and the aforementioned 'Sovereign', 'The Eye of Every Storm' focuses not only on the aural presentation of the music but also in the visual presentation. The etheral and misterious artwork really enhances the total package of the music, bringing forth all the aspects of the music that can't be felt by just listening to it. Song wise, the album contains some of the most beautifully devastating tracks ever; the opener "Burn" is imediately strikes at your psyche, "The Eye of Every Storm" has one of the most haunting vocal passages I've ever heard, and "Left to Wander" has what I think to be the greatest piece of ambient guitar work every laid down. 'The Eye of Every Storm' is for those who want a unique listening experience that is both heavy and heavenly; there is no better.

10 / 10

Okay, truth must be told. Neurosis has gone mellower over the years since that behemoth of a disc we all know as "Through Silver In Blood." To some, they may sound tired with music, they may sound out of energy, the same energy that has carried them through almost twenty years of music together. But even though I cannot say I'm a long-time fan, maybe about six months of listening to these prodigies, I still find this disc striking and moving.

I immediately ran my ass out to best Buy this morning to go get it along with Atreyu (which I had for about 7 weeks before the real date, so this was priority) and I buried myself in it as I'm still doing right now.

There's a certain sculpting of the voices of Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly that has finally come out. They carry themselves no longer scared of using clean voices to express their strong feelings and emotions (quite apparent with the lyrical content) and it sounds just as chilling as the end of "falling unknown" from A Sun That Never Sets, but this time, they don't need to scream.

Musically, we're hearing a more ambient Neurosis, no doubt. Noah's keys are coming out more, as well as more playing with the guitar feedback and drone work which I personally enjoy without end. Jason's drumming has picked up in pace, and this album definitely moves along quicker than ASTNS, and his skill at being able to control atomsphere with his cymbals has become much more apparent. Dave's Moog work comes out well, but I miss the bass strength that came along with earlier CD's. Scott and Steve have borrowed the single note picking from the Sovereign EP and have allowed more feedback to coast through the storm of music.

The packaging is plain, simple yet perfectly befitting of this disc. The simple swirls that grace the lyrics sheets and liner notes is excellent, and the sleeve always is an excellent idea, especially for such an important release.

Bottom line: This is Neurosis, can't deny it. They're still one-of-a-kind. But you will be in for a mellower trip. Those who worship Enemy Of The Sun should probably stay away, but anyone else, you will appreciate this release.

Rock on.

There is such a foreboding cadence to The Eye Of Every Storm. It never quite climaxes and I find that brilliant. The restraint they show on this record is astounding to me. It's as though the whole of the record is comprised of the small spurts of emotion and warning that squish through the cracks of a huge wall that was built to keep the sheer force of the entire sound behind it. To break down the wall would surely destroy us all, so Neurosis allows but a tiny fraction of its magnitude to be unleashed upon our unprepared consciousness. The result is phenomenally exploratory.

While I adore Times Of Grace & Through Silver In Blood like the next Neurosis nut, it is this phase of their sound that really shows what this band is capable of. To create an aural tapestry that is able to wrap itself around you in the moment, but on a larger scale, pushes musical boundaries as a whole. If you are tuned into its broadcast, this record says a great deal while appearing to be very minimalist. It employs a duality that hearkens to what you've come to love about this band while redefining it in the same motion.

Despite my appreciation for it, I honestly can understand how this album seems to have lost some of the hardcore fans. Largely absent is the sonic bludgeoning that we have become accustomed to. However, in its place seems to be precisely what lies on the other side of all of their heavier endeavors. If you were able somehow to flip upside-down what they've previously created, this might in fact be the contoured mold from which it was birthed. Every note they didn't play on the previous records can be found here.

At a base level, this is the very moody side of the Tribe. Every bit as heavy but far less deliberate in its delivery. For new comers, I still think Through Silver In Blood is a great place to start, but The Eye of Every Storm may even be a more accommodating launching pad. For fans who haven't yet taken the plunge on this one, prepare yourself to be even more impressed by the deep and inimitable creativity of the mighty Neurosis.

What's your definition of heavy? Is it 10,000 beats per minute and a singer who sounds like he's coughing up a lung? Is Meshuggah heavy or is Neurosis heavy?

The Eye of Every Storm is one of Neurosis mellowest albums yet, but, strangely, it's still heavy. It's heavy even when drummer Jason Roeder isn't pounding the skins like a maniac and guitarists Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till aren't trying to bring the studio roof crashing down on their heads. That's how good they are at this point. Even Von Till conveys heaviness with his rough, world-weary vocals. Their music is so deep and dreary and conceptual that heaviness is not an end onto itself, but rather a brief stop along the road.

That isn't to say that there aren't heavy parts on Eye but it's a fleeting kind of heaviness, a brief sonic eruption of noise and wind and fire that, more often that not, lapses right back into typical shoegazing style. Only opener "Burn", with its tense, commanding approach, manages to keep a consistency heavy vibe throughout. The first minute of "Left to Wander", in fact, features more thundering aggression then just about the rest of the disc put together. It's a welcome burst of noise from a band that's left their hardcore roots far, far behind, and makes me wish they'd conjure up more moments like that, but the restrained, serene flow that follows quickly cuts short that idea. Then it's on to the next song...

Not my favorite Neurosis album, but one that'll keep the accolades (and acolytes) flowing in.