Band's List Post Hardcore Neurosis (USA) The Eye of Every Storm

With all art forms, whether literature, music or film, progression is key. Human beings by default have very limited attention spans. You can only keep feeding them the same dish over and over again until they beg for change. Some of the less creative artists such as Drudkh seem content to rehash the same tried and true formula, and yet despite enjoying the band, I find their lack of variation rather unsettling and I often find myself becoming jaded by them. Neurosis on the other hand are constantly evolving, from the crushing walls of monolithic sludge of Through Silver in Blood to the drawn out folk inspired dirges of A Sun That Never Sets, Neurosis never seem to run out of their creative juices. The Eye of Every Storm carries on with their constant metamorphism, adopting for a clean cut, post rock sound, Neurosis drop much of their intensity in favor for an atmospherically poignant sound. Yet whilst fans of the band might be disgruntled by what they perceive as a softening out, The Eye of Every Storm is indisputably Neurosis, the thick dreary atmosphere of monochrome Blackness is still present, the distinctive vocal work still here. Yet Neurosis have smoothed out the edges of their sound by incorporating much more of the post rock aesthetic than what they have previously employed.

The post rock elements come about in an overall cleaner sound. The production is crystal clear with each instrument having a significant amount of clarity. The guitar work is constantly flowing, moving between transition after transition. There’s a strong sense of forward momentum present within this album yet this never undermines the distinct undercurrents of hopelessness and depression. Carrying on with the desolate atmosphere of A Sun That Never Sets, The Eye of Every Storm manages to take the emotional weight to even greater heights than that of its predecessor. When done correctly, post rock is a delightfully dark, emotional and perhaps even surreal form of art, with long song lengths and a developed sense of how to fully structure and formulate each individual song, post rock can be one of the most beautiful music forms known to man. Neuroses has certainly captured this image and have fused it with elements of abrasive sludge metal and a strong sense of metamorphism. Whilst Neurosis have certainly included post rock for much of their career, they have slowly but surely been honing their craft until they were ready to make the full transition. The Eye of Every Storm is the result of years of artistic progression, the resulting effect being a more mature and perhaps even more serious musical endeavor than what we have witnessed before. And while A Sun That Never Sets touched more upon the softer dynamics of their sound, the band still had a large amount of metallic fury. Therefore, I find it difficult to classify The Eye of Every Storm as a metal album. There are elements of it, no doubt about it. But the overall sound is more akin to that of dark post rock bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This isn’t to say that Neurosis sound similar, not at all, just that the overall feel and atmosphere that this album emulates is akin to that of the works of Godspeed.

Similar to A Sun That Never Sets, this is a very bleak album, almost unimaginably so. The vocal duties handled by Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till are suitably dreary, with each vocalist sounding similar to a weary old man reflecting back upon his life. The lyrical work is outstanding as usual, dealing with feelings such as hopelessness and depression, the band deals with it subtly, never feeling overwrought or histrionic. Neurosis has always had the stark ability to communicate with the listener and The Eye of Every Storm carries on with their craft. With subtle changes, beautiful lead work and expressive vocals, The Eye of Every Storm is a magnificently powerful and wonderfully subtle work. Songs are complex, yet never outwardly so, the songs are always building up to something, yet despite this, many of the transitions are often stopped short as the band goes into another quiet section. This gives an aura of unprecedented unpredictability to the music that is often lacking in modern day metal which often falls victim to the cruel embrace of rigid formulas. To improve ones art, one must evolve, to remain in the same territory is futile and hazardous to a bands future status in the music scene. Neurosis work by constantly adding elements onto their music, songs might start off simple yet gradually the band adds more and more elements to their music. The resulting effect being one that never wears out its welcome, constantly evolving and always holding the listeners attention. The Eye of Every Storm is an endearing piece of work and my personal favorite of this bands discography. The post rock elements are beneficial, rather than a detriment and once again Neurosis have proven themselves as musicians. Essential.