Artist: Neurosis
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 8/7/01
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Title: A Sun That Never Sets Artist: Neurosis Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 8/7/01 |
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Abyss's Review:
You know, in this new high tech world, we’re used to things traveling at the speed of light. You, yourself, are reading this over the Internet, a medium that travels all over the world in seconds. I guess those damn fax machines of the early nineties just weren’t fast enough. And it seems, to me at least, that as metalheads we also are used to breakneck speed in our music. With the exception of doom, most of the genres of metal skip along at a brisk pace. They come out like a sprinter: out of the gates fast, and before you know it, it’s over. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, in fact I enjoy it quite a bit, but there are sacrifices made. Have you ever sprinted 100yds? Exhilarating, wasn’t it? Could you tell anybody what you ran past? Probably not. You could’ve run past a Flock of Seagulls, and never even paused to beat them up. What I’m saying is that it makes sense every once in awhile to slow down… maybe not stop to smell the roses, but slow enough to appreciate what’s around you.
"Their songs, more often then not, are slow. Real slow, almost lumbering. Oh, and by the way, they’re also fucking heavy." This brings me to Neurosis, a band most of you are probably already familiar with. Their songs, more often then not, are slow. Real slow, almost lumbering. Oh, and by the way, they’re also fucking heavy. Many of today’s bands speed through their material so fast as to not give the listener any sensation of real weight. Sure they’re brutal enough, but this music is somehow different. It’s less brutal, but more oppressive. And its slow pace helps you appreciate things we normally miss.
Our slow ride allows an entire sonic vista to surround us. Small little nuances are amplified and things that are normally ignored, now get special attention. Unnoticed guitar bends sound more wailing, and thickened, extended chords plunge to new depths. And while these fundamentals have been a mainstay in all of Neurosis’ albums, they constantly make changes. These changes are minute to the passive ear, but when you really concentrate on the music, the changes seem almost grandiose.
"One word review: Demanding." This latest album has the band reaching further even than on Times of Grace. Expanding their sonicscapes with variable vocals that try to add more depth, and more emotive guitars that achieve the same result. If metalheads have any real gripes about this album it might be that it’s not as “heavy” as some of the earlier ones, but it is well worth having in your collection. I myself am enjoying the time I’m spending with this one, but after its novelty fades, I see myself a year in the future reaching past this one for Through Silver in Blood. Still it’s a great album. One word review: Demanding.
Death's Review:
A Sun That Never Sets is a beautiful record, a work full of honest emotions and mellow, introspective music which nevertheless delivers the brutally heavy devastation that prior expectations promise. Neurosis once again prove themselves to be masters of the unconventional while at the same time feeling more comfortable and familiar than that might otherwise imply.
"A Sun that Never Sets takes its place alongside the ever-diversifying pantheon of recent high-art metal masterpieces such as Last Fair Deal Gone Down and Blackwater Park." I love the mellow shit. It's five minutes into track two, the 8:48 masterpiece "The Tide" (and an additional 1:49 into the album) before the hardcore and crushingly heavy metal side of Neurosis emerges from its slumber. Prior to that, influences like Awake -sounding Dream Theater and old-school Pink Floyd predominate over the expected Black Sabbath, death metal and Henry Rollins elements. Still, by the time we get to the final heavy riff (post the 7:00 mark) of "The Tide," I am thrashing uncontrollably around the room and thinking about swan driving dramatically from the 36th floor of my building as an act of violent rebellion. What happened? I was swallowed by the moment.
And once you've been sucked in, the more you listen to A Sun That Never Sets, the less likely you are to ever truly "snap out of it." Deep down inside of us, we all truly hate the world as much as Neurosis do, and all of us have the emotional capacity and depth to feel this much anger and rage. But not all of us can channel it into such a powerful force as Neurosis can. And this album's ability to so expertly display raw emotion while employing cellos, horns and clean vocals for several-minute-long intervals is probably its most striking characteristic.
"Integrity intact, these guys are actually writing art-rock songs fueled by hardcore anger." In the end, A Sun that Never Sets takes its place alongside the ever-diversifying pantheon of recent high-art metal masterpieces such as Last Fair Deal Gone Down and Blackwater Park. Neurosis has delivered an honest record that is interesting to listen to yet still kicks serious, serious ass. Integrity intact, these guys are actually writing art-rock songs fueled by hardcore anger. It's getting fucked up, but this is some great shit.
Hel's Review:
Favorite Tracks: "Failing Unknown" and "A Sun That Never Sets"Neurosis, to me, has always meant slow, heavy, sludgy groove. Similar to what I like to call trippy-hippy music (in that it is melody-driven and seemingly random at times), but always metal with a lot of angst and anger bubbling and boiling along with the groove. A Sun That Never Sets has not given me a single damn reason to re-think my stance. There are, however, two things in particular that I absolutely adored about this record: 1) the KILLER cover art - that's some freaky, cool-looking shit; and 2) there's more vocal derivation than I can recall on other records, and I like it - I like it a lot.
One major thing that has always set this band apart, at least in my mind, is the way that they experiment with sound. The bottom line here is that when you listen to Neurosis, you truly need to listen to it LOUD to get the full effect. This is also a drawback at times, particularly when at work or other situations where you really need to keep one ear on life, while still listening with the other. I found this frustrating to do with Neurosis, but that's not really what it's about, is it?
"Every self-respecting metalhead should know Neurosis, so pick up A Sun That Never Sets and educate yourself. " I think the key to enjoying Neurosis, and not even necessarily just this album, is to toss it on the stereo, kick off the light, turn on your lava lamps (assuming, of course, you have one), flip the up volume, put your feet up on something, perhaps take a moment for *ahem* something else, close your eyes, and just listen. But I live in New York and am trying to get the hell out of here to go to Thrash of the Titans, so - long story short - this was not an option for me this week. I recommend you all do it, the first chance you get, and I will too.
If you like Neurosis, there's no reason in damnation I can think of why you won't like this record. If you find them too slow, well, they haven't sped up at all, so I guess you're out of luck. Never heard them before? Well, I gotta tell you, it's like nothing you've ever heard before. Every self-respecting metalhead should know Neurosis, so pick up A Sun That Never Sets and educate yourself.
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