Artist: Neurosis
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 10/12/02
Rating: 4 Skulls
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Title: A Sun That Never Sets DVD Artist: Neurosis Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 10/12/02
Rating: 4 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Requiem (1/28/03):
It was only a matter of time before Neurosis would make their audio/visual project complete. If you've seen their live shows and understand their vision as a collective artist, there'll be no surprises here. Neurosis started as a mere hardcore act and slowly metamorphosed into one of the most important visionaries in heavy music today. They've conglomerated audio and visual advances in technology into their eclectic vision and have stood out as one of the most original bands out there. The few who have tried to copy them have failed because of the lack of true passion and drive towards such a colossal finished product.I had an idea of what I was getting into when I pressed play, so I grabbed a beer, dimmed the lights and prepared for my demise. Now I'm not sure if this was mastered incorrectly or if I'm just an idiot, but getting through the actual tracks was like going through a maze or figuring out a complex puzzle. There are two sections to the DVD. One is Neurosis and the other is their spaced out, abstract alter ego Tribes of Neurot. The Tribes segment is an audio/visual experimentation where they actually replicated an experiment done in the 70's. The experiment entailed playing the newest Neurosis album, A Sun That Never Sets through a PA of sorts across the room into a tape machine that would record the sound from the PA. This second recording was played across the room and recorded once again, and the process was repeated until we basically ended up with a 30th generation sound. At this point, it is basically so muffled that it is essentially waves of sound, at which point visual elements were carefully placed in synch, creating an intriguing hour plus display of the morbid psychedelics these men are fully capable of. It's way out there, and I think you should be too if you want to get the most out of it. The imagery is in pristine Neurosis quality, and this along with the mind blowing concept, is the key element in this half of the DVD.
Part 2 is the Neurosis section and you pretty much need to fast forward through some confusion until you get to what is the "normal" section of the DVD. The A Sun That Never Sets album is displayed in its original form complete with the abstract visual additives which make Neurosis what they are today. This, with more accessible sound and visuals, is a much easier segment to get through, but the inclusion of psychedelic drugs here will be sure to enhance its results as well. You really have to see it to believe it, and spend time with it to understand it, because the collective mindset of Neurosis is one that is in a different place than most of our own. But it's like one of those films that you just don't get: you want to understand and keep watching, hoping for an answer. Neurosis is much in the same. It's abstract material that you don't need to fully comprehend to appreciate. It's a look inside the artist's mind to see what they see visually to the audio elements involved. In this case it's an intense journey through hell and back while on too much acid. I've been waiting for a DVD to be tackled in such a manner. Thank you Neurosis.
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