Neurosis - "Live At Roadburn 2007" CD

A Neurosis gig must be an exhausting experience for the band (as well as audience). Witness this superlative and potent recording of a massive Neurosis live experience from 2007. "Roadburn" amply exhibits both the raw, grueling heaviness and subtle moodiness of this veteran post-punk/noise/metal/psychedelic group as well as any studio recording has, before or since.

The band kicks things off with the 9-minute scalding of "Given To The Rising", which alternates between ambient interludes and monolithic stabs of swollen ferocity. "A Season In The Sky" begins with gently dark acoustic guitars, but soon builds to a huge swell of doomy grind with the fearsome, full-throttle vocals of Steve Von Till. "At The End Of The Road" is an atmospheric beast with creepy electronic effects that are more aligned with industrial music than metal or rock. Again, it all comes down in a hail of Neurosis' now-influential post-SWANS grind and lurch. This is a potent, all-consuming sound that transcends genre.

"The Doorway" closes it out with a maelstrom of noise, electronic effects, and tribal drums that demonstrate the awesome physicality and spiritual power of this band. And at 77 minutes, this is as near to an essential Neurosis document as I've yet to hear. (Neurot Recordings)

Neurotspace (label)

Neurosispace (band)

Neurosis - "Enemy Of The Sun" CD

Originally released in 1994 on Alternative Tentacles, this early Neurosis album shows the Oakland band growing into their trademark symbiosis of tribal percussion, dark industrial ambience, and full-throttle aggro-metal. Since becoming an icon of what's now termed "post-metal", Neurosis' blackened soundscapes (which owe an acknowledged debt to early SWANS) paved the way for so many later acts, it's hard to even quantify.

Here, the band open with the raw "Lost", which is almost asphyxiating in it's density and painful throb/grind. "Raze The Stray" opens with the atmospheric vocals of Erika Little, accented by piano and keyboards. But this is soon interrupted by a screaming rupture of drums, primal shouts, and grinding guitars. The track returns to the moodier sound thereafter, creating an epic dirge that pulses and shifts to and fro. It's a little reminiscent of (Controlled Bleeding side project) Skin Chamber as well, who were working in a similar arena at the time, daring to join experimental industrial sounds and textures with brutal grind metal. The title track is a feral assault, with samples augmenting the percussive attack.

Neurosis' success lies in that they have learned to temper their destructive and primal urges with moments of stark, blissful beauty. And their varied use of nontraditional metal instruments also ups the ante. "The Time Of The Beasts", for example, dares to include horns, even, creating an almost dusky Southwestern vibe amidst the pounding noise, which segues into the 16-minute drum circle & didgeridoo piece, "Cleanse". Fans of defunct California tribal-percussion voodoo-conjurers Crash Worship will appreciate this wickedly esoteric track.

To make this reissue a worthy purchase for fans who may already have an earlier pressing, Neurot Recordings has sweetened the deal with 2 bonus tracks - a demo of "Takeahnase" and a live version of "Cleanse". "Enemy Of The Sun" is a 78-minute set of dark tribal grind metal with few equals. Recommended. (Neurot Recordings)

Harvestman - "In A Dark Tongue" CD

Having heard a number of avante-metal band Neurosis' releases and side projects, I thought I'd had these guys pegged. Then I get this new release from (Neurosis frontman) Steve Von Till, and my preconceptions are blown. And in a wickedly good way. It turns out that this is Von Till's second release as Harvestman, and "In A Dark Tongue" is a trippy, oozing miasma of dark, psychedelic space rock with a healthy dose of krautrock dipped onto the blotter. But before you think I'm describing some kind of retro prog-rock silliness, let it be known that Harvestman's wide-open psilocybin-scapes are positively mind-altering on their own. The lengthy drones and overloaded effects on the 13-minute "By Wind And Sun" become a mantra of epic proportions, enveloping listeners in gauzy noise and guitars like a lava lamp set to "destroy". "Music Of The Dark Torrent" is a stark, layered guitar piece that encircles itself peacefully until a series of disorienting digital tones take over the mix. Weird and otherworldly. "The Hawk Of Achill" brings in Al Cisneros of Sleep/Om fame for a trance-inducing percussive assault that reminds of Amon Duul II-meets-Neu!-gone-evil. Amazing. The journey ends with the ambient electronics of "Centre Of The World", tempering the fires that burned so intensely on this wondrous and truly hallucinogenic rock album. (Neurot Recordings)

Harvestmanspace

Steve Von Till's site