(((O))) Review: Neurosis – An Undying Love For A Burning World

The further I travel through metal’s wondrous sub genres the more my tolerance levels for the extremities of noise become more accepting. Ever keen to find new bands to enjoy I find myself in the position of rediscovering an old band. For their first album in ten years, Neurosis are back with a new vocalist/guitarist, step forth one Aaron Turner. Those in the know will be astounded at this news. For the uninitiated, Aaron’s previous gigs include ISIS, Old Man Gloom, Greymachine and SUMAC to name but a few. Fans of the band had probably given up hope of hearing new material given their circumstances but here we are with new music to feast upon.

The summoning call of opening track ‘We Are Torn Wide Open’ leaves the listener slack jawed by calling out humanity’s failings before declaring “the dissonance is deafening”. ‘Mirror Deep’ pulls in some burbling electronic sounds to underpin a raucous barrage of riffs that make up a seriously groovy song. Jason Roeder’s well hammered drums are choppy in the most brutal way. A deceptively simple riff forms the satisfying grind of ‘First Red Rays’ as shimmering keyboards (courtesy of Noah Landis) fizzle and pop in the mix. Guitarist Steve Von Till and Turner take turns for a unique “duet” as the tempos switch and fire up the afterburners. Before you know it, you’re immersed in a languid prog-rock section with gorgeous guitar lines taking the lead. Shattering the calm the riffs drop again with fury while the synths swell up for a brilliant haze of sound. Clean vocals make a welcome appearance to end this epic song.

‘Blind’ opens with dissonant textures before a mighty swinging wrecking ball of a riff looms. The swerving guitar tones that act as a chorus of sorts are like rainbows over the dark grooves and mood of the song. Pockets of melody have always been part of the Neurosis sound, giving them an edge over some bands that just get caught in the sludge. Once again, clean vocals appear as the song ebbs into an oasis of proggy melodic atmospherics. Backtracked tones crank up the volume for a final flurry of hefty riffs. ‘Seething and Scattered’ has a wondrous push-me-pull-me cycle of riffs as Von Till and Turner battle it out for vocal supremacy. What a monster groove! The track starts to judder and jerk before derailing itself and ending up in a psychedelic desert of whirring sounds and clean guitars, before a cosmic synth interlude transports you back to the realms of the riff. It truly is quite the journey, a kindred spirit to Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere.

‘Untethered’ beams in from the same otherworld the previous track left you off at. Zooming riffs race frantically creating a sense of chaos, your breathing picks up as you wonder what is next to be unleashed. Finally, there’s some respite with the opening passage to ‘In the Waiting Hours’ as clean guitars sail on shimmering waters created by some swirling atmospherics. Mighty riffs and thunderous drums drop like bombs obliterating the calm. The atmospherics switch into what sounds like fingernails scraping glass, the song becomes claustrophobic and filled with terror. The tension continues to ratchet, only lifting when a flickering organ wanders into the mix during the latter proggy section.

‘Last Light’ brings the album to a spectacular close. Spread out over an epic 16 minutes the song opens with some futuristic electronic atmospherics conjuring up apocalyptic wastelands. There’s a tidal wave of massive distorted guitars and ringing tones, then you realise that this cacophony is all happening over a powerful searing drone. Utterly magnificent. A track with this length is going to find itself traversing multiple passages and the splendour of where the track heads around the 7-minute mark is majestic. Around the midway point the track crash-lands into a terrifying passage of scathing scrapes and out-there atmospherics. From the ether an uplifting bass line from Dave Edwardson places a warm hand on your shoulder. You sense rays of light getting more intense from the darkest hues that have engulfed you. A clean guitar line swoops in to rescue you as a ghostly roar hovers like a departing soul buried deep in the mix. A booming organ reminiscent of Jon Lord’s Deep Purple cranks up the volume. The last thing you hear are the dying embers of scorched feedback over a thudding heartbeat gone into overload.

This is an astonishing album. The band have truly risen up from the ashes and bringing in Aaron Turner is an absolute masterstroke as he has clearly reinvigorated these metal titans. The introduction of electronic sounds adds a new unnerving dimension to their sound. Yet they retain the full might and brutality of their previous outings with crushing riffs and mighty percussion. How they managed to keep this project under wraps is another thing, but the swiftness with which this album just magically appeared adds to the intrigue. An Undying Love For A Burning World is a truly staggering album. A modern classic. An essential listen.