| Neurosis The Eye of Every Storm |
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Full Review | User Ratings (76) |
2 of 2 thought this review was well written
Artist: Neurosis
Album: The Eye of Every Storm
Genre: Progressive Sludge Metal
Released: June 29th, 2004
Band Line-Up
Scott Kelly - Guitars/Vocals
Steve Von Till - Guitars/Vocals
Dave Edwarson - Bass
Noah Landis - Keyboards/Samples
Jason Roeder - Drums
Overall / First Impression
This album immediately struck me as a somewhat mellow album I can play when I feel like just sitting back and grooving on something. There are heavy moments, for sure, but this is not an aggressive album. The music is kept slow and dark the whole way through. It's sludge, but it's a very progressive sort of sludge - the distorted guitars often break into and out of quieter guitar passages and segments consisting of just the vocals over ambient noises. Most of the transitions are done well, which is important. Solid songwriting here. It brought Tiamat's Wildhoney to mind (read: it would be fantastic music to get high and relax to), but it's much more sombre music than that. I can find no faults with the basic construction of the music, but because of the speed at which it proceeds and develops I found it somewhat difficult to concentrate on, and some of the longer ambient sections were a bit overdone and could have used either some work or some trimming. My qualms with the album are small, and there is amazing stuff at work here, so I expect this album will muscle its way into my rotation whenever I'm in the mood for something cool and relaxing. I think it will stay there, too, because it has enough depth and intricacy to it to keep one coming back. I can only suggest you stay away if you're looking for something that keeps a faster pace or have a short attention span.
Overall - 4/5
Track by Track
1. Burn - 07:07
The songwriting shows off its dynamics right away with this first track, with several switches from heavy to ambient. The vocal perfomance here is decent - it's not a bad rasp, but it feels just a bit forced to me. A sizeable song, but nothing was worn out. Whenever the guitars kicked in again, the music had changed enough to keep it interesting but it kept with a theme. - 3/5
2. No River to Take Me Home - 8:43
This track is one of the crowning moments of the album. Excellent riffs, excellent interludes, and the vocals go with it all perfectly. The only nitpick I could find was the slight uneven feel I got in tone from the downshifts from the heavy segments to the lighter interludes, but that only manages to make for about 6 bad seconds out of a great 8+ minute song. - 5/5
3. The Eye of Every Storm - 11:56
As opposed to the first track, I absolutely love the vocals on this one. There isn't much guitar work in this track. It's a wee bit experimental, with some distinctly non-metal sounds being incorporated (bells!). There is an ambient section in the middle of the track that I think it goes on a little longer than it needs to, but it's an excellent track otherwise. - 4/5
4. Left to Wander - 8:10
This track starts off looking like it is going to be an especially heavy one, and for the most part it is, except for a few little interludes that I think the song would actually be better without. They just don't seem to flow together with the heavy segments as well as is done on other songs on the album. One those bits pass, the song is a sludge masterpiece. Well, it's not totally sludge - they throw in some simple piano and some interesting drumming to keep up their progressive style. - 4/5
5. Shelter - 05:17
The shortest song on the album, and by the time it really picks up it's already half over. The beginning drags on a little long, but at about two and a half minutes in the track becomes mellow gold, and it peaks during the heavy last minute or so. No vocals on this track. - 3/5
6. A Season in the Sky - 09:50
This track keeps it ambient at first, and focused mainly on the vocals. The lyrics caught my attention, but such a long stretch of ambience was driving my attention away at the same time. Halfway in the song turns sludge on us and it's an excellent ride from there. - 3/5
7. Bridges - 11:35
Probably the most experimental track on the album. Ambience, vocals, static, a throbbing drum beat, and even some horns are to be heard in the first half. When guitar work finally appears, it's incredibly distorted and heavy. The cuts between these segments and quiet segments are instant and surprising, but work perfectly. This is the most 'out there' song on the album, and one of the best, too. - 5/5
8. I Can See You - 06:09
This song begins totally calm, with soft vocals and an acoustic (or what could be) guitar line, and what I think are violins in the background. The feel is the same the whole way through, but the electric guitars come back for the second half to put their spin on the mood set by the beginning. A powerful song, and an excellent choice for the closing track. - 5/5
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I really like this album, significantly better than their previous "A Sun That Never Sets". I think that riff in Bridges is one of the most emotionally crushing riffs ever.
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Good review. I like what little I've heard of Neurosis, but what I've heard really isn't enough.
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Put the overall rating at the end, otherwise it's just like "Wow, 4/5, I won't bother reading the rest of the review now" 
Other wise, good review, doesn't sound like my cup of tea though... if ya knows what I mean 
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It does though, sound like my cup of tea.
Digging: Kaki King - Until We Felt Red
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Ah, finally a Neurosis review! I had been planning to do this review - for about 2 months now, lol.
Anyway, I agree with most of what was said in the review, though I would've given both A Season in the Sky and The Eye of Every Storm 5's, maybe bring Left To Wander down to 3. Otherwise pretty much my exact thoughts.
Excellent album though. I loved the old Neurosis, but they're evolving in an equally engaging way. I can't wait for their next album, but in the meantime I wish they'd come up to Canada...
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Man, I'm yet to pick this one up, but from what I've heard from it puts A Sun That Never Sets to shame, and that's saying a lot. I really like "Bridges" and "Burn".
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Alright. So I downloaded some stuff but I doubt it's all Neurosis. I have a song called "Stones From the Sky" that is great but not on any of their albums. I guess Soulseek will find me more accurate results.
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No, it is a Neurosis song. It's off A Sun that Never Sets. Actually, Stones from the Sky is the first Neurosis song I ever heard, and it got me hooked on them. If you like that song, you're sure to like The Eye of Every Storm and A Sun that Never Sets.
Also, speaking of songs that aren't actually by Neurosis, the "Neurosis" song Obsolete Scars is actually by Thirdmoon. For some reason it's more widely known as a Neurosis song than a Thirdmoon one.
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I love this album/band. I was actually suprised to see a review done.
I can just put on headphones on space out to this album. I love it. Some of the heavier sections did remind me of some tracks by Isis (wicked band aswell). My absolute favourite song on the CD is "I Can See You", I find it so very haunting.
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This sounds like something I could enjoy. But could someone tell me what "sludge metal" is?
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Something you could just sit back and groove to sounds great. Excellent work xizoesira, and may I always be able to spell your name in the future.
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I have heard this singer guest on the Mastodon song "Aqua Dementia", and I loved his voice. Is Neurosis like Mastodon, or are they very strange and ambient?
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Hardly like Mastodon. Think Isis.
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Doth Yield Himself Unto Death:"This sounds like something I could enjoy. But could someone tell me what "sludge metal" is?"
Sludge Metal is generally very heavily distorted, but usually not particularly aggressive. Bands like Kyuss and the Melvins are classed as sludge.
As a big NIN fan, would I be likely to like this album?
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
'Neurosis' are not really similar to NIN. This band is much more progressive - it does take a while to get used to. The opening track is fantastic in my opinion - there is almost a sense of passive aggression within the vocals.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Isis are better than Neurosis as a whole, but this album is very, very good. I particularly liked your "Overall / First Impression" section of your review - nice work.
Digging: Alexisonfire - Crisis | | | Album Rating: 4
This sounds quite awesome. My friend beckons me to listen to them day after day. Would this be a good place to start?
Digging: Constantines - Shine A Light | | | Album Rating: 4
This album rocks
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
One day I really wanna take this album and listen to it driving through the desert at night, too bad I live in Maryland.
Digging: Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt.1 | | | Album Rating: 4.5
DON'T LET IT STEAL YOUR
[font=reallyreallybig]EEEYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEESSSSSSS[/font=reallyreallybig]
I love this album verily so.
Digging: Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless | | | | Page 1 of 2 | Next > | >> |
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