Review Summary: Everybody has those few albums that are just perfect. Albums that blend together perfectly, but whose songs manage to flawlessly stand on their own. Through Silver In Blood is definitely an album that will end up being one of those to any metal fan.
Let's face it: If you're taking time out of your day to read this review, then you know that Neurosis are one of the most unique, influential, and criminally underrated bands in the metal scene. Their combination of progressive ambience, industrial noise, tribal percussion, and gritty hardcore punk instrumentation pack a vicious punch, often for as long as 12 minutes a song. Neurosis certainly know how to experiment, starting out as a hardcore punk band similar to Black Flag, until they began to make use of longer songs, spiritually focused lyrics, extreme dynamics, and eventually even clean vocals. Through Silver In Blood doesn't fall in one extreme or the other, but rather it lies in a seemingly perfect stretch of the band's career. The band had begun to experiment with progressive elements on their previous two albums, Enemy of the Sun and the classic Souls At Zero, yet they hadn't quite gotten into their folky phase. This album is the perfect combination of everything Neurosis can offer from beginning to end.
The album begins it's opening slowly, with a few tape effects and tribal drums. Then, after a slow, building into, the main riff of the album's title track begins thundering into your ears. This song definitely shows what your life is going to sound like for the next hour and fifteen minutes: monstrous riffs, in-your-face vocals, and continuous fluctuation between volumes and tempos. Another thing that helps this album stand out is the production. It's very sludgy, almost as though the band covered their mics in mud before recording it, and while this would normally be a less than pleasing thing, it works to the album's advantage. Gritty compositions call for gritty production, and Neurosis definitely seem understand that concept. All of these things continue throughout the album, so if you like this song, this whole album will definitely suit you.
After the chugging riffs and slow, brooding outro of track one, we move into Rehumanize, a frightning, thought-provoking interlude that gets you in the right mood for the album. It's a very memorable track, even though it is just an interlude, which is not something that can be said often. After you realize it's a terrible idea to listen to this album in the dark and turn the lights back on out of utter fear, the next track begins. Enter Eye, one of the band's heaviest, most ferocious tracks to date. What makes this particular song so potent is not only its biting riffs and relentless drumming, but the vocals, which along with the band's typical throaty screams, feature death growls by bassist Dave Edwardson. To be fair, Mr. Edwardson isn't the best death growler out there, but his vocals add so much to this song that complaining is a bit hard to justify.
If your ears are still intact, you will be treated next to my personal favorite Neurosis song, Purify. This song opens with some subtle sounds before slowly building up to a devastating riff, which takes up the four minutes of introduction in this song. One thing you may begin to notice at this point is that throughout the album, many riffs repeat for long periods of time, often longer than is really necessary. I can see this being bothersome to some listeners who crave speed and intensity, but if you're a big fan of doom or prog metal, it probably won't bother you. Purify features a very progressive, yet still quite accessible rhythm throughout its choruses and verses. Follow that up with a long, noisy outro, and you've got another amazing song.
Following my favorite Neurosis song is my third favorite Neurosis song, the anti-religious yet very intelligent Locust Star. I think it goes without saying that if you're a conservative bible thumper, you probably won't like this song or this album, so stay away if you want to avoid getting your feelings hurt. Anyway, Locust Star is one of the shorter songs on the album, reaching about six minutes, but it makes great use of its time. The riffs on this song are absolutely epic, and the vocals add even more rawness and heaviness to this already heavy song. After it's awe-inspiring climax, this song then slowly fades away, and we are introduced to Strength of Fates. Strength of Fates is one of the longer songs on the album, and probably the most unique. Rather than being another epic noisefest, this song is a comparatively peaceful song that makes use of some hushed clean vocals. It's definitely not the album's best song, but it's nice to have a break before the album's final few songs.
Another frightning interlude, Become the Ocean leads us into one of the album's greatest moments, the epic Aeon. This song is sort of a culmination of all that has previously been shown: the speed and driving intensity of the title track, the melody of Purify, and the epic riffs of Locust Star. What results is what it would probably sound like witnessing the end of the universe, with the apocalyptic riffs seeming to destroy everything around you. This song is one of my all time favorite Neurosis tracks, and the outro riff alone is enough to justify such prestige. Then, just when you think the album should end, we are treated to one last song. Knowing they could do no wrong, Neurosis decided to close this album with the aptly titled Enclosure In Flame. This song definitely lives up to it's title, because it sounds like hell, pure and simple. The tormenting screams of the band's three vocalists help to leave you scared out of your mind before bringing the album to an end. Nicely done, Neurosis. Nicely done.
Once you recover from your heart attack and finish up with therapy, you will realize that Through Silver In Blood is definitely one of metal's most astonishing albums. The blood-curdling vocals, muddy production, grinding guitars, and raw power make this album an unsung heavy metal classic. Every song is unique, the album blends together perfectly, and even the interludes between songs are amazing. This album is a force of nature, and one that if you have any respect for yourself, will own a copy of in some way. Through Silver In Blood gets an easy 5/5. GO BUY AND LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM NOW!!
