4x****
Best described as sludge- or atmospheric metal, Neurosis is generous with the devil chord progression, pounding toms, and appropriate screaming. The opening title song builds slowly to a fearsome riff, somewhere between the slowest Slayer ,Nine Inch Nails, and Black Sabbath, which then gives way to an unnecessarily repititve two chord progression for the last 5 minutes. A creepy, existential spoken and sound collage "Rehumanize" leads into "Eye", where the guitars are buzzsaws, and the vocals are strangled. Hellishly dischordant "Purify"**** builds slowly to a torturuous riff, and further evolves an atmosphere of manipulated vocal screaming, until a relentless pulsing, like grinding steel. "Locust Star"**** is one of the more focused tracks, building on a melodic, droning riff along the lines of Soundgarden and Jane's Addiction. "Strength Of Fates"**** builds subtlely and agonizingly slow, almost like Pink Floyd "Don't Leave Me Now", until at 7-minutes, hell falls like a hammer. At nearly 12-minutes, "Aeon", though melodic in a way that could easily be worked into a film, presents fewer powerful moments than most. "Enclosure In Flame"**** opens with a riff directly descended from Black Sabbath's demonic introduction, intensified by a vocal of convincing suffering. Being brought home after more than 10 minutes, it becomes clear that the most important goal, the creation of intesely evocative moments and some unsettling textures, has been achieved.
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