First Red Rays

 In the modern musical landscape, just about everything seems to be known - all the time. Album releases are announced months in advance, and usually songs drip about once per month for about two or three months ahead of time. And bands that have been dormant for a while, usually announce a new release very early to build anticipation. And then there is Neurosis.

Neurosis have been a favorite of mine in the post-metal genre for quite some time - along with now retired Isis, to me, they have been the standard bearers for this brand of metal characterized by sludgy tempos, tribal rhythms, hypnotic patterns, and ambient passages. And screamed vocals - often mixed with clean vocals as well. But Neurosis had been quiet as a band since 2019, when they played their last concert, and their last album, Fires Within Fires, was released in 2016. In 2022, the band issued a statement following founding guitarist Scott Kelly’s admission of long time systematic abuse of his wife and his children. Their response revealed the character of the band, and I assumed they were done. This feeling was strengthened when drummer Jason Roeder announced retiring from touring and was selling off most of his equipment. I thought their body of work would speak for itself, and that we had seen the last of them.

Then we get to March 20 this year. I was looking at the release list for the day, with few interesting releases. Then I noticed it. Neurosis. An Undying Love For A Burning World. What was this? I hadn’t heard anything about Neurosis in a long time. And it turned out to be a new album. And not just that, without Scott Kelly, they had added Aaron Turner on guitar and screaming vocals. Aaron Turner of Isis (and Sumac and Mamiffer). I had to check this out. And I was blown away. An Undying Love For A Burning World opens with We Are Torn Wide Open, a song I only can describe as a shouted chant. And then Mirror Deep follows in crushing fashion. But they really kick into the tribal sludge on the third song, First Red Rays, which is just about a perfect post-metal song. Aaron Turner’s screams, Noah Landis’ ambient sections, and Steve Von Till’s haunting vocals are all present and held together by the glue created by bassist Dave Edwardson and the aforementioned drummer Jason Roeder. 

To me, this was the album I didn’t know how much I needed. I think they have created a masterpiece, and I keep returning to it. Now, I know this isn’t for everyone, but it certainly is for me - and I hope you may like it as well!

Tribal Convictions revisited (Symphonique edition)

 It’s been about 10 years since I first shared the song Tribal Convictions by VoiVod, and it has only grown in stature with me since then. I love the tribal drum beat by only continuous member, Michel Langevin (or Away, as he is better known - and I just realized that another band where the drummer is the only continuous member is Deep Purple with Ian Paice, which makes for pretty good company), and when I saw that Voivod just released an album with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, because of course they would, it was a great opportunity to bring the track back to life again. 

And yes, I know what you are thinking: Metal and orchestral music don't work. And there are examples that are supporting that claim (Metallica's S&M are fun curiosities, but not really expanding on the original sound, maybe because Metallica's music already is highly orchestrated, especially from Master of Puppets and out, the Norwegian band TNT did something with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra for their 30th anniversary - it wasn’t bad, but it didn’t add all that much. Personally, I loved Deep Purple’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra, written by classically trained keyboardist Jon Lord, but it never got much of a critical acclaim. 

However, there have been major exceptions - and to me, they mainly have come from the more avant garde metal bands, who by nature already have an approach to the music that really invites the sonic expansion that comes with an orchestra. I loved Triptykon’s Requiem Live At Roadburn. I love Amen Ra’s A Solitary Reign with Atomic Orchestra. And I love VoiVod’s Symphonique. VoiVod’s music is often angular and sparse - there aren’t the layers of guitar you can find on Metallica’s album - so the enhancement that an orchestra brings almost makes the initial recording sound like demos or sketches, as the orchestra really fills the sound. And they fill it with the sound of cosmic doom, perfectly fitting their world of sci fi horror. So enjoy the Tribal Convictions yet again - this time with Quebec Symphony Orchestra!