Neurosis built their reputation on -- to put it one way -- long-winded compositions, making their albums a challenging listening experience for even the most dedicated fans. And their fifth album,
Through Silver in Blood, doesn't buck the trend, diving headlong into the group's entirely unique experiments in ambient, progressive death metal with the mesmerizing 12-minute title track. With the exception of two minute-long interludes, much of the remaining material follows this blueprint, with abnormally long tracks like "Aeon" and "Purify" gradually building from simple melodies into trance-inducing epics. Conversely, other songs take an unbearably long time to develop, crawling toward their climaxes so slowly (see "Strength of Fates") -- or toward no climax at all (see the tortured screaming of "Enclosure in Flame") -- that one's attention span is severely tested. It is therefore of little wonder that
Neurosis' appeal remains so selective. Approach with caution. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia