So on the advice of my bandmates, I checked out this band. I have known of their existence for almost a decade now, but never bothered to check them out. I took my first dive into them with the album Through Silver in Blood. I'm curious as to other's thoughts on this band, particularly this album.

I have listened to it once so far, and it has done something that music hasn't done to me before: it made me nervous. I smoked about 6 or 7 cigarettes and bit my nails down to nothing by the time it was over. While it is clear to me that I enjoyed it, I am not sure where it fits yet into my overarching musical tastes. It is certainly unique though, and I'm sure another listen will give me more insight, but I'm still recovering.

Only listened to their first few so far. Very good save for their first one, though I'm not much a punk fan. They've a style many have copied, but none have achieved that feeling of doom and despair Neurosis produces.

You picked a good album to start with as it is often heralded as the band's best offering. I currently own Enemy of the Sun, Through Silver...., Times of Grace, and A Sun That Never Sets and you can clearly see the evolution they had going, especially if you listen to them all in order within a relatively short time frame. If you tend to like the mellow bits more than the heavy sections, good idea to check out A Sun That Never Sets. It has some lengthy atmospheric sections broken up by their signature "noise". That and "Stones From the Sky" is one of the absolute best closing tracks ever put to disc Hands up from everyone who thought their CD was defuctive at the end of that track.

I would advise you to give Neurosis several listens as it is not easy to get all the nuances they put into their compositions in one sitting. Give it some time and it will be one of the most rewarding musical experiences you'll ever experience.

Souls at Zero was their best album. It's one of the most frightening and intense metal albums I can think of, and that's about 18 years now after hearing it for the first time. It scared the shit out of me. One of the albums that really got me hooked on metal. To Crawl Under One's Skin is still one of my favorite metal songs ever. For me, it was like what the soundtrack for death should be.

I love this band, their intensity and style are unequaled.

It's not often I can sit down and listen to them though, Neurosis is the type of music I listen to when I'm in real bad emotional shape. Cathartic release type thing.

The title track of Neurosis' Through Silver in Blood is possibly one of the finest metal songs put on disc. The tribal drumming is utterly incredible, and it completely revolutionised sludge as we know it. I really need to check out more Neurosis.

I really enjoy Neurosis. Really original band and none of their followers have come close to recreating that certain mix of ingredients that makes them special.

I think the OP is on to something with the "nervous" bit. There's always something sort of unsettling about Neurosis. Sometimes bands will have this sort of effect but it usually gets resolved pretty quickly but Neurosis latch onto whatever it is and run with it.

The_Emo_Hater, if you like the more subdued side of Neurosis you should check out Tribes of Neurot. It's the same band but they focus on the more subdued elements of Neurosis' music.

Never impressed me much on the albums, but according to what I've seen of their live shows they are absolutely immense. Locust Star in particular sounds about 20 times better on the video on youtube than it does on the album.

I decided to give some tracks off the first album a listen as someone mentioned it being punky; I'm quite liking it so far. I'll have to give it more of a thorough listen, maybe look into later albums.

Its definitely a name I've known for years, but never thought to look into. If I'd of had to guess, I think I'd of suggested Neurosis were a death metal band; apparently not!

Souls at Zero is the only album by them I particularly like. Fantastic album, great atmosphere, sometimes sounding a bit claustrophobic. Very intense at times.. I dont know any album like it.

You came across a very special and great band.

Through Silver in Blood remains their masterpiece particularly in that point of their career. Its the albums that defined the trademark Neurosis sound and the sound that was going to influence a million copycats.

Keep going through their albums chronologically, it would make much more sense.

One of my favorite bands of all time, with Through Silver In Blood being my favorite of theirs. I agree with the others, you picked a great starting point.

I'm glad to see that the opinions on this band thus far have been unanimous in that Neurosis are an incredible fucking band. Naming a favorite band is a hard task but if asked, these guys are definitely in the mix. They are legends, simply put. They have yet to release an album that was anything less than stellar and show no signs of slowing down. I cannot WAIT for the new album(Which I believe heard should happen sometime this year).

Through Silver in Blood is the only Neurosis album I have. I like a couple of the songs, but I can't make it through the whole thing without getting bored.

Amazing band, and only one where I don't mind hardcore vocals. A sun that never sets is my favorite, prob because it's the first one of theirs I ever listened to. Definitely one of the more creative and unique bands around, they are the pink floyd of sludge or whatever it is they play.

Neurosis are one of my favorite bands. I remember when I first heard Through Silver in Blood I had a similar reaction. It's a lot to take in at once, but once you let it all sink in, it becomes one of the most intense listens you can find. Although a lot of people say that TSiB is their best, don't let that discourage you from checking out the rest of their discography.

Also, I've seen them live, so I can attest to lord_genghis's claim. They're live performances blow the studio ones out of the water.

While I do enjoy their early material quite well I just don't "get" their later offerings. I tend to see most of their work as boring art fag-type music. That said, I somehow still respect the band anyways. Strange.

I third this. I saw them live at the scion rock fest last year and was standing in the very front row and it was simply incredible to watch. One of the greatest live experiences of my life and at one point Scott Kelly headbutted his skull against the microphone, busting his head open, with blood pouring down his face as he finished the performance. That image is forever framed in my mind.

I want to see them live so bad, I've only heard the best about them. I'm interested how their earlier stuff sounds like live as Scott Kelly's vocals are very different then they were back then.

Well, they don't really play too much old stuff live. When I saw them, they played almost all of Given to the Rising, a few songs from The Eye of Every Storm, and closed the set with a REALLY intense version of The Doorway.

I thought Locust Star and Through Silver In Blood are played regularly by them, at least that's what I've heard. I guess not.

I've only seen them once, so I can't really say for sure. I have seen footage of them doing older songs live as recently as 2009, so maybe the show I went to was some what of an exception.

people keep comparing them with alchemist, fair comparison?

From what I've heard of Alchemist, No. But I really haven't heard much Alchemist at all, and everything I've heard has been really mellow and shitty, obviously they have a DM side somewhere, but I've never heard it. Neurosis are massive and sludgy.

Neurosis are fucking amazing. It's funny how so many bands try to emulate their style and just can't compete. Through Silver In Blood is like my favorite album.

I have all their full-lenghts except Pain of Mind and The Word as Law but I'm not sure I'll like those. Neurosis is the best band ever, without a doubt. No fuckups ever. But it's certainly not an easy listen. First time I heard Neurosis it was through "Under the Surface" and it's been love at first listen. Creepy and tense and yet so beautiful and peaceful...

the most tense band ive ever heard, interestingly enough they were one of the first bands i downloaded stuff from back in 04 and it took a couple of years before it really clicked, these days i really consider them to be one of my favorite bands. Heck i dont know a band which has been so good over so many releases. Only Manilla Road bests them at that for me.

Neurosis live: Easily the most intense and suffocating live metal experience on the planet. You don't go to a Neurosis show and enjoy it-you experience it. I've been fortunate enough to do it twice. The first time was January 2003 on the the first day of Relapse Contamination Festival in Philadelphia (A Sun That Never Sets era). Me and a buddy of mine went specifically to see Neurosis (although the lineup was damn good what with Cephalic Carnage, Mastodon, Neurosis on the main stage and Daylight Dies on the bar stage for the "after party"). We knew they'd be good but we were simply not mentally prepared to handle what we'd experience that night. We were blown the fuck away. The second time was November 2004 in Brooklyn (The Eye Of Every Storm era). Again, crushing. This show was notable because they brought out Jarboe in the middle of the set to do a mini-set from the Neurosis & Jarboe album. At both shows the oldest song they played was "Locust Star". Also at both shows they ended the set with "Stones From The Sky", which is as brutal of a closer as you can get. I left satisfied and mesmerized both times, but I wish they'd dust off "Aeon". That one is the apocalypse set to music. You may have more fun at other bands shows, but no other band will leave you as drained and exhausted, yet satisfied as Neurosis does.

Neurosis' Studio Albums: My preference is for the later albums-Through Silver In Blood onward. Don't care for the first two all that much (and it's nothing to do with them being punk-I dig punk), especially The Word As Law. Souls At Zero and Enemy Of The Sun are indeed damn good, but not quite there yet. Through Silver In Blood is where Neurosis came into their own; where their trademark sound really came to fruition. No Neurosis album since is superior to that one, but they are at least comparable by an extremely close margin.

I was just going to post something similar. If you ever get the chance, see Neurosis live. Hands down, the HEAVIEST live metal band I have seen. Just CRUSHING.

oh ok thanks just weird how they are always compared,maybe its because both bands are fairly experimental

Surprised they don't play anything from Enemy of the Sun live.. I'd kill to hear the title track of that.

I used to really, really love these guys but I haven't listened to them for 2 or so years. No real reason, I think I just killed them from overlistening in 05-08. Would love to see them live. I still think TSiB is a classic and the albums surrounding that are also amazing, although I don't really subscribe to the whole "BEST BAND EVER/SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE" thing like I used to. Also Sun and Storm were pretty boring albums for the most part.

I also feel like I should mention that Times of Grace is probably one of the best sounding metal albums I own. Absolutely stunning production.

The Doorway cannot be fucked with. Heaviest song ever, straight up.

Neurosis is the heaviest band ever, period. And that opening riff to The Doorway is the heaviest riff ever. I always think of a green field, red sky, real quiet wind and a few miles away there's a couple of these factories making robots to wage war upon each other in a post-apocalyptic setting. It's mind bending.

I think Brightfield is right; "Souls at Zero" doesn't get enough praise. Some of their newer stuff is extremely dull to me but that album is close to a masterpiece. I also am quite a fan of "A Sun that Never Sets", being the harbinger of the newer Neurosis style, however subsequent albums have left me cold. I would rank "Through Silver in Blood" somewhat below these, though it's been a while since I heard it. I must confess that I'm not really a fan of those slow, endlessly repetitive grinding riffs..."Enemy of the Sun" was nowhere near as good as "Souls" or "Pain of Mind". I need to re-listen to "Times of Grace" sometime.

Souls at Zero is indeed, quite underrated. I mean seriously, "Takeahnase" is like one of the best Neurosis songs ever. As for Enemy of the Sun...that album took the longest to grow on me. For a long time I never really cared for it until suddenly one day, that clicked too and now I find it really enjoyable.

Aw, shucks. thanks

It's weird I like the title track and Cleanse (except that stupid loop at the end of course), but not much else on Enemy of the Sun. I should give it another listen today, see if my opinion changes.

"Lost" is a pretty cool song, but overall Enemy of the Sun doesn't do that much for me. At least not compared to the band's later material. I've only heard Souls At Zero once, but I liked it. Obviously I'll need to give it more listens before I can make up my mind about it.