Given to the Rising

I began hearing about Neurosis when I was 16. I heard Locust star through the ozzfest compilation. What I understood at that time was loud, brutal and extreme...What I didn't see until age crept in was all the melody, musicianship and overall feeling the song portrayed. I begin re-listening to Neurosis in 2007 in preparation to see them at the Fun Fun Festival in Austin. They blew my mind and were the most intense band I have seen to date. After rediscovering their older records. I truly appreciate what they are trying to. Given to the Rising is a testament to that. Listen with an open mind, in a dark place. Neurosis records are meant to "seep in" not "wash all over you". It is music refusing to cater to lowest common denominator, but returns in spades what you put into it. Awesome record. You can hear what these guys have been through. Neurosis records can take a lot out of you if you aren't in the right mindset to listen to them. So be prepared.

Neurosis was my first metal band I really got into. And this album is the best! Make sure you buy the sun that never sets album from them to.

Shellac and the Jesus Lizard have no "bass presence" on their records? Seriously?

This one took me a long time to get into initially. After repeated listens I now think that this is neurosis's best work to date. Given to the rising seems much more well thought out in terms of song construction than "the eye of every storm" and "a sun that never sets" There is less meandering and ambient passages than on those discs. The songs feel like songs with a beginning, middle and end that can stand alone and represent complete thoughts. Also, the band mixes in the heavyness and riffing of "times of grace" and "through silver and blood". Actually, the riffing sounds to me a lot like times of grace's style but with more layering. Speaking of which, the production of this is very dense and well done, very uncompressed and organic sounding. My favorite songs are distill, at the end of the road, to the wind and the title track. new neurosis fans should pick this up, it feels like it summarizes and defines the band as a whole.

Holy crap people. This album freekin rocks! I bought it on a whim, forgot about it, found it the other day and its curtains from there. i listened to it once and was impressed, listened again with the lyrics in front of me and it came alive, reached inside my chest cavity and sundered my soul from its earthly shackles. Yeah I like it a lot. You will too...

I grew up listening to hard core but always wanting something more than just dark, hard, thrashing. As I got older, I wanted something more original and not confined to what "hard"music should be. What drew me to Neurosis was the lack of "fear" and "borders". These days all music, mixes with all genres but when Enemy of the Sun came out, it was ground breaking. Hard core music with a Jam band style and Asian, Indian and Classical influences. Although I don't listen to hard music these days I still can't help but love this band.

Neurosis.... Every time I hear the band name, I shiver in anticipation. I can never wait too long to listen to them. From Locust Star, to To the Wind, their riffs and walls of sound just soothe and compell me. I finally was given an iTunes card and bought this album first thing. I recommend it to EVERYONE! Not just metal-heads, ska punks, or anyone. Just every single person in the world.

Pitchfork said something to the effect that this album shows why Neurosis still stands with their foot on the throat of their many imitators. True indeed. Front to back, a ripping wall of dark sound.

I've been listening to Neurosis since the mid/late 90's and even then they had been around forever. The first stuff I heard was from Pain of Mind and their hardcore "real hardcore not post, ny, metal, whatever" and loved it. The idea in their newer albums was to create a scene free from the jaded hypocracy "drugs masculinity etc." of the hardcore scene. Not only were they successful they were innovative in a none movement many hardcore and punk bands were rambling through in the late 90's. Enemy of the Sun is a great album along with Through Silver in Blood. My favorite is Souls At Zero and I recommend it. It is an in-between phase with many samples from movies, buddhist monks, and native americans, live instrument experiments "cello's horns etc." and the politics of old. Neurosis peaked around Times of Grace played along with the Neurot accompaniment album. They are beginning to get predictable and are spawning copycats left and right. If I go to another show with a 25 minute droning guitar intro played infront of a screen showing something from the discovery channel I'm going to give up. Check out the early stuff and work your way up, you may feel differently. It's still great music just not innovative anymore.

I'd been looking for a band that could rival Opeth for artistic mastery and hardcore riffs. Based on the worshipful reviews listed herein, I thought Neurosis might be it. I was very, very wrong. Sludgy production and meandering arrangements, cloaked in macabre posturing? Please. Back to Opeth it is.