Neurosis - Live at Roadburn 2007

I recently got a double burst of Neurosis dropped in my lap, a sensation not all that different than having a bowling dropped on your junk. But unlike the bowling ball incident, the Neurosis treatment was something that I enjoyed and wish would happen more often. Neurosis is a band that folks either love or just don’t get. I, for one, love them to death and quite frankly can’t be certain if I get them in the least. There’s just something about the primordial droning and hypnotic waves of distortion, the assault of sonic destruction that draws me to these guys like a woman to a shoe sale. The two albums that made their way into my possession and subsequent consciousness are the re-issue of the classic Enemy of the Sun (brilliant album in its original state, even better with the added tracks) and the more recent Live at Roadburn 2007. There’s nothing new that I could write about Enemy of the Sun, so I’ll just leave it as it’s a must have, therefore stop reading this and go get it before reading on. Live at Roadburn 2007, however, is new for me and something that I can’t stop listening to.

I figure that I have a few screws loose, I didn’t get the proper nurturing as a child, or I just don’t get enough sleep to make the extreme noise parade that Neurosis produces something I look forward to. It’s not the kind of music that I typically gravitate towards in that the music doesn’t have the ballsy guitar riffs or mighty mosh parts or variation of mood that makes me punch drunk. But, that’s not to say that this music is any less dynamic. In fact, the music that Neurosis creates is arguably more dynamic than the better half of modern music it’s just that these guys just do it with volume and tone. Filled with imposing phrases and dark words, the detuned, heavy music creates an element of dread and sorrow, hopelessness for the future on mankind, yet . . . I find it completely fascinating! Like when we’re driving and catch a glimpse of roadkill . . . no, we don’t think it’s beautiful, but we all take a long glance at the deceased if not for fascination then for the hope that we can distinguish the breed of critter. That sensation is about the closest analogy I can come up with for Neurosis.

Okay, on with the album. “A Season In The Sky” is a majestic, near ten minute epic of dread and despair. The bass line that creeps out of the fog sets the tone for this song right off the bat and one can easily get the sense that something ominous is upon us. As the vocals enter, the chills run up the spine and the mind races through the wild imagery that’s being strewn across our minds’ eye. This is one of those cases where a band doesn’t need to utilize thrashing drums and cutting guitars to be heavy. The subject matter, the performance, the vocal tones, the bass tones . . . all of it is done with such intensity that the heaviness is more of a matter of fact than studio trickery. It’s well over four minutes before the rest of the band chimes in to make their presence known, but when they do, they don’t pummel us into submission as one might expect, but rather compliment the tones that have already been set. In time, the detuned guitars take center stage and the overbearing weight of the Neurosis that we’ve come to misunderstand and love shine on.

“At the End of the Road” follows next and clocks in at about eight and a half minutes. This track opens with a pulsating drone and steady tom attack from the drummer, creating yet again, a sense of dread and impending doom. This is the Neurosis that I seem to like the best . . . a band that channels their primitive ancestors, communicating in a primordial sense, generating a dark tribal vibe. This intro always makes me feel like it should have been part of the Apocalypse Now soundtrack. I hear this song and I’m transported to the jungles of Vietnam . . . or Cambodia . . . or Laos, you pick, and I’m creeping through the dense foliage with only survival on my mind. Rain pours down periodically while shadows shift along my peripheral vision, always make me turn my head to catch a cleaner view of what’s out there and only finding more jungle . . . always knowing that I’m being watched . . . being hunted. Right around the 5:30 mark, the song opens up, finds a groove and we get that pummeling sensation that Neurosis mastered long, long ago. The bass notes come from various places on the neck of the instrument, the guitars carry the weight of ages, the drums like a heartbeat in a darkened room . . . deafening.

“Distill” is another gem on this album. There’s more groove to this song than most of the others during this particular performance. I love the chaotic burst that explodes as the vocals enter the mix. One guitar is creating a sustained droning tone while the second guitar emits flurries of distorted notes. Masterful! And then the whole thing collapses into ambiance. The guitars suddenly go clean and subtle arpeggios are plucked from the instruments . . . and then BOOM! Chaos ensues once again! When listening to Neurosis this is to be expected. You may want to hear the band go into a long, extended riff frenzy, but know that they’re not gonna’. Their always going to take their music in a direction that is so left of center that it almost feels like they have no direction. But that’s when we as listeners need to stop and rethink how we perceive music. The ambient portions of this song are flat out scary, the rocking portions are devastatingly heavy.

“Water Is Not Enough” is a classic. I’ve heard this song in my sleep for a million years, making me think that I’m must be related to this alien race of musicians in some way, shape or form. Brutally heavy and everything one would expect in association when the name Neurosis is mentioned. One of the band’s shorter tracks at almost six and a half minutes, “Water Is Not Enough” is darn near accessible. The riffs are condensed, but the textures that they create shift the brain fluid from one side of the head to the other, creating a dizzying effect. Slow and steady, hard and heavy, music Neurosis-style . . .

Most people won’t have the patience for a band like Neurosis because the music takes time to get the end of the tale. It’s almost like reading one of Stephen King’s 1,000 word epics, or any James Mischner novel, the story takes time to develop, always building upon itself, incorporating various levels of nuance, until we get to the very end and sit back breathless, thinking to ourselves, “Holy shit.” Live at Roadburn 2007 is a fabulous recording partially due to the bands ability to perform music from their catalog and still create the dynamic mood and tones almost effortlessly. I also like that the crowd noise is at a minimum on this recording. I don’t mind crowd noise on live efforts, especially when we get to hear them chant along with the songs a la Iron Maiden or Rush, but in the case of Neurosis, I like that the focus is purely on the band and their ability to pull off the performance in a live setting versus the relative safety of the studio. Live at Roadburn 2007 is a good starting point for anyone interested in learning more about the band and hearing what they’re all about. Beyond that, Enemy of the Sun is a can’t miss.  -  Pope

buy here:  Live at Roadburn 2007
mp3: Live at Roadburn 2007

www.neurosis.com

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A Sunday Conversation with The Atlas Moth

Catapulting itself into the number 2 spot on Pope’s year end best of list, the Candlelight Records debut from The Atlas Moth, A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, became so revered that two copies of the blue vinyl disc have made their way into the Ripple collection. But the real question becomes, why is it so revered? Is it really that good? The short answer is yes. For more details, we lured Stavros (guitarist/vocalist) to spend a few minutes on the red leather interview couch. Sit back and find out what The Atlas Moth tick.

The music on A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky is equally brutal as it is beautiful, as song writers, how did you know where to incorporate more brutality or to add a line of melody to create such elegant texture? Is it just a feeling, or is there a loose formulaic structure that you use?


Our writing process is very organic. Usually one of us has a riff and brings it into rehearsal and we just jam from there. Very little is predetermined, and we all pretty much write all our own parts, that is just what happens when all of us get into a room and play.


When you write a piece of music, do you consciously write from the mind set of being different than what's out there now?


We don't ever set out to sound like anything. Like I said, everything is very organic and felt out through repetition during rehearsals. There is not much thought put into what we are going to sound like although, there is a lot of scrutiny over an end product. We tear apart songs and start over and rewrite sometimes until we are happy with them but there isn't a constant thought of trying to be different, this is just what we sound like.

When I reviewed A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, I described your music as the best horror movie that I’ve ever listened to. Was I supposed to be scared or was simply jumping at shadows? What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?


We want the listener to feel something. We would rather have someone absolutely hate us than not feel anything when listening to us. Andrew was the guy who did all the interludes and locked himself in the studio during mixing and brought all of that to life for us. This record encapsulates a period of time for each of us personally and as well as a band and I think that comes across and what you're feeling is just what we were going through making that record. How each of us was feeling throughout.



Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?


At the risk of sounding cheesy, life in general. I get inspired but reading a book, watching a movie, hearing something said...it doesn't matter.

What piece of your music are you particularly proud of?

"...Leads To A Lifetime on Mercury." That was the last song written and is by far my favorite. I feel that song currently sums up what The Atlas Moth is.

The business of music can be brutal. Changes in technology have made it easier than ever for bands to get their music out, but harder than ever to make a living? What are your plans to move the band forward? How do you stay motivated in this brutal business?


Well we are still sorta in a transition stage as a band. I have been touring for so long, even before this band, that being broke and on the road isn't really anything new. We are just gonna keep doing what we have always done. We have a pretty busy 2010 touring schedule planned and we're gonna keep busy writing a new record. We love playing in this band and we are all such close friends. As long as this is fun, it’s really easy to remain motivated regardless of people downloading your music. I download music but I also buy stuff that strikes a particular chord and that's what I hope we do for people.



Who are some of the more obscure artists that may have influenced your sound?


I don't really know how to judge obscure as there are a lot of bands I think everyone knows about but I then find out it's not the case. I will say Envy and The Angelic Process.

Anyone who has spent more than a couple of minutes in the music business has had a Spinal Tap moment or two. What’s one of your great Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?


We were given an address of a punk house on tour that we could crash at. These, although appreciated and awfully convenient, are usually some of the nastiest places on earth to crash but it’s always welcomed. We pull up to the address, see a dude that was at the show outside and decide to park. Andrew, Tony, our tour manager Joe, and myself walk into this house and it’s not gross at all. Totally shocked, we all started getting comfortable, people are using washrooms and looking through fridges. I go as far as to get ready to pass out on the couch. At this point, Andrew felt as though he should go out to the bonfire in the back and let the people who supposedly live there know we are crashing in the living room. Next thing I know, Andrew is busting through the front door yelling "WRONG HOUSE! LET'S GO!" Apparently the address we had was a number off and we were supposed to be staying in the rat infested shit hole next door. Duh.


Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?


Vinyl hands down. I dig actively listening to music.



We, at The Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to visit?


Well as far as metal goes, Metal Haven is the way to go. Vinyl, CDs, Shirts...they have every obscure metal band you have never heard of. As far as everything else goes, Reckless Records has a few different locations that are all excellent.



Any words of wisdom for the Waveriders (our readers?)


"If your bitch is in my shit, then its your bitch you check" - Dr. Dre....Words to live by, friends.