I want to talk about Neurosis.

[Adoom]

I really fucking love Neurosis.

Heaviest band of all time. Ever, in my opinion. The only band I've seen that matches Dirty Three with the awesome of their live performances. So many of the most incredible albums line their discography.

So yeah.

Fuckin' Neurosis.

Interested parties, discuss!

[Holy Schnikes]

Neurosis is KILLER! I've only seen 'em live once but that show floored me, like performance art while being pummeled with sludge riffs.

They've spawned a whole genre of awesome bands, many of which I got into before Neurosis somehow. Isis, Mouth of the Architect, Pelican, Russian Circles, etc, etc, etc. So many excellent bands, many I count among my favorites, that have followed the path Neurosis has been busy paving a long time now.

[andtheLiquidmen]

I saw them at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, and it was a religious experience. I was right up against the stage.

They walk onto the stage, some ambiance starts playing. Four stick-clicks and a wall of sound almost bowls over everyone 50 feet from the stage as they go into Given to the Rising. My eyebrows were vibrating throughout the entirety of the set.

I saw them at Maryland Deathfest. Due to severe rain and thunderstorms they had to push their set back. Rain stops, lightning all over the sky. Then they go on. Fuuuuuuuuuuuck.

[DarkAxel]

I absolutely love Neurosis especially because they were so inspiring for other bands i like (mentioned above in Shnikes' post)

i'd love to see them live some day... i want to smash things when i watch "Through Silver In Blood" live and that's just on youtube... looks so intense...

[D.o.S.]

I like Neurosis, but I don't love Neurosis. There are other bands in the genre that do things I like more.

Of course, mad props for being serious innovators and paving the way for an awful lot of independent punk/metal bands.

[Ancient Astronaught]

Best band ever IMHO......

The progression of the band and the music over 20 years mirrors the progression of man and spiritual enlightenment. My favorite song is still Raze the Stray there's just something about the female vocals in the beginning along with that opening riff that to me really is like a spiritual experience. They have definitely inspired many of my other favorite bands, Yob, Isis, Russian circles, etc, etc (see schnikes post above also lol). It also impresses me that almost everything they do is in 3/4 it makes the music oddly hypnotic, and different than 99.9% of other bands. (excluding any genre that begins with math****) I could go on and on about this band......

[dub]

I try not to talk about Neurosis because I start sounding like a fourteen year old who just smoked his first joint and listened to tool.

No one wants to be THAT GUY.

Every band that has tried to follow in their footsteps invariably dissappoints. US Christmas do pretty well though.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

Souls At Zero. Heard a song from the album on alt radio program, managed to tape part of the song. Forgot the names and eventually the tape was forgotten on the gig van console in the July sun. I was enthusiastic about it because it nailed th ehorror themes with minimalistic touch to progressive song sturctures and heavy as fuck atmosphere. Just the shit I was trying to accomplish explaining to friends who were often too keen to shred 200mph by two solo guitars simultaneously.

A friend sold a lot of his CD's in a tight spot. Bought thi sfrom him when he told me that I would really, really love it, how come You don't own this? I put the CD on and realized it sounded oddly familiar... no... FUCKING WAY!!! But yes, way. Nail in the head.

True story. Yeah love the band. And the band's been pretty fuckking constant all the way with their output, You know.

[Adoom]

I just find them that little bit more... I don't know. Primal. Monsterous. In agreement with everyone. Killer band. Even if you get along with other bands better, it's all ust matter of taste. But they do deserve some kudos for starting their own label, and doing things absolutely on their own terms.

[sylnau]

Neurosis + Jarboe = Awesome!!

[mikeyhegs]

I try not to talk about Neurosis because I start sounding like a fourteen year old who just smoked his first joint and listened to tool.

this

[husc]

Saw them for the third time last month and it was mindblowing! Here's something to read:

What kind of gear do you use?
Kelly: I play a ’93 Gibson Les Paul Studio with a Duncan Distortion pickup being the only mod. My amp is a Marshall JCM 800, and I use these unbelievably powerful, handmade custom cabs from EarCandy in Indiana. The frequency range is stunning. Every note is totally articulated. There’s bottom-of-the-barrel growl, but throw in a high note, and it’s super clear. Typically, I play straight with a touch of delay, but I sometimes use an MXR Flanger, Blue Box, or EVH Phaser. Both Steve and I use Dunlop Ultex .60mm and green Tortex .88mm picks.

Steve, your rig is a little more complex.
Von Till: I call it the “chain of death!” My main guitars are no-nonsense, Strat-style guitars built from Warmoth parts. I wanted something that would be warm with a lot of sustain, so the necks are fat, the frets are huge, and there’s no wood cut away for pickguards or tremolo units. I installed a Seymour Duncan Distortion pickup in the bridge position, and a Bartolini in the neck—both wired with TRS outputs so the signals can be routed to my custom switcher. On Rising, I used my new custom Tele-style made from Warmoth parts, and further customized by Keith Holland in Los Gatos, California. There’s no finish or pickguard—just an oil rub—so there’s nothing to suck the tone out. It also has a baseball bat for a neck, really big frets, and, along with the traditional Tele-style bridge and neck pickups, a Gibson P-90 in the middle position.
My custom switcher—which was originally built with old Rockman MIDI Octopus units, and later modified by John Joseph of Dredge Tone—allows me to select which pickup signal is active, turn the true-bypass effects loop for my floor pedals on and off, switch amp channels, and select from a series of rack-mounted distortion pedals for each of my two amplifiers. Everything is managed with a custom MIDI foot controller. Some of the pedals I use are the MXR Phase 90 and Blue Box, a MoogerFooger MF-101 Lowpass Filter and MF-102 Ring Modulator, a Dunlop Uni-Vibe, and an Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synthesizer. The signal is routed to my two amps—a Mesa/Boogie Mark IV with an old-style Mesa cab and a Fender ’65 Twin Reverb Reissue combo—which I run simultaneously. I use all three channels on the Boogie independently: the Lead channel with a vintage Pro Co Rat for full gain, the Rhythm II channel without the Rat for “half” distortion, and the Rhythm I channel for clean, pretty stuff. The Boogie has a lot of character, and the lead tone is like Skynyrd on low-end steroids. It has all this resonance, and the distortion kind of reaches back before it brings the hammer down. It’s not a delay, but it almost feels like the speakers have to take a breath before that exhale. I owe that to the old Boogie 4x12 cabinet, which is deeper and shorter than their new cabs, as well as having the bottom speakers in a sealed enclosure, and the top pair set in an open-back configuration. The Fender is pretty clear, so I run it with another Rat for full-bore gain, and an MXR Distortion Plus for “half gain.” Pretty soon, I’ll be switching to a Bob Bradshaw system to control everything. I have been totally hooked on the tonal options two amps offer for almost 20 years. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a single amp. "

I instantly wanted an ABY and second amp to earthmove.

[MaggotBrainNY]

I saw them at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, and it was a religious experience. I was right up against the stage.

They walk onto the stage, some ambiance starts playing. Four stick-clicks and a wall of sound almost bowls over everyone 50 feet from the stage as they go into Given to the Rising. My eyebrows were vibrating throughout the entirety of the set.

I saw them at Maryland Deathfest. Due to severe rain and thunderstorms they had to push their set back. Rain stops, lightning all over the sky. Then they go on. Fuuuuuuuuuuuck.

I was at both of those shows. I'm with you on that first chord man.... holy shit, was I not prepared for that at all. I still have the silk-screened concert poster sitting in a tube awaiting a frame. That show in Baltimore was TENSE, and you could feel every bit of that. There is no better band on the planet... period, IMO. Their output speaks for itself.

Recording in Oct, IIRC. Sitting on pins and needles awaiting the new album. The new song they played at MDF was great.

[alexa.]

I like Isis more (threshold of transformation <3<3<3<3<3<3<3)

[D.o.S.]

I like Isis more, but I've also seen 'em live a handful of times.

I'll reserve judgement until I see Neurosis.