Few bands can combine stunning brutality with an ominous feel of dread like California's Neurosis. Their 1992 gem Souls at Zero, now on its second reissue, is a masterful collection of songs that rip your heart out and crawl deep under your skin. Never a band to be trapped into any specific categorization, Souls at Zero is a frightening mix of post rock, doom, sludge, alternative, drone, metal, prog, avant-garde, and probably more styles than we have room to comment on here. Also included in this latest reissue from Neurot Records are three bonus tracks and new cover artwork from Josh Graham.
Epic bashers like "To Crawl Under One's Skin", "Souls at Zero", "A Chronology for Survival", and "Stripped" show a band that, despite their aggressive nature, figured out how to put together lengthy tracks that grew & festered into bombastic, gut wrenching songs that were equally about power & atmosphere. Even some of the shorter numbers, such as "Flight", "The Web", and "Sterile Vision", take turns pummeling the listener into submission as well as allowing you to drift off into a tranquil state. The agonizing "Takeahnase" is another of those slow builders that starts off in an almost ambient state before the band bulldozes in with crushing guitars and mightly vocal roars.
The live bonus cut of "Cleanse III" shows another side of Neurosis, this one a trippy, psychedelic acid trip filled with buzzing electronics, sound effects, and tribal drum beats. If you've never experienced the power and majesty of Neurosis, Souls at Zero is most certainly a highlight of their discography (among many others), and this latest reissue does it justice.
Track Listing
01. To Crawl Under One's Skin
02. Souls At Zero
03. Zero
04. Flight
05. The Web
06. Sterile Vision
07. A Chronology for Survival
08. Stripped
09. Takeahnase
10. Empty
11. Souls (Demo Version)
12. Zero (Demo Version)
13. Cleanse III (Live in London)
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