Class of 2012: Neurosis - Honor Found In Decay

It's been quite a year for bands already in their second or even third decade.  Bands like Saint Vitus, Converge, and Testament released records earlier this year that prove the relevance of their new music.  And now we can add Neurosis to that list.

Honor Found In Decay is Neurosis' tenth album, released five years after 2007's Given to the Rising.  It features 7 songs in just over an hour's time and definitely requires several listens to fully digest.

"We All Rage in Gold" starts the album off in fine fashion.  If you like this song, then you should enjoy what's about to come.  For the first minute of next track "At the Well," you may wonder if DC Berman of the Silver Jews is singing (he's not).  On this standout second song, you'll hear noticeably strong drumming (the same applies to "All is Found...In Time") and what sounds like bagpipes from 4:20-4:55.  But what takes this track to the next level occurs from 7:00 to the end - it's my favorite part of the record.

 The longest track, "My Heart for Deliverance," takes a couple of minutes to get started.  Just past the half-way point, from 6:35-7:15, the band almost turns into Sigur Rós before going heavy for the remainder of the song.

The ominous first 3 minutes of "Bleeding the Pigs" lead you to believe that the world is coming to an end, and its last two minutes do nothing to convince you otherwise.  The heavy "Casting of the Ages," however, offers a more optimistic and nearly uplifting feel.

Honor Found In Decay ends with "Raise the Dawn," which closes the album fittingly - a violin in the forefront and banjo picking in the background.

Neurosis have given us a heavy and remarkable collection of post-metal songs on their latest effort.  If you're new to this band, be sure to check out its back catalog.

Grade: A  (94.7%)