For the last 26 years, Neurosis has tapped into the elusive wellspring where resonance and dissonance collude, circling emotional poles where nothing is withheld, where the psyche screams for answers to Earth’s ancient mysteries. Originally unveiled in 2000, the four-song, 32-minute Sovereign EP was the first Neurosis release issued through the band’s own Neurot Recordings, with the vinyl appearing via Hydra Head. In chronological terms, Sovereign served as a millennial segue between two of the band’s most revered full-lengths, 1999’s Times of Grace and 2001’s A Sun That Never Sets. Opener “Prayer” sets the omnipotent tone for all that follows. A master-class in deep dynamics, the song ascends from its quiet beginnings into a rolling, hypnotic power-dirge couched in a bone-rattling rhythm. “An Offering” brings arsenic visions of Eden—or at least of the ruinous snake and the tree of knowledge around which it infamously coiled. The instrumental “Flood” is a veritable drum cannonade. And, clocking in at over 13 minutes in length, “Sovereign” offers perhaps the widest variety of textures, tones and instrumental undulations.
tracklist:
01. Prayer
02. An Offering
03. Flood
04. Sovereign
05. Misgiven [newly released track]
credits:
Bass, Voice, Synthesizer [Moog] – Dave Edwardson
Cello – Jackie Gratz
Cornet, Tuba – Jon Birdsong
Drums, Percussion – Jason Roeder
Guitar, Voice, Percussion – Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till
Keyboards, Sampler, Effects [Sound Manipulations], Voice – Noah Landis
Trombone – Johannes Mager
Violin – Kris Force
Voice [Narration] – Jerry Landis (2), Kristin Von Till
Engineer – Steve Albini
Mastered By – Dave Collins
Written-By – Neurosis
Recorded @ Electrical Audio Recording, Chicago.
Additional overdubs & mixing @ Mr. Toads, San Francisco.
Mastered @ A&M.
/ XBTT (1) by Dejavu