| Less the thinking man's metal band than they are the flat-out egghead's metal band, veteran loud-heavy experimentalists Neurosis released GIVEN TO THE RISING, their ninth studio album in 2007 on their own label, Neurot Recordings. Pummeling drums, angry guitars, and vicious vocals form the musical foundation, but they quickly give way to odd tunings, dark foreboding drones, and high-concept aesthetic twists and turns. Produced once again by Steve Albini, Neurosis continues to demonstrate why they're one of the most respected bands in heavy music with each subsequent release. GIVEN TO THE RISING arrives as perhaps their most fully realized and perfectly executed album to date. (2007) |