A funny thing happened about two months ago: I was gathering some background information for my anniversary review of one of the most seminal post-metal releases from 30 years ago – that is, “Through Silver in Blood” by NEUROSIS – when I accidentally stumbled upon the fact that the band had just released a surprise album, their first in 10 years! How’s that for a strike of cosmic synchronicity?! Released on March 20th, 2026, via Neurot, the new NEUROSIS album “An Undying Love For A Burning World” is indeed a strong comeback endeavor from a band that most people had taken for dead already. In 2019, the band split in silence with cofounder Scott Kelly due to his domestic abuse issues, but the news was not announced in public until 3 years later, out of respect for Kelly‘s family. I must admit that I was one of those who thought at the time that this incident spelled the end for NEUROSIS. I mean, Kelly and the other half of the band’s dynamic songwriting tandem, Steve Von Till, had practically been the Lennon–McCartney duo of sludge metal. How could the band continue either as a quartet or with someone else without fucking up their legacy entirely? I expected to never hear from this band again. Then, a few years later, along came a frontman from such prolific post-metal acts as ISIS, SUMAC, and OLD MAN GLOOM – mister Aaron Turner. Finns might also know him for his contributions to PHARAOH OVERLORD. Somewhere along the first half of 2024, Turner rehearsed with the remaining NEUROSIS quartet for the first time – and the rest is history, to put the old cliché to good use for once. Turner has been dubbed as one of NEUROSIS‘ most distinguished descendants, if not even second in line in terms of importance with anything related to sludge and post-metal: the ISIS discography is nothing short of a flawless run of outstanding albums, and SUMAC has provided us with material that is no less intriguing. For instance, last year’s collaboration album with urban street poet Moor Mother, entitled “The Film,” which I only found out about this year, is one of the most unique post-metal endeavors to date in my books. Unique in the best possible manner, that is. So, NEUROSIS could not have done much better when it comes to adding a new member to the fold. On the downside, of course, the new album is immediately charged with pretty high expectations, coming from a lineup of this caliber. Lucky for us, the new blood seems to have prompted the old guard of the band to perform at their very best. There is an overarching theme on the album, one of our world being ablaze due to our various forms of disconnection and alienation, so it is only fitting that the band is on fire as well.
Right out of the gates, the band comes off strong, playing their old fortes. “We Are Torn Wide Open” opens the album by sticking to the band’s sludgey roots. NEUROSIS made this certain kind of relentless sonic violence their trademark back in the day, and the opener of their new album serves as a not-so-gentle reminder that they are still the undisputed masters of this particular sonic craft. Yet, even in all of its apocalyptic vehemence, the opener is among the “easiest” tracks in this selection. It does set the tone for the album – and the tone is both extremely intense and dark. The first half of the album continues on this same footing, more or less, paying homage to the sludge legacy of NEUROSIS. Those fans who are well-versed in the band’s discography may get nice flashbacks, here and there, but the album is not merely about reminiscing in their past glory.
The second half of the album is a tad more experimental and atmospheric, with such dystopian overtones that it is a picture-perfect product of our time. The music does not even try to pretend the state of the world away – we certainly live in the middle of a dystopian shit-show of the worst kind, but there’s still something decent and human left in us, well, some of us. I reckon that’s what NEUROSIS is trying to tell us: we can bracket out the terrors of the world with music – even when it’s extremely harsh and intense, or maybe especially with harsh and extreme music such as this. Plus, there are nuances to this sonic vehemence. “Untethered” could even be regarded as a psychedelic blues piece that merely gets dipped in post-metal. Some fans have already viewed it as the weakest song of the selection, but as a sucker for psychedelia, I find it pretty cool. This is by far not the first time NEUROSIS is flirting with something rather unexpected. I reckon the 9-minute centerpiece, “Blind,” is the dividing line with its psychedelic riffs and layers of apocalyptic noise; toward the end, the album seems more and more influenced by the latter-day noisescapes of SWANS. Then, eventually, the atmospheric, 17-minute finale, “Last Light,” sums it all up: we are the new NEUROSIS, and we are so back! I reckon the softer soundscapes in both this album’s closer and in the penultimate track, “In the Waiting Hours,” might be Turner’s influence – both of these tracks could easily fit on any of those cherished ISIS albums from yesteryear. I guess the recent online jokes about “Neurisis” stem from here. It’s not that I mind, because I was lucky enough to see ISIS on stage once, at Nosturi, Helsinki, before they called it quits, maybe around 2009 or so, and they truly were worthy descendants of the NEUROSIS post-metal lineage. I remember that night very clearly, because I was running a fever, but I definitely did not want to miss the band, so I went to see them anyway. I was bedridden with pneumonia for a week and a half after that show, but it was well fucking worth it! When the band played “Altered Course” as an encore, my fever had gotten worse, and it felt as though my soul was leaving my physical body, or something. Now, with Turner in the ranks of NEUROSIS, things are coming full circle, in a way, and it sounds pretty damn close to that transcendental experience I had 16 years ago – and it’s beautiful in the most devastating way you could imagine.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- We Are Torn Wide Open
- Mirror Deep
- First Red Rays
- Blind
- Seething and Scattered
- Untethered
- In the Waiting Hours
- Last Light
Lineup
Steve Von Till – guitars, vocals
Aaron Turner – guitars, vocals
Jason Roeder – drums
Dave Edwardson – bass, vocals
Noah Landis – synths, samples, backing vocals
Label
Neurot
