Neurosis
Through Silver In Blood

Few albums possess an intensity comparable to Through Silver In Blood. Released in 1996 by the glorious Relapse, Through Silver In Blood is not only one of the highest peaks reached by Neurosis, but also one of the earliest (and most successful) attempts to blend metal and hardcore, a combination that would characterize the musical production of numerous more recent artists like Isis, Converge, Mastodon, who very likely wouldn't have existed without the monumental work of the Bay Area sextet.

It's difficult to label their music: a lethal mix of industrial, endless instrumental progressions, impressive walls of sound, and interludes with an ambient flavor, all accompanied by the suffering voice of Steve Von Till, who, in the nine tracks of this sonic monolith, escorts us distantly, almost like a far-off echo. One might dare to draw a comparison with Maynard James Keenan's Tool (who, by the way, at that time released their masterpiece Aenima), but even in this case, we're far from pinning down the band's sound.

No words are needed to describe the endless expansions of tracks like the title-track and "Purify" or the suggestive ambient introduction of "Locust Star," which precedes the violent explosion and the conclusive catharsis. Equally noteworthy are the slow "Strenght Of Fates," which almost seems to cradle the listener between the relaxing sea waves before making them lose themselves in a sea of anguish and despair, "Aeon" and its continuous alternation of instrumental tranquility and outbursts that will heavily test your stereo's speakers, up to the conclusion of "Enclosure In Flame," where the apparent initial calm is actually a Schopenhauerian veil of Maya, which soothes only momentarily pain and suffering, imprinted in the disorienting guitar-choked voice duet that leads us to the end (or the beginning?) of everything. The interludes "Rehumanize" and "Become The Ocean" are also wonderful, two gems that, besides breaking the tension, further enrich an already almost perfect work.

Certainly, the harshness of Through Silver In Blood probably won't be appreciated by everyone, and perhaps only a small circle of people will end up loving it, but my advice is to listen to it in any case, perhaps several times. And who knows if even the most skeptical and reluctant will end up falling victim to the Neurosis spell, a spell that, at least for me, has worked its magic.