A SUN THAT NEVER SETS

A Sun That Never Sets is the seventh studio album from experimental/ post metal act Neurosis. It´s a quite different album compared to their earlier releases and my first listens were not succesful. The inclusion of more melody and less heavy sections ( it´s still a very heavy album, but compared with earlier releases it´s more varied and the music has far more mellow sections) didn´t exactly tickle my treat and it´s only after several listens that I´ve surrendered and realised that Neurosis is still Neurosis even though they have mellowed out a bit. It´s important to note that they have not sold out if you like that expression. They´ve changed their style because they felt a need to do it. Not to make more money ( well everybody likes money, but it´s not the primary reason IMO).

The music is still crushingly heavy experimental metal but A Sun That Never Sets incorporates clean vocals into Neurosis sound which was an exception on earlier releases. There are still harsh hardcore vocals too though which makes this album the most varied release from the band out of the first seven albums. When I heard the clean vocals come in on The Tide I instantly had this thought: When did Nick Cave become the new vocalist in Neurosis? Well after repeated listens I have a more nuanced view on the vocals, which do remind me of Nick Cave at times, but ultimately sound very different from his style. There are some really great songs on the album in The Tide, From The Hill, A Sun That Never Sets and the great Falling Unknown. From Where Its Roots Run is a chanting kind of song that divides the album in two. Unfortunately I´m not as happy about the second part of the album as I am about the first. It´s as if Neurosis take in a lot of mellower post rock tendencies on the last songs on the album and even though this is not bad at all, I like Neurosis better when they´re heavy.

The musicianship is as always excellent. No fast runs or shredding of course but a lot of emphasis on anger and melancholic emotion. Neurosis actually emphasise melancholy more than anger on A Sun That Never Sets.

The production is excellent. A bit warmer than usual, but very well crafted and crushingly heavy.

A Sun That Never Sets marks a shift in sound for Neurosis and even though my favorite period from the band is probably their most heavy and aggressive period ( Souls at Zero to Times of Grace) I do welcome this softer change in sound ( after all what is a progressive act if they don´t progress?)and I can´t wait to hear the last albums from the band that I have in backlog. 4 stars is well deserved and I fully understand those who feel that A Sun That Never Sets is a masterpiece.