Neurosis started as a hardcore punk band in late 1985 in California, as in their first few albums, Pain of Mind and The Word as Law. They did manage to differentiate themseles in this genre though - songs lasting over four minutes and lyrical themes different from the rest of the 'scene.'

It was on their third album, Souls at Zero (released in 1992), that their sound crossed over into something closer to their sludge/avantgarde metal sound Neurosis is known for. Enemy of the Sun was released in the following year, and was a landmark album for the band, greatly utilizing heavy tribal percussion and crunchy guitar work, while vocalist Steve von Till screamed with raw power and strain. This sound expanded further in their next album, Through Silver in Blood, which put an even greater focus on repetition and percussion. Times of Grace in 1999, was released, keeping the same raw attitude and powerful lyrics as their prior albums, but was, at times, a bit slower and lighter than their prior works.

It was first on their Soverign EP, released in the following year, that Neurosis's sound began to drastically change once again - changes that were prominent on their following LP, A Sun that Never Sets. Clean vocals, wider ranges of instrumentation, and very prominent "soft" parts - and yet the intricate songwork and power remained much the same. In 2003, Neurosis collaborated with the singer of the band The Swans, a band who seemed to influence Neurosis's sound, and created an album Neurosis and Jarboe. The music on this album was just as strong as the band's other works, though was telling of the sound to come in their following album.

Their latest album, The Eye of Every Storm evolved this sound further. As one reviewer put it "While Neurosis's previous albums were basically works of metallic ferociousness with some eerie minimalism mixed in, "The Eye of Every Storm" is an eerily minimal album with some metallic fury occasionally injected to provide a bit of catharsis." The band is currently working on a new album.

Neurosis's music has been extremely influential in the avantgarde metal genre, influencing the sounds of many bands: Isis, Pelican, The Red Sparowes, and soforth. Members have been involved in many projects as well - the most ambitious being their ambient band, the Tribes of Neurot. The two vocalists, von Till and Scott Kelly, have also released solo albums, collaborated with other bands, and formed their own record company, Neurot recordings.

I think they're pretty good. Any other fans out there?