Band:	Neurosis
Album:	Honor Found In Decay
Style:	Post-metal
Release date:	October 2012

01. We All Rage In Gold
02. At The Well
03. My Heart For Deliverance
04. Bleeding The Pigs
05. Casting Of The Ages
06. All Is Found... In Time
07. Raise The Dawn

To pass judgement on a band such as Neurosis can be a tough call but that's normal when we are talking about a band that helped shape up one of the most successful metal styles around and are renowned for being extremely consistent throughout their entire discography. 5 long years passed since Given To The Rising (my first contact with the band and a personal favorite) and the expectations were obviously high among most of the fans. The question is: Did they live up to them? Yes and no... But mostly no.

You are probably wondering if I have some bipolar disorder due to the good rating but the reality with the latest Neurosis is that listening to individual songs really makes me think this is great because all the elements the fans love about the band are right here as usual: Heavy atmospheres coupled with tranquil moments that never really let go off the tension, that constant tribal feeling and roaring vocals. Special mention goes to the keyboards that seems to take a bigger role than previous albums, enhancing the tunes and making new layers. So what's the problem? Compared to their back catalogue, it seems that there's some lack of union and identity between the tracks while all their previous and well received works felt not only complete but with a specific aim. This sort of goal is not achieved with Honor Found In Decay where the songs as well crafted as they might be ended without really producing a real closure and just don't feel as interesting as before. 5 years it's quite a long time for this particular niche in metal. Could it be that present time has caught these pioneers as it has happened with many others?

Now, don't misunderstand me. Neurosis' latest effort is still a great album which stands proud against most of the derivative bands under the post-metal flag. I would specially recommend it to everyone who has never heard their works as it's representative of their overall sound while being very accessible. Who knows, maybe this is exactly the problem: Neurosis finally making an "easy" album.