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Neurosis: Live at Roadburn 2007

18/11/10 || Khlysty

First off, lemme tell ya that, as a rule, I dislike live albums. I think of them as stop-gaps and fillers, coming out when a band has nothing new –at least, for the time being- to offer. Most of them are: a) either poorly recorded, thus making even great bands sound lame and confusing (Black Sabbath’s “Live At Last”, anyone…), b) or totally studio-tweaked, which basically means that they’re not bona fide “live” albums (Black Sabbath’s “Live eviL” is a good example). Of course, there are a few live albums that I hold near and dear (MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams”; AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood”; Big Black’s “Pigpile”; some more), but generally the rule of hating live albums stands.

Secondly, if any of you, who might deign to read this review, don’t like Neurosis, I have to tell you that you REALLY DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT WHAT “THE HEAVY” IS. It’s as simple as that. You like Neurosis, you’re okay. You don’t like Neurosis, you’re a tool. Or a stool. Or something…

Now, taking into account the above paragraphs, one can easily say that I was torn as far as Neurosis “Live At Roadburn 2007” record is concerned. On the one hand, no matter how much I love/adore/suck the collective cock of them Bay Area apocalyptic psychedelic heavier-beyond-the-scale duders, this is a fucking live album I’m dealing with here. On the other hand, though, a live album by this band should be, like, you know, a religious experience; the heavens will be torn apart; the sky will rain down as caustic red rain on the heads of believers and infidels alike; the earth will crumble and burn; you catch my drift, right?

Well, not exactly. Oh, don’t worry, this is Neurosis through and through. The live presence of the band is captured in the highest possible fidelity within the digital grooves of this recording. The band sounds as heavy as is humanly possible and the songs retain the magnificent mixture of inhuman brawn and ethereal clarity that Steve Albini always manages to capture when recording them in the studio. The band members are as tight as it gets and the dynamics that Neurosis trademarked so long ago are totally present even in a live situation, where –usually- details get blurred. So, everything is fine and dandy on this front.

But, to get back to my first argument, this remains a live album. There’s nothing new here: no new songs; no special noodlings on old songs; no surprises, beyond the fact that Neurosis, so late into their career, are still able to sound so vital, so ferocious, so –yes, I will repeat myself- apocalyptic in the singularity of their artistic vision. So, even though I still hurt that I haven’t been able to see Neurosis in a live setting yet, I feel that this record –great as the performances and the production values are- is nothing more than a substitute for the real mccoy. Here’s to hoping that Neurosis put out a new album pretty soon and me being able to see their might on a live setting.

Information
Released: 2010
Label: Neurot Recordings
Website: www.neurosis.com
Band
Steve Von Till: vocals, guitars
Scott Kelly: vocals, guitars
Dave Edwarson: bass, vocals
Noah Landis: synths, keyboards, samples
Jason Roeder: drums, percussion
Josh Graham: visuals

Tracklist
01. Given to the rising
02. Burn
03. A season in the sky
04. At the end of the road
05. Crawl back in
06. Distill
07. Water is not enough
08. Left to wander
09. The doorway

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