1) Neurosis was a post-metal band based in Oakland, CA, United States. Thei… Read Full Bio ↴1) Neurosis was a post-metal band based in Oakland, CA, United States. Their unique sound draws influences from progressive metal, hardcore punk, tribal, post-punk, ambient and industrial music. They are often considered as pioneers of post-metal. To date, the band have released eleven full-length studio albums as well as a number of live albums, split records, and EPs.

In late 1985, Scott Kelly, Dave Edwardson and Jason Roeder (formerly members of Violent Coercion) founded the band as a hardcore outfit, borrowing from British crust punk such as Amebix. It has gradually progressed through a variety of styles, arriving at a mixture of heavy metal and acoustic, minimalist ambiance which has proved influential on the doom metal scene.

From 1990 to 1993, Adam G. Kendall was recruited to create the visuals and perform live with the band. Following his departure from touring, Pete Inc. took over the job, although Kendall continued to contribute visuals for the band until as late as 1997. Kendall also shot the footage for the "Locust Star" video. Josh Graham took over live visuals in early 2000, and was with the band until late 2012 when he left to pursue his band A Storm of Light full time. He also created album artwork for 2004's The Eye of Every Storm and 2007's Given to the Rising.

Often experimental and psychedelic in nature, the visuals have added to the reputation of Neurosis' live performances. Many of the visuals for their tours supporting Through Silver in Blood can be found in Ken Russell's film Altered States. Other images are included in the enhanced portion of the Sovereign mini album, and on the A Sun That Never Sets DVD video release. The majority of the DVD release was directed by Josh Graham, with an additional video by Chad Rullman.

Additionally, the band have founded their own independent record label, Neurot Recordings, which, in addition to releasing material from Neurosis and its associated projects, has since become home to several innovative musicians.

Scott Kelly left Neurosis in 2022 following his admission of family abuse since then band went on hiatus. Remaining members concentrated on their own projects and due to the fact that Scott was one of leading composers and singer in the band it is unlikely to see Neurosis performing again.

Band members:
Scott Kelly - guitar, vocals (left /was expelled in 2022)
Steve Von Till - guitar, vocals
Dave Edwardson - bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
Noah Landis - organ, piano, samples
Jason Roeder - drums
Josh Graham - visual artist

2) Neurosis are a thrash metal band from Bogotá, D.C., Colombia, formed in 1987. They play in the raw, relentless South American style, influenced equal amounts by hardcore punk as death metal. They were known as Neurosis Inc. for some time and released a full-length, a live album, a split and a compilation under that name. Before adding "Inc." in their name, they toured under War Messiah in the United States to avoid confusion with the domestic Neurosis.

Black
Neurosis Lyrics

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sometimes i feel so far away
other times i think i need a change today
unwanted feelings of despair from inside
and all i want is a place to hide

[ch.]
sometimes it makes me really angry
other times it gets me really sad

but every time it happens the only thing i see is...
black, black, black, all i see is...

i just want a little piece of mind
away from all my pressures and the daily grind
i just want a place where i can be
away from all the things that trouble me

[ch.]

could things be better at the end of the road?
or will the world outside still be cold?

for the inner tranquility that i lack
turns everything i see black

Overall Meaning

Neurosis's song "Black" describes the internal struggles and emotions that come with feeling isolated, overwhelmed and misunderstood. The opening lyrics "sometimes i feel so far away" expresses the feeling of detachment and disconnection from oneself and others. The song reflects on the desire for a change, a need for a place to hide or find inner peace, but nothing seems to provide solace as everything is tinted black, leaving no room for joy or happiness. The repetition of "black, black, black, all I see is..." intensifies the feeling of being trapped in a dark and gloomy world.

The chorus of the song highlights the emotional rollercoaster that the singer is going through. The lyrics "sometimes it makes me really angry, other times it gets me really sad" portrays the conflicting emotions that arise from feeling hopeless and constantly being in a state of despair. The lyrics also suggest that the singer is unable to control these emotions, indicating a sense of helplessness and vulnerability.

The song finishes with a question of whether things will get better in the future or if the world will continue to be cold and unforgiving. The lyrics "for the inner tranquility that I lack, turns everything I see black" implies that the singer has been struggling with internal turmoil for a prolonged period of time and that their inner chaos is now affecting their external surroundings.

Overall, "Black" is a poignant expression of the complexities of dealing with mental health issues and the emotional toll it takes on an individual.

Line by Line Meaning

sometimes i feel so far away
At times, I feel disconnected and distant from everything and everyone around me.

other times i think i need a change today
Occasionally, I feel stuck and believe that a significant change would be beneficial for me right away.

unwanted feelings of despair from inside
I have unpleasant and unwelcome emotions of hopelessness and distress deep within me.

and all i want is a place to hide
I seek a secluded place where I can escape and find refuge from everything that is causing me distress.

sometimes it makes me really angry
Occasionally, my emotions get overwhelmingly intense, and I feel a lot of rage.

other times it gets me really sad
At times, my emotions become very intense, and I experience a lot of sadness.

but every time it happens the only thing i see is...
Regardless of the specific emotion I experience, one thing remains constant- all I can see is...

black, black, black, all i see is...
I am consumed by darkness, and my outlook becomes bleak and hopeless.

i just want a little piece of mind
All I want is a moment of peace and calmness.

away from all my pressures and the daily grind
I want to distance myself from all my responsibilities and the tediousness of daily life.

i just want a place where i can be
I desire a place where I can simply exist without any demands or expectations placed on me.

away from all the things that trouble me
I want to escape from everything that is causing me pain and discomfort.

could things be better at the end of the road?
I wonder if things will improve someday in the future.

or will the world outside still be cold?
Or will things remain frigid and harsh in the world around me?

for the inner tranquility that i lack
I am missing the inner peace and calm that would allow me to feel content and comfortable.

turns everything i see black
My negative emotions taint everything in my life and give me a pessimistic outlook.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GORDIE SAMPSON, TROY VERGES, AARON LINES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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