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.
Origin
Neurosis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A fractured skull in a desert well, I leave this disturbed, destroyed child will follow you
A wild and wounded beast I stand inside the sun
My heart let memories flood my mind
All the fixed, breathing strobes in the waking hours
The clouds are looming to remind me of the judgement passed on my soul
Acid stars have scarred my mind and left me as a ghost
I shattered my curse and spread it through the land
Project dark eyes sullen, drawn out and wicked
Nameless lights pull me into a reflected psychic black hole
The opening line, "All my spirits come through we when I bleed," is a reference to the idea of bleeding and the shedding of blood as a ritualistic practice in spiritual and religious contexts. The use of the word "spirits" suggests that this practice is meant to awaken or channel some kind of ancestral or otherworldly power. The image of a fractured skull in a desert well suggests a kind of spiritual crisis, like a loss of direction or a feeling of being trapped or isolated. This crisis is exacerbated by the presence of a "disturbed, destroyed child", who seems to be following the singer around, perhaps as a symbol of their own inner turmoil.
The singer then takes on the persona of a "wild and wounded beast", standing "inside the sun", which could be read as a metaphor for a kind of transformative or transcendent experience. Memories flood the singer's mind, suggesting a kind of spiritual awakening or reflection. The lines "all the fixed, breathing strobes in the waking hours" suggest a kind of detachment or dissociation from the mundane world, perhaps as a result of this spiritual awakening.
The rest of the lyrics are filled with images of cosmic chaos and destruction, with the singer describing themselves as a "ghost" and a "cursed" figure spreading their curse through the land. There is an overwhelming sense of darkness and despair, but also a kind of perverse beauty and awe in the images of "acid stars" and "reflected psychic black holes". Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the struggle between light and darkness, sanity and madness, and the search for transcendence in a world that often seems chaotic and meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
All my spirits come through me when I bleed
I feel deeply connected to my emotions, and they are released when I am physically wounded
A fractured skull in a desert well, I leave this disturbed, destroyed child will follow you
My past trauma has left me broken and lost, and it continues to haunt me and affect those around me
A wild and wounded beast I stand inside the sun
I am both powerful and vulnerable, and my struggle is in the public eye
My heart let memories flood my mind
My emotions are overwhelming and flood my mind, causing me to relive past experiences
All the fixed, breathing strobes in the waking hours
The constant sensory input of my everyday life is overwhelming and exhausting
The clouds are looming to remind me of the judgement passed on my soul
I feel constantly judged and haunted by my past actions and mistakes
Acid stars have scarred my mind and left me as a ghost
My experiences have left me disconnected from reality and feeling like a mere shell of a person
I shattered my curse and spread it through the land
I have overcome my personal demons, but my trauma still affects those around me
I wander guilded, willing, and unclean
I am aimlessly searching for meaning, even though I feel damaged and unworthy
Project dark eyes sullen, drawn out and wicked
My outward appearance reflects my inner turmoil and suffering
Nameless lights pull me into a reflected psychic black hole
I feel trapped and consumed by my negative thoughts and emotions, which only amplify further when I reflect on them
Contributed by Callie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@przemekkozlowski9453
One of the best songs I've ever heard.
@g.prince6265
Best album you've ever heard and that's saying something,they have many masterpieces🤘
@g.prince6265
Baddest band ever 🤘
@fabionovelli3136
No words can describe
@reubenalvear1975
Exactly. I've seen these guys live 3x, and words may not fully capture the experience.
I know I've not ever seen anything like a Neurosis live performance. It is a tribal ceremony.
They are unassuming with their appearance. It is just them, the lights and their instruments.
From the time they strike the first note till the time they exit the stage, it is a deep and thorough
cleansing. An assault of your senses. One may leave the performance feeling like a different
person from when they first arrived at the gig.
@thewobblywelder8362
‘Wandering; Willing, guided, and unclean.’ What absolute poetry. How do you top that?! Seriously!!!??? What a fucking statement!!!
@tikhongilson3770
Lest you forget that this is metal.
@l9fingers368
This is about a young Scott Kelly, I'm assuming. Man, he dug deep for this one.
@karynakruk8614
beautiful
@Benjamin-om3ih
Utterly devestating