{"id":1306,"date":"2026-04-20T17:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T17:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/?p=1306"},"modified":"2026-04-20T17:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T17:46:14","slug":"editors-picks-april-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/?p=1306","title":{"rendered":"Editors’ Picks \/\/ April 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Art, of any kind, is nearly impossible to divorce from context. The framework through which we judge the critical value (whatever that means) of a work compels an author and partaker to create some form of maze for the work in question to live. Parameters of genre matter, as do the immovable pyres of an artist or group\u2019s previous output. Layers upon layers of critical analysis to sort through\/choose from\/adhere to as a work is dissected and given some form of attributable value. It\u2019s imperfect. It kinda sucks. But thus are the current and inherent limitations of popular critique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurosis<\/strong>, legends of post-metal that they are, present a particularly difficult path of discussion without massive amounts of contextual mapping. Especially given the fact that they\u2019ve released arguably 4 or 5 genuine masterpieces up to this point and are indisputably one of the most influential and well-respected\/loved bands in extreme music. But none of that potential treasure trove of analysis looms larger than the expulsion of band mastermind Scott Kelly for some fairly unspeakable reasons. 2019 was, in effect, the year that Neurosis collapsed as a band. As members stated themselves, not only were the accusations against and removal of Kelly a seismic shift in the potential future of Neurosis, but a decisive blow to their view of their own legacy. It was a genuinely heartbreaking circumstance, and most if not all of the metalheads I know were convinced that Fires Within Fires <\/em>would serve as the band\u2019s last will and testament. To our great surprise and delight, rumors of Neurosis\u2019 death were greatly exaggerated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Undying Love for a Burning World <\/em>comes to us as an unexpected, fully realized shot into the void. A complex, epic, glorious wail into the emptiness and anguish of our current existence that is as timely and poignant as any release I can remember. I say this without exaggeration and with full sincerity: My brain, and I don\u2019t believe I stand alone in this, needed this kind of album right now. And boy oh boy do these boys deliver.This is above all else a tribal, primordial clarion call of sadness and rage meant to feel both deeply personal and intimately collective. In this it succeeds in every conceivable way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compositionally and performatively, Undying <\/em>immediately catapults itself above the band\u2019s most recent work with a sense of immediacy and earnestness. It doesn\u2019t take long after pressing play to begin to understand Neurosis\u2019 intent here. \u201cWe Are Torn Wide Open\u201d makes sure we\u2019re all crystal clear on where the band sits in the current zeitgeist. Opening salvo \u201cMirror Deep\u201d and \u201cFirst Red Rays\u201d follow suit, building on the album\u2019s opening call with stunning musical dexterity and clarity. But this immediacy thankfully does not sacrifice complexity, as tracks like \u201cSeething and Scattered\u201d and album finale \u201cLast Light\u201d provide listeners with all the quintessential twists and turns one might expect from a top-tier Neurosis project. In addition to compositional excellence, those worried about musical rust can rest at ease, for there\u2019s none to be found here. The performances across the board are excellent throughout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, none of the musical highs in Undying <\/em>feel particularly surprising for a Neurosis record. Again, context being a key contributor to this summation, the band has built its reputation on dark, knotty, sneakily complex instrumentation and composition, so on that front one could honestly say Undying <\/em>is simply standard Neurosis excellence. But what context cannot provide is the absolute Zeus-sent bolt from Olympus that the inclusion of Aaron Turner (he of SUMAC<\/strong>, Old Man Gloom<\/strong>, and Isis <\/strong>fame) is to the equation. Turner is one of those collaborators that makes so much sense as both a stylistic and aesthetic fit that you kick yourself for not having predicted it years ago. Turner\u2019s lyrics and intense vocal delivery are a nearly perfect foundation upon which the latest House of Neurosis has been built, and it\u2019s my sincere hope that we get more from this lineup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s difficult to write about Neurosis without getting tangled in the past, both artistically and personally. There\u2019s so much water under the band\u2019s bridges at this point. But given all that baggage (both great and terrible), Undying <\/em>feels like one of the most personal, inviting, and devastating albums of their long career. A work that doesn\u2019t feel like a culmination or career retrospective, but an entirely new raging fire, burning the thorny bramble of their past and continuing on, destroying and purifying the land for a new Neurosis to emerge, for however long it may last. I don\u2019t think I\u2019m alone in welcoming it. Hail to a bright and powerful returning. Hail Neurosis. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Art, of any kind, is nearly impossible to divorce from context. The framework through which we judge the critical value (whatever that means) of a work compels an author and partaker to create some form of maze for the work in question to live. Parameters of genre matter, as do the immovable pyres of an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1306"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1308,"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1306\/revisions\/1308"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzirogroup.alziro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}