Blog

French doom metal collective Ecclesia has released a lyric video for the new song called “Sanctus”. Recording and pre-production engineering was done at Studio du Mont Tournier. Mix and mastering was handled by R3myBoy.
Read more…

Shields have been through the ringer to get back together, but it’s been worth it

Posted on April 13th 2026, 11:37a.m.

I wanted to jump on this album because I am not Skindred’s biggest fan, and I’ve never really listened to them except when I’ve caught them live. What better reason to check out the new slim-sized 3-member setup as my own introduction? There are eleven tracks on the album and three have already been released as … Continue reading Album Review: Skindred – You Got This

[Album artwork by Aaron Turner]

Neurosis’s willingness to push past the boundaries of metallic hardcore early in their career has influenced scores of bands across a wide range of subgenres. Hardcore, metal, and untold strains of avant-garde and experimental music have all benefited from Neurosis’s creative determination. In fact, if you’re wondering who to blame for that glut of sludgy post-metal we had to endure a while back, look no further than Oakland’s finest.

Neurosis’s fan base extends well beyond the expected parameters, and the band’s been hyped and hailed in the underground and mainstream press for decades. Neurosis are unquestionably revered, for very good reasons, and like many others, I’ve found the band’s music to be profoundly cathartic and equally rewarding.

Of course, many of us thought we’d heard the last from the band when revelations that Neurosis had fired Scott Kelly (after learning of his long-running domestic abuse) became public knowledge. For a band famed for reconnoitring traumatic artistic spaces, the horror of Kelly’s violence felt extremely troubling. No one in Neurosis ever excused or minimised Kelly’s behaviour. However, as a survivor of abuse, I can tell you that Kelly’s crimes led to soul-searching for some fans.

Neurosis are often cited as preachers of pain. Through their purging of rage, distress, and all manner of existential torments, the band became the avatar of our own liberation. But the same tortured art that Neurosis produced also included the voice of a very real torturer.

Questions arise. What were we listening to? What are we celebrating? Again, no one in Neurosis defended Kelly’s behaviour, and no one in the band is guilty by association. Still, the fact remains, Kelly played a crucial part in Neurosis’s history, and we’ve been applauding an abuser.

Not knowingly, of course. I’m not pointing any fingers here; I applauded as loudly as everyone else. But for some, thinking about the art we consume – asking ourselves questions about its intent and impact – can feel necessary when secrets are exposed. Neurosis are renowned for exploring dark emotions that many of us try to bury. It’s neither unwarranted nor strange to re-examine our own feelings after shocking disclosures.

Of course, Neurosis are one of countless bands that’ve had a vital member commit atrocious acts. We all incorporate that kind of information into our listening choices in different ways. Many of us love musicians who’ve done awful things on and off stage. Does it matter? Obviously, that’s up to you to decide. Separating the art from the artist is the eternal conundrum. (Or not. If your mind’s already made up.)

Still, the raw emotionality of brand Neurosis paints a complex picture. Clearly, for some, the band’s gift for expressing our darkest imaginings might feel a little unnerving now. People opened their hearts to Neurosis. But faith may have been lost; trust may need to be reestablished. For others, of course, Neurosis reign supreme. The band remain undiminished, untarnished, the eternal prognosticators of hope and despair.

Internal (or external) debates about music aren’t a bad thing; it’s always good to think/talk about the art we imbibe. However, what isn’t up for debate is the fact that Neurosis’s recent surprise return was a huge relief for scores of fans.

As you’d expect, the band’s first album in a decade, An Undying Love for a Burning World, was greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm. Even better, learning that SUMAC and ISIS member Aaron Turner had joined the good ship Neurosis made perfect sense, too. There are obvious musical and metaphysical ties between Turner’s work and Neurosis, and unsurprisingly, Turner slots in alongside Steve Von Till and the rest of the Neurosis crew like a natural.

An Undying Love for a Burning World was recorded over three weekends, lending the album a strong sense of energy and immediacy. Clearly, recording the album provided a much-needed cathartic exorcism for Neurosis, and there’s no question the band’s legions of fans appreciated that fact as they rapturously welcomed An Undying Love for a Burning World into their arms. That said, there’s nothing in the album that updates Neurosis’s canon in a revelatory way.

Obviously, untold fans and critics will be losing their minds about Neurosis’s return. There will be endless calls to remind us that the darkness within An Undying Love for a Burning World is, in fact, a guiding light. But that’s business as usual for Neurosis, right?

Also in the ‘business as usual’ column are the contents of An Undying Love For A Burning World. The album features the same ol’ atmospheric music. It features the same ol’ mix of hot/cold riffs and vocals. The same ol’ ambient soundscapes. And the same ol’ gentle saunters followed by the same ol’ thundering explosions.

None of that is to say that An Undying Love for a Burning World isn’t full of dynamic musical pastures for fans to luxuriate in. The album sounds fantastic, and some of An Undying Love for a Burning World’s psychedelic sections are sublime. You’d be a fool to have any kind of beef with Neurosis’s continued brawn, too. The band sound as mammoth as ever, and songs like “Seething and Scattered”, “First Red Rays”, and the truly hypnotic epics “In the Waiting Hours” and “Last Light” will amply reward Neurosis’s fans’ patience.

Of course, many felt that Neurosis were done and dusted, and, as a result, An Undying Love For A Burning World will no doubt feel acutely cathartic for some. But perhaps we’re confusing a sense of overwhelming relief for a sense of genuine awe. An Undying Love for a Burning World has a fittingly heart-gripping title – again, that’s de rigour for the always-theatrical Neurosis – but the songs within follow a familiar post-this-and-that script.

Neurosis are reborn, and for those who’ve drawn succour from the band, that’s understandably thrilling. But Neurosis aren’t birthing anything new here. I realise none of this matters; fans will worship An Undying Love for a Burning World as if it were the word of God, and critics will continue to fall over themselves to praise the album to high Heaven.

All of that goodwill reflects the diehard support that Neurosis have worked hard to foster, and none of that respect is undeserved. Neurosis have clearly helped many fans endure life’s endless trials, even if the band have essentially been turning in the same album since 1999’s Times of Grace.

There’s nothing wrong with staying in your lane, of course. Plenty of the bands that we hold dear have built respected careers sticking to what they do best. But most of those bands aren’t accorded the same critical esteem as Neurosis, nor are they held to the same philosophical or creative standards.

There’s nothing wrong with not delivering a masterpiece every time, btw. Music-making is as mercurial as any other art form. Creativity, like life, is capricious. It’s fine to miss the mark. And it’s important to fail sometimes, too. There are valuable lessons in all of that.

In any case, Neurosis’s ongoing journey through the fathomless depths of the human condition is deliberately designed to provoke powerfully dramatic responses. As such, we should gauge the band accordingly.

If the latest music from Neurosis doesn’t stir your soul like it once did, don’t panic; you’ve done nothing wrong. We’re all moving through changing emotional states, and sometimes, our relationship to X band or Y album reorients, too. Sometimes, music hits. Sometimes, it doesn’t. And sometimes, music simply takes its time to filter through.

Maybe one day I’ll wake up and decide that An Undying Love for a Burning World is my favourite Neurosis album. But not today, my friend. As it stands, I’m very much in the minority. An Undying Love for a Burning World has received a staggering amount of positive press coverage, and to be clear, I’m not suggesting that Neurosis have let themselves or anyone else down. An Undying Love for a Burning World isn’t a damp squib or any kind of disaster. It’s just, you know…¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

We shouldn’t force ourselves to love things that don’t feel right, and it’s fine if you’re feeling underwhelmed by An Undying Love for a Burning World. It’s also fine if you feel that the last few Neurosis albums circled a cul-de-sac of diminishing returns, too.

It’s more than a-okay to also argue that 2007’s Given to the Rising was Neurosis’s last best effort. Music is extremely personal and inextricably tied to moments in time, space, and where we’re at, mood-wise. If an album doesn’t fit, it’s no biggie; there’s always another coming around the corner, and you can always try again tomorrow.

Call me a heretic, but I’m giving An Undying Love for a Burning World a 3 out of 5 – a solid 7/10. Obviously, it’s great to see Neurosis rising like a phoenix, and long may they soar. But An Undying Love for a Burning World isn’t a stone-cold classic return.

At times, An Undying Love for a Burning World is deeply resonant and emotionally bruising, but much of it feels like a too-slow build-up to the album’s second half, which absolutely explores awe-inspiring territory. For that, we should be thankful.

Scores of much-loved bands have returned from the dead, dragging crushingly disappointing albums behind them. That isn’t the case here. Neurosis aren’t dialling it in by any means. But neither are they at their breathtaking best.

I know – fuck me. I’ll see myself out.

The post Neurosis – An Undying Love For A Burning World Review appeared first on Last Rites.

Greek ensemble Hail Spirit Noir is happy to present Arne Vandenhoeck as their new vocalist. Arne is known as a vocalist/founding member of Belgian death doom metal group Marche Funèbre.
Read more…

In support of their oncoming studio release One, due out on May 1st, Sevendust have announced a 3-week long European headline tour in November and December this year.
Read more…

Germans Any Given Day have dropped a brand new single/video, “Heal Me To Death”. The latter was produced and mixed by Andy Posdziech, and mastered by Marvin Kinkel.
Read more…

Oslo hard rockers Draken return for round three with their latest album, Here Be Draken.

Created in Norway a few years back, Draken is a hard rock band with strong stoner sentiments. Not to be confused with the Canadian or Peruvian groups with the same name, this Draken has released two previous albums, Draken (2021) and Book Of Black (2023). Forging ahead with their straight-on approach to composition, their latest album exceeds previous benchmarks. The band is Even Hermansen (guitar, vocals), Hallvard Gaardløs (bass, vocals), and André Drage (drums).

Discussing the new album, Hallvard Gaardløs says, “For a long time, the main theme of Here Be Draken alluded me. But the more I think about it, this album is about new beginnings in so many ways. Sonically, it’s a new beginning. After two albums with Vegard Liverød (a true gentleman and legend!), the time was right for a change of scenery. We went for Amper Tone, which, quite conveniently, is just a stones [sic] throw from where I live. I talked to Kim Lillestøl about engineering, we knew each other from music studies, and we all have heard great things about him the last couple of years. The result… well, hear for yourself!”

There is something very familiar about this music. When you listen, you feel like you have heard it before. When I put on “The Great Deceiver,” it touched off a rush of nostalgia, but I could not put my finger on exactly why. The music is well constructed with engaging riffs, solid singing, and emotive pluck. The guitar work is exceptional, and it reminds me of Jake E. Lee a bit. “Jólablót,” one of the singles from the record, is a gruffer in is presentation, while maintaining broad appeal and catchiness. “Saturday Night Head Removal Extravaganza” is a thrasher, “Here Be Dragons” is mystical, and “Crimson Sun” is reflective with impassioned breaks in many different directions. This is a solid hard rock album with a great deal of variety and consistently inventive song writing. Recommended.

Here Be Draken comes out through Archivist Records on Friday, April 17^th. Listen and buy at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://drakentheband.bandcamp.com

Facebook, https://facebook.com/drakentheband

Dark Essence Records, https://darkessencerecords.no

© Wayne Edwards

Posted on April 13th 2026, 11:00a.m.