Souls At Zero

About

Neurosis' third album Souls at Zero, originally released in 1992 on Alternative Tentacles, represented a major turning point for the band, as they established the groundwork for what would eventually become known as post-metal: a fusion of influences from disparate genres such as sludge metal, post-rock, hardcore punk, shoegaze, folk, doom metal, ambient, progressive metal, and industrial metal that at the time was completely unique. The album is regarded as a landmark in the genre and the band's style has since become widely imitated. Stylistically, the band here slowed down their tempi radically and began using unusual instruments for the metal genre such as violins, cellos, and trumpets. The band layered their music densely and incorporated a number of atmospheric samples from various spoken word sources to complement their lyrics. The material here also showcases a substantial folk influence that had not been evident in the band's music previously. The album has been reissued several times, including 1999 and 2010 releases on the band's own Neurot Recordings label with bonus tracks and a remastered 2012 reissue on vinyl through Relapse Records. The album's cover artwork is inspired by a scene from the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man, but because the band could not afford licensing fees to use a still frame from the film, they recreated the scene themselves.

via Last.fm

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