Enemy of the Sun is the fourth studio album by American post-metal band Neurosis. It was originally released on Alternative Tentacles in 1993 and later reissued on Neurot Recordings in 1999. The album was reissued with new cover artwork on April 20, 2010.[4] On February 14, 2012, a fully remastered version was released on vinyl via Relapse Records.[5] This album is the last Neurosis album to feature Simon McIlroy, who would be replaced with Noah Landis on future albums.
| Enemy of the Sun | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 17, 1993 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 72:21 61:41 (2010 reissue) | |||
| Label | Alternative Tentacles | |||
| Producer | Neurosis | |||
| Neurosis chronology | ||||
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| Reissue artwork | ||||
 | ||||
Though not as acclaimed as its predecessor, Souls at Zero, or its successor, Through Silver in Blood, the album has nonetheless been positively received.
Content
editThough their previous album, Souls at Zero, was a dramatic step forward for the band's post-metal dirction, Enemy of the Sun is where this style became codified, with The Quietus observing that "at the time few could have predicted this black hole of agonizingly precise metal riffs, unnerving backmasking, industrial folkisms and extensive sampling".[6]
The album opens with a sample from the movie adaptation of The Sheltering Sky. Coincidentally, the album Scenes from the Second Storey by The God Machine, released in the same year as Enemy of the Sun, opens with the same sample.
Cover Art
editThe cover artwork depicts a statue from Toddington Manor in Gloucestershire, England – the subject is unknown but is most likely Saint Thomas Becket. Simon Marsden is the original photographer.[7]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |    [8] |
| AllMusic | [9] |
| Rock Hard | [10] |
The album has generally received positive feedback since its release. Writing for Allmusic, Ned Raggett would state, "In 1993, Neurosis, and in a different but related way Swans, were practically on their own, and on Enemy of the Sun Neurosis built upon the reach and power of Souls at Zero to create another masterpiece of on-the-edge, high-volume rampage that resists easy genre classification."
In a mixed review, George Pacheco would write for About.com, "They are just there. Solid, I suppose. Enjoyable, to a degree. But missing something. This “something” has frustrated me for all of my time for Steve Von Till and Co. I still search for that secret spark within me; that moment of enlightenment which will truly make Neurosis click for me, so I can join the apparent thousands who see the band's name as legion, their word as law."
An episode of the TV series Home Improvement had the character Mark (played by Taran Noah Smith) wearing a T-shirt that featured the album.[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lost" | 9:41 |
| 2. | "Raze the Stray" | 8:42 |
| 3. | "Burning Flesh in Year of Pig" | 1:37 |
| 4. | "Cold Ascending" | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Lexicon" | 6:32 |
| 6. | "Enemy of the Sun" | 7:33 |
| 7. | "The Time of the Beasts" | 7:59 |
| 8. | "Cleanse" | 26:35 |
| Total length: | 72:21 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Takeahnase" (demo version) | 7:44 |
| 10. | "Cleanse II" (live in Oberhausen) | 6:45 |
- The track "Cleanse" runs for 26:35 on the original CD. On the 1999 and 2010 reissues, it was edited down to 15:54.
Personnel
edit- Neurosis
- Scott Kelly − guitar, vocals
- Steve Von Till − guitar, vocals
- Dave Edwardson − bass, backing vocals
- Simon McIlroy − keyboards, tapes, samples
- Jason Roeder − drums
- Pete Inc. − live visual media
- Additional musicians
- Kris Force – violin
- Erika Little – voice
- Paul Lew – horn
- Technical personnel
- Neurosis − production
- Billy Anderson − engineering, mixing
- George Horn − mastering
- Michael Whitney − artwork, cover design
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | August 17, 1993 | Alternative Tentacles | CD |
| Worldwide reissue | 1999 | Neurot Recordings | CD |
| August 20, 2010 | Neurot Recordings | CD, digital | |
| February 14, 2012 | Relapse Records | LP | |
References
edit- 1 2 Heilman, Maxwell (September 26, 2016). "Neurosis brings post-metal back to its roots". The Chimes. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ↑ Gardner, Noel (October 8, 2016). "Neurosis – Fires Within Fires". The Quietus. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ↑ Shteamer, Hank (October 29, 2012). "Neurosis: Honor Found in Decay | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Neurosis' 'Enemy Of The Sun' To Be Reissued With New Artwork". Blabbermouth.net. May 26, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Neurosis: Classic Albums To Be Reissued On Deluxe Vinyl". Blabbermouth.net. December 6, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Gardner, Noel (August 10, 2009). "The Quietus Looks Back At The Career Of Dynamic Metallic Neurosis". The Quietus. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Gargoyle of Thomas a Becket (c.1118-1170 – Simon Marsden as art print or hand painted oil". www.myartprints.co.uk. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020.
- ↑ Pacheco, George. "Neurosis – 'Enemy Of The Sun'". About.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Enemy of the Sun – Neurosis". AllMusic. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Jaedike, Jan. "NEUROSIS - Enemy Of The Sun". Rock Hard. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
- ↑ "Home Improvement: Neurosis". www.tshirtsonscreen.com/. January 19, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2023.