Neurosis lost me a bit here. They've released some of the finest albums I've ever heard, and many more that are mystifying offerings of deeply unique and enchanting pieces of whatever it is Neurosis does. It took some time (five years) for "Honor Found in Decay" to emerge from the mental collapse of a womb which hosts Neurosis' altar after they heaved another missile of fantastic material on 2007's "Given to the Rising." Neurosis appears to be effectively lost between the multitudes of musical vortexes they've exploited and sapped for several years at this point, not necessarily venturing into territory too weird for even Neurosis, but cutting holes into their own postulate and flooding fertile ground with songs that are almost directionless and even remarkably stale. "Honor Found in Decay" sounds like an atypical album from Neurosis, so paradoxically it sounds like Neurosis. Fragments of metal, hardcore, sludge, ambient, progressive, and tribal elements bolster the machine which has bound this excellent band together, all entwined in a cohesively natural sound, like beams of some dark, sprawling nexus connecting parallel worlds across untold dimensions. "Honor Found in Decay" has these colors and more as expected (or unexpected) but adding on, however, a subtle decline in heavier themes, making the album showcase an introspective, rise-from-the-ashes mentality. The scope of songs weaves through extremely pulverizing heavy parts and somber, meditative sections which together balance out the Neurosis equation excellently at times. Consequently, the vocals strike me as the weakest part of the album, as the yelps and whelps tend to add little or sound misplaced.
I suppose "Honor Found in Decay" isn't poor or running on a low wave, but it certainly fails to keep its own energy sustained. The album's beginning numbers are all fantastic (minus my little gripe with the vocals). "At the Well" and "My Heart For Deliverance" both nail the trademark idea of Neurosis, together displaying multitudes of complex, abstract sections that sing songs of atonal, distant memories and feature substantial amounts of fire and calm; they definitely bring the whole sludge and progressive themes to mind. Noah Landis has a remarkable presence during "Honor Found in Decay" as the band's keyboardist, and he does a sensational job manipulating his surroundings with samples, keyboard effects, added atmosphere, the whole shebang.
"Bleeding the Pigs," although a bit of a decline, conjures enough imagination and persistence to make it another keeper. However, the last two tracks, "All is Found...in Time" and "Raise the Dawn" do very little for me. The dreary, introspective nature of "Honor Found in Decay" begins to unravel a bit by the time "All is Found...in Time" rolls around, because the song simply retraces a geometrical measure that we've seen before; it brings nothing new to an ever-evolving project. Same goes for "Raise the Dawn." To clarify, both tunes are choppy and insipid compared to the opening cards which set a demanding tone, but ultimately this standard is not met during these final numbers, very uncommon for the monolithic Neurosis.
"Honor Found in Decay" is an acceptable record, even fantastic at times, yet its unearthed capability remains entombed. Granted, they still appear as an ancient and perplexing idol spewing fathomless storms over a barren earth, but the divine powers occasionally come out a trifle rusty and aged. It's actually quite relieving to think Neurosis released an album as such, one that wasn't rushed or a cop-out, but authentic at its roots: "Honor Found in Decay" still has the chameleonic eyes of Neurosis. A legitimate release for the Neurosis veterans abroad, yet worlds away from legendary efforts like "Through Silver in Blood" and "Souls at Zero."
