Review by Allan on July 11, 2002.

Neurosis, a powerhouse built upon musical exploration and progression, continue on with their expansion of music with “Times of Grace”. Steps ahead of “Through Silver In Blood” but not going off the deep end, “Times of Grace” is a more mature band that have not just polished their sound, but improved. And this is by no means a sweet little album...

Of course, this is not some mass generated piece of plastic or derivative material that was put together using ideas from other bands. This is an album of pure ideas that were manifested from the minds that contribute to Neurosis. It’s an album that will take some time to digest, as people have come to expect from the band.

If any band ever created a musical landscape, I’d have to say it is Neurosis. The music somewhat resembles a flood – it flows out and fills every single crevice it can reach and continues to build up faster than you can handle, until you’ve experienced it before and know how to handle it. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it pours. It’s one of the finest examples of ugliness and beauty combined. There are plenty of passages of bludgeoning music, but there are also moments of calmer and more open sounds. I say more, because the music of Neurosis is highly dense the entire time, it is just that it can loosen up from time to time. That’s where the dynamics come in, as they are certainly the spearhead of the music. Neurosis knows how to use variety of dynamics in their sound, an important thing. Neurosis aren’t only a band that use variety though, they are supreme songwriters and create a cohesive sound. Whether it’s the beautiful and compelling sections or the untamed wall of destruction that’s taking control of you, it all fits together without a note out of place.

If you’re wondering what the difference between this album and the bands next masterpiece “A Sun That Never Sets” is, it is the melody and direction. “A Sun That Never Sets” integrates more melody into the music, and it really paints a complete picture and doesn’t leave any holes in the music that need to be filled.

Bottom Line: This has to be one of the darkest sounding albums to ever cross my ears. Note after note, everything together creates one dark and unfriendly fiend. Just don’t expect to fully assimilate the album until after awhile.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 10
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.4 out of 10