Review by Adam M on December 8, 2016.

Neurosis makes a maximum amount of impact with Fires Within Fires. They stripped some of the fat of their previous recording to make a more concise record. Still, the hypnotic waves of post metal resume their focus. There is a very praise-worthy aspect to Neurosis’ sound that has stood undiminished for a number of years now. It has the ability to sound like a dirge, but is highly refined regardless.

The songs have a slow buildup and reach a climax unlike other bands songs. These tracks build up in a swelling fashion to a higher level of musical glory. This is definitive of the post-metal genre, but Neurosis take things to a higher level with their sludge capacities. The songs sound sort of dirty, but a clean sound wouldn’t suit the band. Instead, we’re left with a morose sound that is full of twists and turns at every moment. It has a number of intricate complexities that make it interesting. One can distinguish these upon further listens, which reveal the nuances quite well. There are subtle moments within the rhythms though they often take the fiery route. These moments combine with the all out aggression to form an album that has many ups and downs throughout. Compared to the previous works of Neurosis, these songs seem even further refined into a palatable form. There is still complexity, but everything seems to have been trimmed. This makes the album more listenable, but it still has the chance to vary things up at every occasion. These rhythms are meditative and have the ability to pull the listener in without the complexities of some of their works.

The overall feeling is a tight album is created that comes to a perfect close with Reach, one of the band’s best songs. This is still perhaps not as truly fulfilled as some of their other albums and takes a backseat to the epic A Sun That Never Sets and Souls at Zero, but it still has a nice impact.

Rating: 8 out of 10