Search - Neurosis :: Pain of Mind

Influential political hardcore

Ryan | california | 04/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Pain of Mind" (1987) is Bay Area hardcore pioneers Neurosis' first album, a much different effort from their later material. Whereas later Neurosis, as y'all know, is sludgy, experimental, even tribal metal, this is balls-to-the-wall metallic hardcore punk, from back when they played Gilman Street every other weekend with bands that would go on to achieve superstardom (Operation Ivy for example).But aside from the novelty of hearing one of the best-loved underground metal bands in their punky infancy, this is still a really good album, and highly influential to many political punk bands even today. Most songs are rough-and-tumble mid-tempo scorchers, with quite a few thrashy outbursts thrown in as well. At times, the melodic, metallic guitar lines and almost growled vocals recall latter-day crusty hardcore bands like His Hero Is Gone and current faves From Ashes Rise and Tragedy. Honestly, without the foundation laid by Neurosis on this record I doubt the whole Memphis/Portland DIY hardcore punk sound that's all the rage these days would have developed.Other tracks, with duelling male vocals and speedy, Discharge-esque riffs and drummming, remind me a lot of Aus Rotten or other similar bands. But whereas Aus Rotten bores the hell out of me, Neurosis doesn't, so that's a good thing.This album, along with releases from earlier groups like Christ on Parade and later groups like Filth would cement the East Bay hardcore sound -- I'm not talking AFI here, I'm talking the nihilistic, PO'ed, metallic brand of hardcore punk played by smelly guys with dreadlocks in dirty black clothing. The echoes of "Pain of Mind" still ring today in the DIY punk scene. Good album."

Have some respect

D. K. Malone | earth | 02/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can understand how people who became Neurosis fans due to their material from the mid '90s to now would be taken aback when hearing this, their 1987 debut album, for the first time. Hey, imagine how we original fans felt back in 1990; We were introduced to Neurosis through this album (or their demo) and the Abberation EP that came out afterward. They were a raging hardcore band. In 1988, if you were still into hardcore, you were into Neurosis. When the second album (Word As Law) came out, it was a little off-putting to some fans. It was still kinda hardcore, but it was different. It was experimental. A little sterile sounding. Slightly artsy-fartsy. 'Post-hardcore', I suppose. And then the third album (Souls At Zero)... that was when they really changed. And not everyone thought it was for the better. The word "pretentious" was thrown around quite a bit by some fans, and the record was nicknamed "Sales At Zero" by some. But that was the direction they wanted to take and they've pretty much stuck to it ever since. Next thing you know, everyone had tribal tatoos and pierced eyeballs and stopped bathing. But yeah, some of us were able to adjust and get into the new approach. Still... this is how it began. So show some respect, ya freakin kids."

To each his own

D. K. Malone | 08/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"you people don't know what you're talking about. it's albums like pain of mind and word as law that gave neurosis their start. without albums like this you wouldn't have your precious times of grace and through silver in blood (not that those aren't also good albums). this was the first album i heard by them and it made me the neurosis fanatic i am today. just because you aren't fans of hardcore doesn't mean this is a bad album-"