Two soundtracks in one
Shane Carey | Phoenix, AZ USA | 06/14/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I came to "Grace" thinking I was getting some ambient music. Not ambient electronica -- knowing that Tribes of Neurot was Neurosis' alter ego, I wouldn't expect them to turn into a synth band -- but perhaps something closer to what Brian Eno did to Robert Fripp's guitars in some of the realizations of his original concept of ambient music. "Grace," it turns out, is not ambient music, but AMBIENCE. A combination of drones, sound effects, and occasional bits of speech, this is more of a sonic poem than a strictly musical recording. So, not something to put in the headphones to chill with, not "mellow tunes"; the best effect is to be had with the eyes closed, actively listening, perhaps imagining what visuals might be used in a film to which "Grace" is the soundtrack (and, judging from the sound that begins and ends the recording, of film running through a projector, this might be exactly the intended effect).
And that's just by itself. Played simultaneously with Neurosis' "Times of Grace" on a second pair of stereo speakers, as intended, it truly is the multi-dimensional experience the promotional materials would have you believe. Of course, I would only recommend the dual listening to somebody who could enjoy the Neurosis disc by itself, as heavy metal isn't for everybody; but for those, "Grace" is likely to be a welcome addition, turning "Times of Grace" from a musical event into an immersive sonic landscape. If "Grace" is a movie, "Grace" plus "Times of Grace" is a 3-D movie (with an extra CD player in place of special cardboard glasses)."
Graced
Hardbyte | Cleveland, Ohio | 04/04/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"For anyone familiar with the styles of Tribes of Neurot, then you'll definitly want to add this to your collection. While played simultaneously with Neurosis' "Times of Grace" the two albums blend together. The distinct differences in the styles are apparent, yet the ambient quality of Tribes of Neurot counters the raw power of Neurosis in this ingenius concept. A Very original idea that, once again, shows why this style of music is far under-rated."
Grace
Hardbyte | 01/09/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Grace is certainly a strickingly different album to Times of grace, not 'heavy' no vocals. the album does not really revolve around the traditional band setting but is better described as a montage of sounds. This does not make Grace a bad album however, it is an intruiging concept and a fascinating listen. I would reccommend it to anyone regardless of musical taste for the sheer 'art' of it."
