Times of Grace (album)

Times of Grace is the sixth studio album by Californian band Neurosis, released on May 4, 1999. It continued the band's development of the post-metal genre and demonstrates gothic rock and progressive rock influences.[6] This album and Grace, an ambient companion by the band's alter-ego Tribes of Neurot, are designed to play alongside each other.[7] Times of Grace marked the beginning of the band's ongoing working relationship with recording engineer Steve Albini.

This article is about the album. For the band, see Times of Grace.

Times of Grace
Studio album by Neurosis
Released	May 4, 1999
Recorded	October−November 1998[1]
Studio	Electrical Audio in Chicago and Mr. Toad's in San Francisco
Genre	Post-metal[2][3] sludge metal[4] doom metal[5]
Length	66:07
Label	Relapse
Producer	Steve Albini Neurosis
Neurosis chronology
Through Silver in Blood (1996) Times of Grace (1999) Sovereign (2000)
Reissue artwork

Background and composition

In 1996, Neurosis released Through Silver in Blood to critical and popular acclaim. Following extensive touring, the band returned to the studio in October 1998 to begin Times of Grace.[1] As the band's debut release featuring the production of Steve Albini, who would become a regular Neurosis collaborator, Times of Grace has been called "the first album where Neurosis started to sound like Neurosis."[5] Numerous publications praised Albini's work on the album, highlighting the weight and immersion of the production.[4][8] The album has a natural and unrefined sound, and Albini's work both preserved and accentuated that organic quality.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
The A.V. Club	favorable[10]
BBC Music	favorable[2]
NME	7/10[11]

Times of Grace received positive reviews. AllMusic writer Eduardo Rivadavia praised the album, saying, "With time and patience, Times of Grace may prove one of the group's most satisfying works for long-time converts, but it will most likely seem too exhausting to the uninitiated."[9] Writing for The A.V. Club, Joshua Klein highlighted the use of Steve Albini as the album's strongest feature, lauding the production and sound quality.[10] Greg Moffitt of the BBC wrote, "Replete with heaviness every bit as devastating as its belligerent brother, this album’s effortless ebb and flow and kaleidoscopic spectrum of eerie tones lend it a dazzling, cinematic quality."[2] Stereogum ranked Times of Grace as Neurosis's best album, calling it "very, very heavy."[12]

Accolades

Year	Publication	Country	Accolade	Rank
2012	Stereogum	United States	"The Top 20 Steve Albini-Produced Albums"	10	[4]
2018	Loudwire	United States	"The Best Metal Album from 40 Subgenres"	*	[3]
"*" denotes an unordered list.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Suspended in Light"	1:59
2.	"The Doorway"	7:35
3.	"Under the Surface"	8:37
4.	"The Last You'll Know"	9:14
5.	"Belief"	5:56
6.	"Exist"	1:41
7.	"End of the Harvest"	7:29
8.	"Descent"	2:57
9.	"Away"	9:35
10.	"Times of Grace"	7:22
11.	"The Road to Sovereignty"	3:39
Total length:		66:07

Japanese bonus track

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Threshold"	3:25
Total length:		69:32

Personnel

Neurosis

• Scott Kelly − guitar, vocals, percussion
• Steve Von Till − guitar, vocals, percussion
• Dave Edwardson − bass, backing vocals, moog synthesizer
• Jason Roeder − drums, percussion
• Noah Landis − keyboard, samples, synthesizer, vocals

Additional musicians

• John Goff − bagpipes
• Jackie Gratz − cello
• Jon Birdsong − cornet, tuba
• Wendy-O Matik − narrator
• Johannes Mager − trombone
• Kris Force − viola, violin

Grace

Grace
Studio album by Tribes of Neurot
Released	July 13, 1999
Studio	Neurot Mobile Seismic Seance in San Francisco (mixing and mastering)
Genre	Dark ambient experimental
Length	66:07
Label	Neurot Recordings Relapse
Producer	Brian Jackson Tribes of Neurot
Tribes of Neurot chronology
Static Migration (1998) Grace (1999) Adaptation and Survival (2002)
LP artwork

Grace is the third studio album by Californian dark ambient band Tribes of Neurot, a side project of Neurosis. Created at the same time as Times of Grace by the same people, the two albums are overlapping companions meant to be played simultaneously.[10] In 2009, Neurot Recordings released Times of Grace and Grace as one 2xCD package.[1]

Background and composition

From its inception, Grace was intended to be played alongside the 1999 Neurosis album Times of Grace. About this simultaneity, the band wrote:

"This recording by Tribes of Neurot is the companion disc to the Neurosis Times of Grace CD. Grace is sonically designed to be played simultaneously with the Neurosis disc. Alone, it possesses the same dynamic flow, fundamental texture and emotional impact as Times of Grace. Played together, these recordings create a unique multi-dimensional sound experience."[13][7]

Grace is composed mainly of sounds from Times of Grace that have been manipulated and distorted to preserve the original's tone while offering a new, more ambient take. The album features sound effects and samples of dialogue placed in such a way that they interact with key moments from Times of Grace. The band encourages listeneres to "experiment with different sources, different spaces, different speaker placement, and different volume relationships to bring an added dimension of life and spontaneity to the standard of passive stereo listening."[14] Unlike Times of Grace, Grace was a largely solo endeavor for the band, receiving no production assistance from Steve Albini.

Some publications drew comparison between Grace and Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips,[15][16] although another Tribes of Neurot album, Cairn, is much closer.[17]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]

Grace received mostly positive reviews, with some publications saying it can even be listened to by itself. AllMusic writer Steve Huey wrote, "It functions better as background music than as intense listening; for full attention, it's better combined with Times of Grace. Taking the two together underlines the ambition of the project more effectively, and it's a more active and interesting experience."[15] Writing for the BBC, Greg Moffitt said, "Grace itself makes for interesting if uneasy listening; together, the effect can be mind-blowing. It’s a journey that leaves the listener drained."[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Untitled"	1:59
2.	"Untitled"	7:35
3.	"Untitled"	8:37
4.	"Untitled"	9:14
5.	"Untitled"	5:56
6.	"Untitled"	1:41
7.	"Untitled"	7:29
8.	"Untitled"	2:57
9.	"Untitled"	9:35
10.	"Untitled"	7:22
11.	"Untitled"	3:39
Total length:		66:07

Note

• Original physical releases of Grace left the tracks untitled, but the digital reissue provides the word "Grace" followed by a number and the title of the corresponding song from Times of Grace. For example, track 8 is called "Grace 8 (Descent)".[14]

Personnel

Tribes of Neurot Scott Kelly Steve Von Till Dave Edwardson Jason Roeder Noah Landis

Technical personnel Brian Jackson − engineering, mixing, mastering Dave Clark − mixing Dustin Donaldson − mixing

References

1. Times of Grace / Grace (CD liner notes). Neurosis / Tribes of Neurot. Neurot Recordings. 2009. NR 063. Retrieved July 7, 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
2. Moffitt, Greg (January 18, 2010). "Review of Neurosis − Times of Grace". BBC Music. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
3. "The Best Metal Album from 40 Subgenres". Loudwire. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
4. Breihan, Tom (January 26, 2012). "The Top 20 Steve Albini-Recorded Albums". Stereogum. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
5. O'Hagar, Sammy (October 11, 2012). "Album of the Day: Neurosis' Times of Grace". MetalSucks. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
6. Barnard, Laurent (March 26, 2015). "This Is Hardcore: Neurosis – Times Of Grace". Louder. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
7. Times of Grace (CD liner notes). Neurosis. Relapse Records. 1999. RR 6419-2. Retrieved July 7, 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
8. "Neurosis – Times of Grace". Spirit of Metal. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
9. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Times of Grace − Neurosis". AllMusic. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
10. Klein, Joshua (March 29, 2012). "Neurosis: Times of Grace". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
11. "Times of Grace − Neurosis". NME. April 10, 1999. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
12. Moore, Doug. "Neurosis Albums from Worst to Best". Stereogum. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
13. Grace (CD liner notes). Tribes of Neurot. Neurot Recordings. 1999. NR 005. Retrieved July 7, 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
14. "Grace − Tribes of Neurot" (Press release). Neurot Recordings. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
15. Huey, Steve. "Tribes of Neurot − Grace". AllMusic. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
16. "Tribes of Neurot biography". Neurot Recordings. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
17. Cairn (CD liner notes). Tribes of Neurot. Neurot Recordings. 2002. Nr Ltd 001. Retrieved July 7, 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)

Further listening