Man, with two weeks of having listened to this record constantly I only have only single thing to complain about An Undying Love For A Burning World - one cannot ask people any longer: “Which band do you prefer – Neurosis or Isis?” Is this already the Album of 2026? Probably.

Most of us remember where they were, what they did, how they heard about certain things/events that changed and shook the world. So, where were you when you heard about the new Neurosis record? The first one in nearly a decade since the mightily underrated Fires Within Fires? The first one without the persona non grata and after the infamy that led to the hiatus from which, as many presumed, the band would not recover? The first one with Aaron Turner, the mastermind behind Sumac, Old Man Gloom and, yes, Isis. I do remember how I got to know about the record and that memory will stay with me just like I remember where I was on 9-11. I was at a small airport in Poland on the way back from a school trip. We were just boarding the plane, I was about to turn on flight mode and then it hit – and I will forever remember that feeling sitting in that window seat and being unable to hold it in. I just had to cuss loudly so that several of the other passengers jumped! The looks were annoyed and reprimanding, but did I care? No! Neurosis were back PLUS Aaron! Quickly, I bought the vinyl downloaded the digital version, put on the headphones and listened to the record during the flight home. And man, what a listen it was: although the flight itself was very smooth and “eventless”, I felt as if drowning in this record that I hadn’t dared to dream of.

We all know about the connections and mutual respect between Aaron and camp Neurosis, and we all remember the jokes most of us shared “back then” how cool it’d be if they’d continue to make music and brought in Aaron for the second main vocal. They did and furthermore they did something unexpected by finding something amongst this new quintet that lay at the core of what Neurosis had always been: The wish to explore new soundscapes and to come up with new methods of dealing with all the shit around us. Of course Dave, Jason, Noah and Steve had to take a breath and a step back after all the shit that had been heaped upon them before they could add a new brother into the fold. Then, the quintet searched for new ways of combining the strengths of all band members (and also installing challenges for each one) and man, they ensured that each member has its say:

First of all, this might be one of the most “Noah Landis-records” as he and his synths play an integral part on An Undying Love for…. because there are so many passages where his keys take center stage and lead the whole band’s admiration for Kosmische Musik and Synth-Kraut. Furthermore, we have to say that this is one of the punchiest records in decades for Neurosis, and that is based on the rhythm section with Jason and Dave really pushing the whole thing forward in so many ways that it is hard to describe. The record is a bit less tribal but bursts of energy are poured into every note. Of course we should mention that Aaron is a perfect fit as the second main vocalist and yet it’s not because he sounds exactly the same as on, let’s say, Isis records – here he is using his voice in a somewhat clearer, less dominating way. As if he is more of a regular vocalist and less performing two instruments simultaneously – a guitar and the vocal instrument. Then again, we get these pretty dissonant guitar parts that are probably part of his contribution, which was described by the others this way: “He came straight out of the gate contributing, writing and presenting ideas […] His energy matches ours perfectly. It’s as if he was always meant to be there.”

And here we have arrived at maybe the most important element of the album: Neurosis was always more than its members (hence they never disbanded back in 2022) and their shared camaraderie led to their exploration of sound and its possibilities. This new version of Neurosis is more than the next chapter or the sequel – this is both and thus core-Neurosis: a way to cope with all the shit of our day and age and pour all the sheer anger, individual fear, utter hopelessness, skeptic perception of the world around us into songs that help the five performers as well as their audience escape for an hour, channel and “catharsize” it into new mirrors and forms so that we all can share a bit of joy, empathy and maybe even hope. The latter seems so difficult to achieve, but when listening to the new record, to these 63 minutes – I feel uplifted.

We need not discuss the quality of the record, because it is an amazing one, and shows why so many other bands have cited Neurosis as a major influence – this record is a testament to how music can help us all, how people can welcome a new family member, how we can all together create something bigger than the individuals and it manifests that 2026 is a breathtaking year for new music. By many great newcomers but also by some of the greatest bands ever. Neurosis is one of them. In our realms they might be THE greatest – but is that important when the ”Last Light” is so great that I have now listened on repeat for four more hours? It is the perfect example of why we needed Neurosis. And it’s one reason why we will all remember where we were when we heard the news. Probably the Album of 2026, it will probably be mine!