Neurot Recordings, the record label run by Neurosis members Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till, reissued the classic Enemy of the Sun in 1999. Apparently, the recording has gone out of print because Neurot has released it again, as well they should, with the bonus tracks (“Takeahnase” demo and “Cleanse II” Live in Oberhausen) from the reissue. Enemy of the Sun is one of those albums that just can’t fall into obscurity.

Originally pressed in 1993 by Alternative Tentacles, Enemy of the Sun followed up the groundbreaking effort from a year before, Souls at Zero. With Souls at Zero, Neurosis added experimentation to its hardcore and punk of their earlier years, thus starting the foundation for a new aesthetic that would define the group throughout its long career. Enemy of the Sun proved this new experiment with various styles, voices and instruments was no fluke. Neurosis incorporates several elements into their music to create monolithic sonic layers. Not only does the group command a myriad of sounds, it uses these sounds in parts, adding and taking away layers, until the group opens its saber-tooth jaws and unleashes a gigantic roar.

“Raze the Stray” starts with a sequence of lulling keyboards and female vocals that paints a picture of the rising sun in a Middle Eastern desert. This part abruptly ends and makes way for screams and churning cords. Soft piano keys and even violin via Kris Force of Amber Asylum become the focus of another period of calm, only to fade to the background during dark, doom-y guitar dirges and quasi-death metal growls.

“Lost” and “Burning Flesh in the Year of the Pig” instill an ominous feeling with samples (especially the description of the burning monk) pushed forward in the mix by the underlining bass. “The Time of the Beast” contains a creepy juxtaposition of horn, violin and somber down tempo guitars. The noisy guitar sounds and electronic play on “Cold Ascending” would fit well on a Godflesh album. “Cleanse” helped bring in a whole other dimension to Neurosis—tribal drumming. The fifteen-plus minute track foreshadowed their foray into tribal music.

Enemy of the Sun was an innovative album, to say the least. Said album not only showed Neurosis expand its musical palette, but it also served as a gateway into their trademark sound. This sound has led to many other groups following a similar path (see Isis, Cult of Luna, The Ocean). Although “Cleanse” drags on repetitively, the rest of the songs have better flow and more dynamics than later efforts.