Neurosis have publicly thanked their fanbase for the overwhelming wave of support surrounding their unexpected return. On March 20, the influential band shocked the heavy music community by dropping a brand-new studio album, An Undying Love For A Burning World, completely without warning.
The surprise release also served as the official introduction of the group’s newest member, vocalist and guitarist Aaron Turner (known for his extensive work with Sumac and Isis). He steps into the role previously held by Scott Kelly, who was dismissed from the band in 2022 following his public admission of severe domestic ab*se. That shocking revelation had effectively placed the band on an indefinite hiatus until this sudden comeback.
Following the massive outpouring of positivity regarding both the new music and the addition of Aaron Turner, Neurosis took to their social media channels on Sunday, March 29, to issue a heartfelt message to their supporters.
The band’s full statement reads:
“We want to offer you all our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude. We are quite overwhelmed and more than humbled. Never in our wildest imagination could we have foreseen that our return and new album would have such a deep resonance and emotional impact. We have always tried to hold to an artistic ethos of ‘give everything, expect nothing’ and have always made this music for ourselves, making the music we need to make at any given moment.”
“This experience is making it abundantly clear that what we have tapped into is much larger than ourselves or our band and that we are involved in a mutual exchange of cathartic energy that we haven’t often witnessed, especially on the cesspool of the internet. Anyone giving a piece of art or music their time and attention should never be taken for granted and you have given us more than our share.”
“By referring to our new music as a gift, you have given us a gift, by telling us that it lifted you up, you have lifted us up, by telling us that it has given you hope, you have given us hope. By giving our new family member such a warm welcome, and unparalleled acceptance you have validated our feeling that he is meant to be here.”
“As two of you so perfectly stated, ‘I don’t remember anything bringing this many people together, a rarity on the internet. We got our souls back.’ ‘Healing has begun.’ We wouldn’t dare take credit for this, this is on all of us. We are all in this moment together and we are all fortunate to have these emotionally purifying outlets that bring us together and give us the strength to keep going.
Thank you.”
In a recent interview with Bandcamp, guitarist and vocalist Steve Von Till and Aaron Turner discussed the band’s rebirth.
“We were thinking about how we could reinvent ourselves with the same energy that we reinvented ourselves with when I first joined, when we went from The Word As Law [1990] to Souls At Zero [1992],” Steve Von Till explained. “But we’re no longer young men. What kind of puzzles could we put in front of us to create that level of reinvention when time doesn’t move the same way it used to? It came down to finding the right energy.”
He continued: “Honestly, the only hesitation about Aaron at first was that it seemed so obvious. And we weren’t convinced that he wasn’t too busy with his own work to just want to drop everything and join our dysfunctional old man band.”
When asked about his reaction to the invitation, Aaron Turner noted that their shared history made the transition feel natural, even if the reality of joining one of his biggest influences was initially shocking.
“It’s not like Steve and I had never spoken, and he all of a sudden asked me to join. Our paths became interwoven a long time ago. Numerous projects of mine released stuff on [Neurosis’s label] Neurot. I did some artwork for Neurosis. Neurosis took my old band [Isis] on tour. I don’t know if Steve remembers this, but in the early 2000s, he proposed that I come up to the Bay Area and do some stuff with him and one of the guys from Enablers.”
“This is a relationship of community where everybody is doing stuff with each other constantly, and there are always ideas flowing back and forth,” he added. In that way, it wasn’t surprising to me. I’d had an open dialogue with Steve for many years. At the same time, it was definitely a what-the-f**k moment for me because this is a band that I had been deeply influenced by in many ways, both musically and ideologically.”
According to Steve Von Till, Neurosis was specifically looking for a fresh creative voice rather than a simple stand-in to play old material.
“We’ve always been a collective, and we need the energy. As much as people may think they understand what happens behind the scenes in certain bands, Neurosis has always been collaborative,” he stated.
“This album being a reinvention, we didn’t want the same old s**t. We wanted somebody to come up with new ideas and a fresh approach—to make not only the old stuff their own, but to bring new stuff. All ‘Neur-Isis’ jokes aside, it’s really been what Aaron has done with Sumac, the really unhinged sonic dynamics and mastery of raw emotion, and his unique approach to guitar, that we felt was really going to click with our energy,” he concluded.
When it was announced that Neurosis is back with new album, the group released a collective statement explaining their mindset.
“We need this, perhaps more than ever, and we suspect we are not alone. The trials and tribulations in our personal lives and as a band, combined with simply trying to navigate the insanity of our society, with the stress, anxiety, and isolation that come with it can be excruciating. Add to that the existential confusion and sorrow of the climate crisis and the sixth mass extinction. It is enough to cause you to completely lose your mind if you can’t find release or catharsis. This strange emotionally charged music has always been our method of trying to survive this and this is what we’ve always been singing about. When you have spent a lifetime engaged with these energies and utilizing this form of expression to purge and purify, it feels detrimental to our well-being to let it sit idle and neglected. This was now or never.”
Discussing the seamless integration of their newest member, Neurosis praised his immediate creative impact.
“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.”
For the new guitarist and vocalist, joining the iconic post-metal outfit represents the peak of a lifelong artistic connection.
“From the moment I first heard Neurosis over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years traveling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music – but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.”
Alongside the unexpected studio release, the revamped lineup has also been confirmed for a live appearance on the opening night of the Fire In The Mountains festival. The event is set to run from July 23–26 at Red Eagle Campground in East Glacier, Montana.
Guitarist and vocalist Steve Von Till, who is also a board member of the Firekeepers Alliance, the organization behind the event, explained why this setting offers an ideal backdrop for the band’s return to the stage.
“I cannot think of a more appropriate environment for us to return to the stage. Last year’s Fire In The Mountains festival was the most profound music event I have ever been a part of. The weekend took on a healing, cathartic ceremonial nature that is difficult to put into words. Using emotionally heavy music to build community and collectively stare darkness in the eye is something we have always believed in, but using it to directly address the heartbreaking reality of su*cide, grief, loss and trauma is taking it to another level.”
An Undying Love For A Burning World Tracklist:
- “We Are Torn Wide Open“
- “Mirror Deep“
- “First Red Rays“
- “Blind“
- “Seething And Scattered“
- “Untethered“
- “In The Waiting Hours“
- “Last Light“
