Souls at Zero

Souls at Zero
Studio album by Neurosis
Released	May 1992
Recorded	February – March, 1992, Starlight Sound, Richmond
Genre	Post-metal[1]
Length	61:15
Label	Alternative Tentacles
Producer	Bill Thompson, Neurosis
Neurosis chronology
The Word as Law (1990) Souls at Zero (1992) Enemy of the Sun (1993) Reissue artwork

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[2]
Allmusic	[3]
Drowned in Sound	9/10[4]
Exclaim!	favorable[5]

Souls at Zero is the third studio album from California-based post-metal band Neurosis. The album was released in 1992 under the Alternative Tentacles record label.^[6] It was later reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks on the band's own Neurot Recordings label.^[6] On February 15, 2010, the album was reissued on CD and digitally with new artwork under Neurot Recordings.^[6] On February 14, 2012, a fully remastered version was released on vinyl via Relapse Records.^[7]

The name was taken from a chapter in the book The Great and Secret Show by horror writer Clive Barker. Unlike their previous efforts, this album showcases the band's penchant for playing densely layered, folk-influenced music at radically slower tempos. While this album likely alienated a large portion of their early fan base, it has become an important landmark for newer Neurosis fans. In an interview the band stated that the famous cover art was inspired by the movie The Wicker Man but since they could not acquire the licence for the image affordably, they created their own straw figure for the artwork.

Track listing

Souls at Zero
No.	Title	Length
1.	"To Crawl Under One's Skin"	7:51
2.	"Souls at Zero"	9:18
3.	"Zero"	1:40
4.	"Flight"	4:05
5.	"The Web"	4:55
6.	"Sterile Vision"	6:20
7.	"A Chronology for Survival"	9:34
8.	"Stripped"	8:00
9.	"Takeahnase"	7:56
10.	"Empty"	1:36
Total length:		61:15

Bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
11.	"Souls" (demo version)	8:28
12.	"Zero" (demo version)	1:14
13.	"Cleanse III" (Live in London)	5:38

Personnel

Neurosis

• Scott Kelly − lead vocals, guitar
• Steve Von Till − lead vocals, guitar
• Dave Edwardson − bass, backing vocals
• Simon McIlroy − keyboards, synthesizers, samples, effects, backing vocals
• Jason Roeder − drums, percussions

Additional musicians

• Adam Kendall − visual media
• Kris Force − violin, viola
• Sarah Augros − flute
• Walter P. Sunday − cello
• Siovhan King − trumpet

Technical personnel

• Neurosis − production
• Bill Thompson − production, engineering
• Jello Biafra − mixing
• Malcolm Sherwood − engineering
• Jeffrey Gray − engineering
• Jeff Fogerty − engineering

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format
Worldwide	1992	Alternative Tentacles	CD
Worldwide reissue	1999	Neurot Recordings	CD
	February 15, 2010	Neurot Recordings	CD, digital
	February 14, 2012	Relapse Records	LP

References

1. Jahdi, Robin (24 June 2015). "The 40 best post-metal records ever made". Fact. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
2. Norton, Justin. "Neurosis - 'Souls At Zero'". About.com. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
3. Raggett, Ned. "Souls at Zero - Neurosis". Allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
4. Drever, Ryan (March 4, 2011). "Neurosis - Souls at Zero". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
5. Dawes, Laina (February 14, 2011). "Neurosis - Souls at Zero". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
6. Hughes, Josiah (December 28, 2010). "Neurosis Announce Souls at Zero Reissue". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
7. "Neurosis: Classic Albums To Be Reissued On Deluxe Vinyl". Blabbermouth.net. December 6, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2012.