Pain of Mind [Extra tracks]

Neurosis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 14, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Neurot Recordings
• ASIN: B00004Z42Y
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,677 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Pain of Mind

2. Self-Taught Infection

3. Reasons to Hide

4. Black

5. Training

6. Progress

7. Stalemate

8. Bury What's Dead

9. Geneticide

10. Ingrown

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Reasons to Hide

2. Instrumental

3. Grey

4. Black

5. Pain of Mind

6. Life on Your Knees

7. Pollution

8. Dominoes Fall

Editorial Reviews

Before they evolved into a highly unique progressive metal outfit in the mid-'90s, Neurosis were your typical Bay Area post-thrash, post-hardcore hybrid. Wait a minute...maybe that's not so typical. Either way, the raw, undeveloped band that recorded the short bursts of hate and attitude contained on Pain of Mind in no way resembles the awesome trance-riff machine of later years. Sure, tracks like "Life on Your Knees" and "Grey" possess their peculiar charm, but with vocalist Scott Kelly usually screaming a tad too close to Slayer's Tom Araya for comfort, the best was certainly yet to come. [CD reissues of the band's next album, The Word as Law on Lookout Records, feature four tracks from Pain of Mind as well as two 7" single rarities, making it a pretty sweet introductory package to the band's less essential early material.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars influential political hardcore, April 16, 2004

By 

Ryan (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pain of Mind (Audio CD)

"Pain of Mind" (1987) is Bay Area hardcore pioneers Neurosis' first album, a much different effort from their later material. Whereas later Neurosis, as y'all know, is sludgy, experimental, even tribal metal, this is balls-to-the-wall metallic hardcore punk, from back when they played Gilman Street every other weekend with bands that would go on to achieve superstardom (Operation Ivy for example).

But aside from the novelty of hearing one of the best-loved underground metal bands in their punky infancy, this is still a really good album, and highly influential to many political punk bands even today. Most songs are rough-and-tumble mid-tempo scorchers, with quite a few thrashy outbursts thrown in as well. At times, the melodic, metallic guitar lines and almost growled vocals recall latter-day crusty hardcore bands like His Hero Is Gone and current faves From Ashes Rise and Tragedy. Honestly, without the foundation laid by Neurosis on this record I doubt the whole Memphis/Portland DIY hardcore punk sound that's all the rage these days would have developed.

Other tracks, with duelling male vocals and speedy, Discharge-esque riffs and drummming, remind me a lot of Aus Rotten or other similar bands. But whereas Aus Rotten bores the hell out of me, Neurosis doesn't, so that's a good thing.

This album, along with releases from earlier groups like Christ on Parade and later groups like Filth would cement the East Bay hardcore sound -- I'm not talking AFI here, I'm talking the nihilistic, PO'ed, metallic brand of hardcore punk played by smelly guys with dreadlocks in dirty black clothing. The echoes of "Pain of Mind" still ring today in the DIY punk scene. Good album.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Have some respect, February 27, 2004

By 

D. K. Malone (earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pain Of Mind (Audio CD)

I can understand how people who became Neurosis fans due to their material from the mid '90s to now would be taken aback when hearing this, their 1987 debut album, for the first time. Hey, imagine how we original fans felt back in 1990; We were introduced to Neurosis through this album (or their demo) and the Abberation EP that came out afterward. They were a raging hardcore band. In 1988, if you were still into hardcore, you were into Neurosis. When the second album (Word As Law) came out, it was a little off-putting to some fans. It was still kinda hardcore, but it was different. It was experimental. A little sterile sounding. Slightly artsy-fartsy. 'Post-hardcore', I suppose. And then the third album (Souls At Zero)... that was when they really changed. And not everyone thought it was for the better. The word "pretentious" was thrown around quite a bit by some fans, and the record was nicknamed "Sales At Zero" by some. (OK, actually it was probably only my friend who called it that.) But that was the direction they wanted to take and they've pretty much stuck to it ever since. Next thing you know, everyone had tribal tatoos and pierced eyeballs and stopped bathing. But yeah, some of us were able to adjust and get into the new approach. Still... this is how it began. So show some respect, ya freakin kids.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars no title, December 30, 2004

By 

Sepulhead (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pain Of Mind (Audio CD)

This is the same band that recently recorded "the eye of every storm?" It's hard to believe. I already had a few neurosis cds and I just got 5 more in the last week because I liked them so much. One of them was this. I haven't had a chance to really get into it yet, but I wanted to offset some of the other reviews. Yes, it's completely different from the later albums, but that is to be expected. A sound like Neurosis had on "through silver" doesn't just create itself overnight. This is a hardcore album, and I don't typically listen to hardcore, but considering how amazing Neurosis is, I think it's worth getting just to hear where this great band started out. The songs are pretty cool too, I like what I know of it so far (i haven't listened to the second disc at all). It's weird to hear Neurosis playing fast. Bottom line is, if you like neurosis later stuff and you just want to hear that and nothing else, than don't get this. But if you are open minded about music, and you want to hear an important part of musical history and an album that started it all for one of the best bands around today, then definitely look into this. Personally, I wanted to get a complete picture of the evolution of Neurosis. It's really amazing how a hardcore band like this turned into the band we know and love today (with the exception of those people who have been there from the start) and I think it's worth getting this for that sole reason. It's really no farther from TSIB than the eye of every storm is.