A diversified and confusing work all at once, The Word as Law was the most transitional album in Neurosis' evolution from hardcore merchants to avant-garde metal experimentalists, clearly displaying the pubescent band as it searched for its mature identity.
As such, the short, angry bursts ("Double-Edged Sword," "The Choice") which hearken to their past already seem somewhat lacking in conviction; while more elaborate numbers such as "Obsequious Obsolescence," "Blisters," and especially the multifaceted "To What End?" fare slightly better for pointing towards the complex arrangements and adventurous soundscapes yet to come.
In short, while serious fans may want to indulge their curiosity, casual listeners will find little to interest them here.
[Lookout Records' CD version of this album contains four tracks from the previous year's Pain of Mind, as well as two 7" single rarities, making for a pretty sweet wrap-up of the band's less essential early material].
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Double Edged SwordDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 2 | The ChoiceDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 04:07 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 3 | Tomorrow's RealityDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 05:47 | 13 MB | 37 MB |
| 4 | Common InconsistenciesDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 04:24 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 5 | InsensitivityDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 00:47 | 1 MB | 4 MB |
| 6 | BlistersDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 07:18 | 16 MB | 43 MB |
| 7 | Life on Your KneesDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 02:55 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 8 | Pain Of MindDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 03:10 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 9 | GreyDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 03:01 | 6 MB | 21 MB |
| 10 | United SheepDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | PollutionDave Edwardson, Jason James, Scott Kelly, Neurosis, Steve Von Till | Neurosis | Play | 04:09 | 9 MB | 28 MB |
| 12 | Day of the Lords | Neurosis | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 34 MB |
| 13 | Obsequious Obsolescence | Neurosis | Play | 05:12 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 14 | To What End | Neurosis | Play | 06:23 | 14 MB | 39 MB |
| 15 | Untitled | Neurosis | Play | 10:35 | 24 MB | 65 MB |
| 70 mins | 161 MB | |||||
| 70 mins | 451 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murray Bowles | Photography |
| 2 | Dave Edwardson | Arranger, Bass, Composer, Producer, Voices |
| 3 | Jason James | Arranger, Composer, Drums, Producer |
| 4 | Scott Kelly | Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Producer, Voices |
| 5 | Mark Lemaire | Engineer, Producer |
| 6 | Neurosis | Composer, Primary Artist |
| 7 | Steve Von Till | Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Producer, Voices |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |