Though he’s best known for his work in the monolithic post metal group Neurosis, Steve Von Till has crafted a successful solo career as well. His debut, 2000’s stark “As The Crow Flies” served as a statement of intent: there’s more to Von Till than just that tribal, sweltering sound. The primal, savage fury of Neurosis’s “Times of Grace” had given way to melancholy acoustics and soft, plaintive rasps. Morose? Sure, but Von Till’s expert songcraft kept listener’s engaged. That hasn’t changed with 2015’s “A Life Unto Itself.”
Following 2008’s excellent “A Grave is a Grim Horse” was never going to be easy, but Von Till has met, perhaps exceeded, expectations. Tracks like the sprawling “A Language of Blood” cement Von Till’s mastery of soft-strummed melancholy while eerie cascades of synthesizer warp around the ethereal atmospherics and gravelly vocals in “Night of the Moon.” Whether he’s revisiting old ground or paving new paths, the Neurosis veteran shows that he’s still got it thirty years into his career; his new album “A Life Unto Itself” is sure to stand as one of the year’s most solid folk recordings.
More information regarding the artist can be found via his official website.