9. Honor Found In Decay (2012)

Honor Found In Decay poses some problems for our ranking project. Most Neurosis albums reward repeated listening, and Honor Found In Decay has been out for less than two months. It could potentially improve its standing with time and attention.

Neurosis's name suggests psychic unrest, and it's almost strange to hear such a relentlessly experimental band sound so comfortable in their own skin. At this juncture in their career, they have nothing left to prove — they've climbed every available mountain. Honor Found In Decay serves as a fond recap of their accomplishments. It revisits tropes from throughout their career, and even expands a bit on some of them; Noah Landis's keys jump out of their whooshy-texture role and into the foreground more frequently than they ever have before.

It is good to hear Neurosis in such a confident and settled place. Still, their strongest material comes from tension and restlessness. Perhaps their personal and professional comfort has sapped some of that restlessness. Honor Found In Decay remains a triumph of craftsmanship, if not of innovation.