10. The Word As Law (1990)

The Neurosis of The Word As Law looks more familiar, at least on paper. Steve Von Till makes his Neurosis debut here, and the goofy nicknames go the way of the dodo.

More of Neurosis's signature tropes make their first appearances on The Word As Law. It features their first two 6-minutes-plus sprawlers in "To What End?" and album standout "Blisters," the latter of which serves as a prototype for the lengthy tunes that would populate Souls At Zero two years later. The band shows some maturity, managing tighter performances and heftier rhythms than before. A broader variety of guitar tones add some colorful textures to the grimy substratum.

Ultimately, though, The Word As Law is a second run at the relatively conservative hardcore that comprised Pain Of Mind. It's an improvement upon its predecessor, but in hindsight, the shadow of the band's later work still looms large over it.