In the solemn and self-serious realm of post-metal, no band serves as a working template quite as much as Neurosis. For the last quarter century, the California group has blended massive atmospherics with steely-eyed ferocity, resulting in albums of grand arches and, at best, total immersion. Part of the delight, though, is tracing the band's stepwise development during their era; antithetical to the pervasive indie culture quip of "I liked their earlier stuff better," seldom few Neurosis fans would argue that the band arrived fully formed. Rather, their most foundational records appeared in their second decade as a unit (see, debatably, the Relapse era, from 1996 until 2001). And when I interviewed the band last year about their very good 10th album, Honor Found in Decay, Steve Von Till said that Neurosis was still working to develop and explore new techniques. "Rather than get set in our ways or find anything too comfortable, we find these new places to exist," he said, explaining that some of his favorite parts on the latest record stemmed not from the typical loud guitars but instead from keyboard player Noah Landis. For Von Till, Neurosis' emphasis on long-run evolution rather than short-term aberrations was a clear point of pride, a practical ideal to suit their musical aesthetic.