At its core, Storm is kraut rock, dripping with Hawkwind's sense of drama and Can's baroque sense of space. But, as one might expect from Neurosis, there's also an edge that reminds us that the group is still primarily interested in heavy music. It is psychedelic and progressive, droning and aggressive. The songs average over eight minutes, filled with looped guitars and samples, crisp drums, ominous organs, and gloomy vocals that suggest Michael Gira at his most morose. Steve Albini is back behind the sliders again, which gives the record a consistent character, while gargantuan orchestrations and gothic lyrics evoke the atmosphere of a particularly unsettled cemetery at night.
The pervasive mood is tortured and claustrophobic, making the record, for all its trippiness, a difficult listen. In the end, though, there's also a beauty and intricacy to this latest Neurosis incarnation that makes the whole struggle worthwhile.