The Word as Law is the second album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 from California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

n band Neurosis

Neurosis (band)

Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...

. It was released in 1990 through Lookout! Records

Lookout! Records

-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...

. Although this album is still firmly rooted in the band's early crossover thrash

Crossover thrash

__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...

 style, it showcases some of their more experimental tendencies, and can be seen as a precursor to their eventual transformation.

The original 1990 release was on LP only. In 1991, the album was released on CD and featured several re-recorded tracks from previous releases as bonus material.

Track listing

1. "Double Edged Sword" – 4:05 (Music & Lyrics: Kelly)
2. "The Choice" – 4:07 (Music: Edwardson, Lyrics: Edwardson/Kelly)
3. "Obsequious Obsolescence" – 5:12 (Music: Kelly/Edwardson/Von Till, Lyrics: Kelly)
4. "To What End?" – 6:23 (Music & Lyrics: Von Till)
5. "Tomorrow's Reality" – 5:47 (Music & Lyrics: Edwardson)
6. "Common Inconsistencies" – 4:24 (Music: Edwardson, Lyrics: Edwardson/Kelly)
7. "Insensitivity" – 0:47 (Music & Lyrics: Edwardson)
8. "Blisters" – 7:18 (Music: Kelly/Edwardson, Lyrics: Kelly)

Bonus tracks

1. "Life on Your Knees" – 2:54 (Music: Edwardson, Lyrics: Kelly/Edwardson)
2. "Pain of Mind" – 3:10 (Music: Kelly/Edwardson, Lyrics: Kelly)
3. "Grey" – 3:01 (Music: Edwardson, Lyrics: Kelly)
4. "United Sheep" – 3:15 (Music & Lyrics: Kelly)
5. "Pollution" – 4:09 (Music & Lyrics: Kelly)
6. "Day of the Lords" - 5:17 (Joy Division
   Joy Division
   Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
   
    cover)
7. "Untitled" – 10:41

Personnel

• Scott Kelly
  Scott Kelly (musician)
  Scott Michael Kelly is one of three founding members of Oakland, California experimental metal band Neurosis, in which he is a vocalist and guitarist. He has been writing and publishing music since 1985 with Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot, Blood and Time and his solo acoustic project. He is also...
  
   − guitar
  Electric guitar
  An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
  
  , vocals
• Steve Von Till
  Steve Von Till
  Steve von Till is best known as singer and guitarist for the atmospheric metal band Neurosis, replacing Chad Salter in 1989. He is also in Tribes of Neurot and Culper Ring, and records solo work under both his given name and the moniker Harvestman...
  
   − guitar
  Electric guitar
  An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
  
  , vocals
• Dave Edwardson
  Dave Edwardson
  Dave Edwardson is the bassist and back-up vocalist for the Californian sludge metal band, Neurosis. His vocal style in the band resembles a low growl but it is not deep enough to be a death grunt since it is higher in pitch and more throaty. He is also a member of experimental/noise group, Tribes...
  
   − bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , vocals
• Simon McIlroy − keyboards
  Electronic keyboard
  An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
  
  , tapes, samples
  Sampling (music)
  In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
  
  
• Jason Roeder − drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  

Tracks 1-8 recorded at Sound & Vision, 684 Indiana, San Francisco in December 1989
Tracks 9-15 recorded at Sound & Vision, 684 Indiana, San Francisco in February 1991