Scott Kelly

Scott Kelly made his name in Neurosis, the highly influential sludge-metal outfit that helped redefine heavy music over the course of its 25-year existence. Considering Kelly spent those years playing with ear-splitting ferocity, it’s perhaps not surprising he’s toned things down on his own. On his second solo album, 2008’s The Wake, he examines the quieter side of life, though that doesn’t mean his songs sound any less ominous. On tracks like “Saturn’s Eye,” Kelly sings with a haunted weariness, wrapping his voice around stark, minor key chords and extraneous noise. Just because he’s alone doesn’t mean he’s gone soft.  

Updated 01/31/2011