UMUR
"Negative Self" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by Swedish, Stockholm based crossover thrash metal act Negative Self. The album was released through High Roller Records in March 2015. Negative Self is a three-piece on this album consisting of Frank Guldstrand (Bass), Tor Nyman (Guitars), and Andreas Sandberg (Vocals (lead), Drums).
Stylistically the music on the album is a blatant Suicidal Tendencies worship. There´s no trying to hide it either (which is also obvious from looking at the cover artwork). These guys simply live and breathe the legendary California crossover act. Suicidal Tendencies has produced quite a few albums over the years and changed their sound a bit too, but it´s the 1988-1990 period of their discography which has inspired the sound on "Negative Self". And for a worship band Negative Self does a great job. Andreas Sandberg does a perfect Mike Muir imitation, and the drumming style and the guitar style are also almost flawless imitations. Great energetic hardcore tinged thrashy riffs and rhythms, riot gang choir vocals, and loads of melodic guitar solos.
The material on the 9 track, 38:31 minutes long album is well written and instantly catchy. It´s sometimes so close to sounding like the real thing, that you have to snap out of it, not to think it is. The sound production could have been slightly more powerful, but it´s overall a well sounding production, which suits the music well. It´s all delivered by skilled musicians who obviously love what they are doing, and therefore do it with a burning passion.
I find it very hard to rate and album like "Negative Self", because one of the features I usually rate an album by is originality, and obviously I can´t use that parameter here. There´s not a shred of original sounding material featured on this album, but if you can accept that premise and take "Negative Self" for what it is (a worship album), then it´s actually quite a great release. A 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.
