ninehertz

Negative Reaction have been around for 35 years. That's astounding really, especially when considering they've not tailed off, their most recent output still strong enough for us to pick for our podcast 18 months back. To celebrate they've pulled together this compilation, not exhaustive of their whole career but songs from hard to find splits or contributions to compilations.

There are 16 tracks here, going back in time. The first four may be the most recent but are still old enough to buy a beer (in the UK at least). They come from a split with a band called Beneath the Frozen Soil (a band I have to admit I am unaware of - must remember to correct that). I always think Negative Reaction's expertise lay in folding in hardcore elements into their core sludge sound, and on these tracks it is never clearer. Take Origin of Hurt as an example with its huge lurching riff. I'm a quarter of the way in and remembering loud and clear how good this band are. The fifth track, with its heads down riff to oblivion, is called Godzilla vs Noo Yawk and is from a Tribute to Godzilla compilation CD - who knew? - which also featured Rwake, Hangnail, Fistula and many more.

I always knew Negative Reaction were good, I learned of them 22 years ago when I picked up their split with Ramesses, but this just reinforces that. Speaking of which, both tracks from that are here, and both are superb. NOD in particular has stood with me since first impressions, inventive and heavy, the vocals standing out, distinctively from a hardcore mould. It was no wonder I sought out their albums after this. The next few tracks are from a five-way split with Bongzilla, Sourvein, Subsanity and Grief, holding their own amongst esteemed company. It is, naturally, sludge-slow goodness.

The final tracks are from two splits - with Violent Society and Sound Bite Horse, really going back some, from 1995 and 1994 respectively. The production has dropped off from what precedes, but that's understandable. At this point through the look back, its interesting to see their origins - way more hardcore based, fast outbreaks occasionally broken into by incredibly sludgey slow and dour riffs. This is the sound of a band genre-forming, alongside their perhaps more well known peers from the mid-nineties; it is fascinating to see the base elements coalescing into new sounds.

As rarities retrospectives go - often patchy at best, this isn't their chosen album material after all - this is as good as you get. They obviously gave their all regardless of the format. It is a more than worthy compilation to highlight an incredible and lengthy stint at the coal face of doom from a simply great band.