Negative Self
Control the Fear

Swedish band Negative Self return with their second album following their highly regarded self titled debut album. The quintet are said to be heavier and more focused and are aiming to make something of an impact on both the metal and the hardcore community. The quintet’s new and second album is called Control the Fear and it offers ten songs, fifty minutes of music and a cover picture made by vocalist Anders Sandberg – not the greatest cover I have seen in my life but perhaps a little bit telling of the album and the atmospheres it has to offer.

Edgy music with a very strong atmosphere, a little dark atmosphere but with a soulful and fascinating darkness that feels very enriched by strong vocals. In terms of style I think this album can be described as a crossover album, a bit of hardcore, thrash metal, metal in general, quite heavy but also melodic, really powerful sound and very good production are other things that I notice when listening through this album. The songs are quite varied and the fifty minutes they last for feels about right in terms of playing time and I doubt you will find it too long lasting. It is a very strong production on all accounts.

Little bit of a surprise to me, that this album was such an entertaining album. You got to like those with a bit of a friendly negative self image, perhaps that is the reason for the great feel of this album as I think the vocals and the atmosphere are the two strongest assets of this album. And there are no particular weaknesses on this album as all the tracks are quite strong and I have really enjoyed listening through this album quite a few times. While all the tracks are good and perhaps none stand out overly much, I still find the ending track called The Pain Returns to be a little bit more memorable than the other tracks on the album.

First-rate album with more or less anything you would want from an album of this style, surprisingly enjoyable and really great. Clearly an album I can recommend to anyone who enjoys a good bit of negativity. But at the same time I think this album can have a rather wide appeal and it stands out quite well in comparison with other bands in the same style. Control the Fear is definitely an album worth checking out; it would really be a mistake not to check it out. Great album!

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