Negativa

When Steeve Hurdle passed away last May of 2012 at the age of 41, the news was met with shock and utter sadness within the Canadian death metal community. The former guitarist of Quebec's Gorguts (who's attributed with writing the majority of the classic Obscura), Hurdle was the driving force behind avant-garde metal project Negativa. Now, the one and only Negativa release ― a rare, 2006, self-titled, three-song EP ― has finally been re-released as a limited edition pressing via PRC Music. Featuring 20 minutes of dark, progressive material, Negativa is Hurdle at his most creative, with obscure guitar work and unconventional time signatures and song structures. "Chaos in Motion" is the closest to what can be considered death metal, with heavy guitar riffs and epic drum blasts, as well as Luc Lemay's (Gorguts) coarse, brutal vocals. At nearly ten minutes long, "Taedium Vitae" is a pendulous track that starts, stops and changes direction without warning, switching rhythms and structures at odd intervals. Finally, "Rebellion" is full of textures, with the guitars and drums working on different levels, totally out of sync, yet at certain points they come together in unison, making it one hell of an interesting listen and the perfect end to a release that leaves you wishing there was more.