Narcissus Rising

I am always happy whenever I stumble upon a great band I have not known before hailing from my nice and cosy home country Austria. While maybe not as numerous as other regions there are a lot of talented musicians deserving more attention than they actually get. Another example of this are The Negative Bias located in Vienna. Their style can be called black metal in the broader sense but in fact this is only half of the truth as their music includes so many layers and details that it is difficult to put them into one single box. On their Bandcamp page they say “The Negative Bias (TNB) will transform you into the creation of infinity, a transcendental nightmare from the deepest dark-space!” so that might give you a little hint about what to expect.

The goal of The Negative Bias is to blend contrasting elements, melancholy and aggression, pain and pleasure. A lot of bands throw these kinds of statements out and it often comes across like a pale attempt at making sense of a whole lot of noise. One spin through “Narcissus Rising” shows that these Austrians have an idea how to work their heady conceits into solid heavy music taking the listener on an astonishing journey through space and time.

The riffing is on point with the main chords being pitched against the outstanding lead guitar work. The melodies are dark and eerie and always have that heavily melancholic vibe. There are a lot of calmer moments being used to create certain pictures of loneliness and despair in the listener’s mind. However, there are also lighter moments delivering a glimmer of hope.

The album consists of only two songs both clocking in over the twenty minutes mark so there is of course some kind of build-up and various sections within each single song. The sequences of the various sections have been chosen in a way to make each part feel diversified yet stringent at the same time. The trademark chords are complemented by superb drum work, well considered patterns that enhance the outstanding guitar work and a predominant rasping growl of a delivery that ascends to a blackened gurgling scream, delivering with clarity the lyrical content.

“Narcissus Rising” comes with a flawless and powerful production. The mix is clear and the overall sound is very transparent but not sterile. The drums have a nice punch and even the bass is audible. The Negative Bias have delivered a highly professional product that is easily on par with the works of better known bands. If you are open minded and like your black metal to be more than just a bunch of entertaining songs than I cannot recommend this album highly enough.