Other Women - Demo (2011)

Other Women is made up of friends who used to be in a band called Regrets, with whom Like Rats played many a gig. Their new band has way more bendy riffs, which is awesome. There's nothing quite like a good bendy riff. This demo is a perfect iteration of heavy, dark hardcore with lots of bendy, chromatic riffs. For fans of hardcore bands that clearly enjoy Celtic Frost (Sheer Terror, New Lows, Gehenna). Bendy riffs, man...

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Negativa - Negativa EP (2006)

I'm resurrecting Primitive Future to post this EP, which I've been listening to extensively since I saw Gorguts a month or so back. Obscura is one of my all-time favorite albums, and this EP basically just sounds like Obscura. I also exchanged myspace messages with Big Steeve sometime around 2005 probably, and it blew my mind that someone from one of my favorite bands would take the time to respond to me on the internet. I actually think I just told him the story about my mom buying me a copy of Obscura then immediately making me turn it off when I put it on in the car.

Either way, the riffs on this record are truly strange. One of the most compelling things about Gorguts and Negativa is that, while their riffs are ostensibly nonsensical, they are immediately memorable. If you heard someone playing one of these riffs in Guitar Center devoid of context, you would be irritated and confused. Yet, as part of these songs, they're almost hummable.

Negativa also manages to be heavy in a bizarre, lurching way. Their riffs are occasionally bouncy, but still off-kilter. I know this band was working on a full-length, but unfortunately Big Steeve passed away a few months back.

RIP, Big Steeve.

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