EP REVIEW: Hell…Is Much Better Than This – Negative Thought Process

Having already proved themselves to be a key catalyst in the development of a grindcore scene down south, there has been a sense of anticipation brewing around the impending NEGATIVE THOUGHT PROCESS release. On their brutally unsettling Methylene Butterfly debut, the trio proved themselves to be a band unafraid to tackle the darkest themes of self abuse and wrap it up in a grinding, crusty, violent audio grenade of noise that packed a mighty and grimey punch. There was character to the assault, and if you were ever able to see the band live, you would’ve been treated to an equally visceral experience that simply backs up the notion of NEGATIVE THOUGHT PROCESS being a band truly worth getting excited over. 

Four years have passed since that shocking debut, and the power void left by the band has been hard to ignore. They helped build the brewing southern grind scene from the ground up, and whilst bands like HELPLESS and HUMAN CULL provide enough explosives to satisfy an itch, neither quite hit raw emotional nerves quite like THOUGHT PROCESS do. The bellowing lyric of ‘I am abomination, I am Scum’ on the second track of Hell…Is Much Better Than This hammers home the unfiltered nihilism and self loathing that has always made this band such a compelling and darkly twisted band to enjoy. But more so than this, this release signifies a huge step forward for the band musically. 

Part of what made THOUGHT PROCESS such an unexpected pipebomb is their ability to let dynamics take control when necessary. The grinding chaos was always there, but in fusing a strong sense of crust punk and powerviolence into the sound helps create moments where the music and atmosphere can breathe and swell. The opening title track sets the tone perfectly and also shows that this is a band who understand perfectly how to build towards a climax, even with the whole EP clocking in under 10 minutes. Stagnant follows the blitz of Cognitive Dissonance and whilst keeping the tempo and energy up manages to break the mould and provide a mid EP riff that will keep you coming back for more. 

The NAILS influence on Festering in Ignorance is a welcome added weight to the already mammoth intensity of the EP as a whole, and the final track does an excellent job of both bookending the EP with a standout track and also sending everything off on a massive high. By the time it’s all over, you begin to realise how trimmed and primed this EP is to simply leave you laying in the dust. There is nothing unnecessary here, all of Hell… Is Much Better Than This is designed and tailored to come together into one swift and deeply enjoyable grind experience. 

This is a rare breed of grindcore. On the one hand it is bitter and extreme enough to be considered amongst the best of the genre released this year, and indeed any other year. The record is relentless and heavy and everything any grind fan longs for. On the other, Hell… Is Much Better Than This is an offering that sways far enough away from grind to appeal to far more fans than before. The crust punk skeleton gives structure, and the dynamics at play are certainly violent but also capable of breaking down this dense 10 minutes into intensely enjoyable moments of riffing and pit swelling chaos. NEGATIVE THOUGHT PROCESS have done a tremendous job on this EP, and continue to go from strength to strength. 

Rating: 9/10

Hell…Is Much Better Than This is set for release April 24th via Hibernacula Records. 

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