From Portland,Oregon,USA comes this crushing band with the name of NEGATIVE PRAYER. The line-up consists of two guys: Charles Koryn (drums) and Kyle House (guitars/vocals). Both guys are also part of the Death metal group DECREPISY, Charles Koryn has also been a live drummer for the one and only MORBID ANGEL and INCANTATION and Kyle House has been a member of the legendary Punk/Hardcore squad POISON IDEA. So as you can see, both men are pretty much seasoned veterans in the extreme music scene and know well how to deliver smashing in-your-face sounds. They started the NEGATIVE PRAYER project in 2021 and released a three-song self-titled EP in 2023. The three tracks from that EP together with six new ones are what "Self//Wound" will offer you.

"Self//Wound" is a skull-breaking mix of Death metal and Crust Punk. The guys united their musical influences in one solid slab of audio aggression. It all starts with "Violence" which is a stomping D-Beat driven track with the deep deathly growls of Kyle House, punkish riffs played with Metal precision and some frantic guitar lead work. Imagine a Death metal version of DISCHARGE or even darker DRILLER KILLER amd you will get the picture. It is heavy and it is fast. "Hell" continues the fast and furious trend which gets a little bit of slowing down in "Wound" which is more mid-tempo in the vein of the British legends DOOM. The speed is back with a blast on "Morbid" which is a track that offers some melodic guitar leads within the overall D-Beat aggression. "Caged" follows with a strong DRILLER KILLER vibe with its almost Rock'n'roll groove and twisted melody. "Noose" is going back again to the blisteringly fast way of playing with plenty of darkness and grimmness in the guitar riffs and the sinister growling vocals until it suddenly transforms into a two-step Hardcore crusher. The self-titled "Negative Prayer" is on speed again, brutal and short, with rumbling bass parts and a Black metal/Crust guitar riffing plus various drum tempos."Bloodfeast" is an enjoyable cover version of the legendary MISFITS played much heavier and darker of course but you can recognize the specific melodies of the Horror Punk originators. The final track is "Amputate", it is the longest one in "Self//Wound" and it has the apocalyptic atmosphere of bands like AMEBIX with agonizing vocals and ominous guitar melodies.

All in all, "Self//Wound" is an excellent release. It combines in a perfect way the dark heaviness and presicion of Death metal with the raw aggression of Crust/Punk. It has brutality and it has groove. Do not miss NEGATIVE PRAYER if you want some more high quality extreme music into your life!