As tired as the whole metal/hardcore genre has become in recent years in America, it's nice to hear a foreign contribution to the style deliver the goods with both abundant attitude and musical quality. Greece's
Negative Creeps qualify for this honor, challenging staid nu-metal clichés with their second album, 2002's very solid
In Uterus Rebirth. Just why the band continues to reference
Nirvana (both their name and the album's) in their work is anyone's guess (maybe it's not even intentional), but a sense of humor wouldn't seem to be the answer, given the ultra-serious intent of tracks like "Magnetic Fields," "Son of a Shotgun," and "Hate." Actually,
Pantera is probably the most common reference point here, and its furious pace is pretty much set on "destroy" throughout. Unexpectedly memorable guitar textures also rise out of the crush, lending standouts such as "Bored" and "Quantum" an especially lasting impression. And there could be no better endorsement than the guest vocals supplied by compatriot and
Rotting Christ main man Sakis on the vicious, straight-up black metal of "Last of the Ancients." All in all,
In Uterus Rebirth is an excellent album by a promising band. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia