Negligence - Coordinates of Confusion

Avoiding the sophomore jinx deftly, the Slovenian thrashers turn out a damn fine effort.Slovenia thrashers Negligence have just released their sophomore CD, Coordinates of Confusion.  If you're not  familiar with the band, then their sound can best be described as being rooted in early 80's style thrash, albeit with a fresh, more up to date sound.  The band isn't breaking any new ground, but their music is strong enough that it doesn't matter.  Most of the songs on Coordinates are midtempo with thrash elements.  So, it has that classic 80's thrash sound where melodies are mixed in with the heaviness.  Personally, I like that they've gone to that sound, rather than going with a [more predictable] full on death/thrash type vibe.

The majority of the songs on Coordinates, start off thrashy before settling in to midtempo, heavy rockers.  The songs have a certain common formula, but they do the job.  I have to say the highlight of this band, and the CD, are the vocals of singer Alex Skofljanec.  Alex has a nice mix of gruff and clean vocals, at times reminiscent of a young James Hetfield.  The songs are well written and catchy, with some of them sounding a bit like early Metallica.  The band does a nice job of combining thrash with melody, which is most apparent on the track Addicted to Aggression.  All in all, a solid release.  I was glad to see the band didn't suffer from the sophomore jinx.  I can see this one growing on me with repeated spins.

Bottom Line:  Classic thrash played by some new schoolers.  Thrash played at a mid-tempo speed, combined with some nice melodies.  Definitely a great CD to bang your head to.

Standout Tracks: Disharmony, Addicted to Aggression, Insane Asylum and The Q Box

- Ragman is feeling a little proud right now...