CoC : Self - The Sinister Urge : Review

Self - _The Sinister Urge_
(Scream Records, 1998)
by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10)

While Swedish hardcore/metal act Self could easily be tossed into the realms of music stylings acquainted by Entombed (newer material), Face Down and/or Dellamorte, the band's somewhat subdued aggression and lack of creativity leaves them in the dust behind those aforementioned acts. Self are good at what they do, don't get me wrong, it's just that a large majority of their aggressive riffs and hardcore-esque style seems rather cliche and forced, marring their music with standard sounds and ideas that have been used many times over. Within the thirteen tracks on _The Sinister Urge_, Self lays claim to but a few standout (different) ideas that work: "Hyped" and "Rule Your Mind". While the band may have the momentum to crank the music loud and violent in nature, their misuse of common song ideas easily deflates their chance at world domination. There still is life here; let's hope they can regroup and do something right and interesting, rather than rehashing old themes.

(article published 13/4/1998)