The key to any great split EP is that both bands share the same kernel of inspiration, which they have then evolved into something not entirely disconnected, but certainly recognisably distinctive. And that is exactly what Sweat and Negative Blast deliver here. Both bands deal in swaggering rock’n’roll infused hardcore, brimming with garage punk energy and classic 1970s rock finessing. But whereas Sweat then infuse this rollicking blend with infectious melodic punk, Negative Blast choose to layer it with distorted noise rock. The musicianship on display is as tight as you would expect, bearing in mind the two band’s pedigrees – Sweat (Ghostlimb, Graf Orlock, Daisy Chain), Negative Blast (Lewd Acts, Hour of the Wolf, Rocket From The Crypt) – and the loose suppleness that both bring to the table ensures that the entire EP fizzes with raucous vitality.
