Having marked the 30th anniversary of the band’s existence on Valentine’s Day, West Virginia by way of Long Island sludgers Negative Reaction, who serve at the behest of founding guitarist/vocalist Kenny Bones, will release their new album, Astrophilia, on this very evening to mark the arrival of the Spring solstice. If you like your heavy heavy, you probably already know that’s good news, but Bones and Company offer further intrigue in unveiling that the new record is a follow-up to their 38-minute epic “The Moon Song.”

The megatrack originally appeared as the opener among the three cuts on 2000’s The Orion Chronicles — the other two pieces were “Hypothermia” and the Hawkwind cover “Lord of Light,” if you’re curious — but this time around, “A Song for the Sun” stands entirely on its own, and given Bones‘ well-established affinity for Star Wars references and related content, I’m going to assume the name of the character ‘Luke’ as seen below isn’t a coincidence. I’m not saying it’s Luke Skywalker, but most likely that’d be where the name comes from. Just saying.

So how’s the record? I guess we’ll find out tonight:

Negative Reaction – Astrophilia

The new full length album for NR is finished!

The new album is titled “Astrophilia.”

The release date is Thursday March 19th at 11:49PM Eastern Time.

It can be digitally downloaded through bandcamp.

CD copies are also available through the NR Facebook page.

It is a part 2 of the legendary “Moon Song.”

It is a concept on what happens after the earth is destroyed in the story of “The Moon Song.”

The concept…
A handful of people survive and travel through space looking for a new home……….
Or not.”

Track listing…..
“A song For The Sun”……..
Ch1 “Solar Flare”
Ch 2 “Europa”
Ch 3 “Luke’s Ascent”
Ch 4 ” Order 66″
Ch 5 “Solar Wind / Luke Has Landed”
Ch 6 ” Eclipse”
Ch 7 “Moonbase Alpha”
Ch 8 ” Luke’s Colony”

Negative Reaction are:
Sir Ken-E Bones: Founder/Singer/Guitars
Trey Crane: Bass
Ryan Aliff: Drums

https://www.facebook.com/Negative-Reaction-166679340107961/
https://negativereactionband.bandcamp.com/

Negative Reaction, “The Moon Song”

It’s been a couple years now since Negative Reaction frontman Kenny ‘Ken-E’ Bones moved himself and therefore the band from Long Island, New York, to Central West Virginia. In that time, he’s partnered with bassist Trey Crane and drummer Kevin King in a new incarnation of the band, embarked on a solo career playing outlaw country, and taken the helm at Steer Run Studios, his own recording facility. Not too shabby, and a rebuilding of band and life alike go a long way to explaining the years it’s been since Frequencies from Montauk (review here) came out in 2011. These things take time.

But the next record — the title of which is decided but not yet revealed — is being recorded with Bones himself as producer/engineer, and in order to demonstrate progress toward its completion, Negative Reaction are premiering the new single “Order 66.” The title is a Star Wars reference, as Order 66 was that which then-Senator Palpatine gave to the Stormtroopers to start executing the Jedi. I think that was Episode III? Obi-Wan and Yoda got away, so yeah. Bones is a big fan, which is an understatement, what with the tattoos and all.

The song bridges the two sides of Negative Reaction‘s long-established approach in its sludgy aggression and spacey jamming. No coincidence that in the note below, Bones refers to “captain of the spaceship.” Hawkwind, Monster Magnet — this is the stuff of life, and “Order 66” serves those impulses well in its second-half cosmojam. Whatever it’ll be called, the album is still in progress, so keep an eye out, but you can hear the song at the bottom of this post. Ken-E‘s always up to something.

Dig it:

A word from the Captain of the Spaceship Negative Reaction………

Hello my fellow Sludgenaughts. I hope this transmission finds you well.

NR has finished mixing and mastering the single to our next release. The single is a song called Order 66. We have sent it out to multiple parties but one in particular that, We, NR are most attracted to has sent very positive feedback to it. We hope to release this next album Of SLUDGE with this said group of great people.

The title of this album has been established but it will remain unknown until an agreement has been reached between NR and said record label to agree on the release. This song and the new album are recorded and mastered at Steer Run Studios, engineered and produced by Ken-E Bones. We are currently recording new songs for the album.

A NR bandcamp page will also be up in a few days as well. It will have ALL of our releases up including some rare tracks from the past!

Thank you all for the love and support. I love each and every one of you. I mean it when I say NR has the greatest fans and family a band could hope for. All the best to you and thanx again for believing in us. Cheers to YOU!!!!”

End Of Line…….
-Capt’N KB

Negative Reaction is:
Ken-E Bones: guitar, vocals
Trey Crane: bass guitar
Kevin King: Drums

https://www.facebook.com/NegativeReaction

Holy macaroni, it’s been six years since Negative Reaction released their last record. Wow. Not that it doesn’t feel like it’s been a while, but once you put a number to it the whole context changes. Six years! That album from the early sludge innovators and mainstays was Frequencies from Montauk (review here), a collection that was arguably their most adventurous to-date, bringing in elements of psychedelia and drone and languid heavy rock alongside the trademark Eastern Seaboard hardcore punk-influenced intensity that they’ve always brandished so passionately.

In the years since sending Frequencies, Negative Reaction‘s inimitable frontman, Kenny Bones (who seems to have dropped the “Ken-E” spelling previously used for what seemed like forever), has relocated himself and thus the band from Long Island, New York, to Normantown, West Virginia — a significant geographic shift that’s also brought an entirely new lineup with it. Hardly the first time Bones has revamped Negative Reaction, but it’s still a major part of the change. He’s also embarked on a solo career playing outlaw country under his own name and opened Steer Run Studio to track his own work as well as that of other area groups.

To that end, Negative Reaction have apparently begun recording their next studio offering. I’ve got no details on what it might be called, when it might be done or what it might sound like — been a while since I had a proper chat with Kenny — but after so long and so much realignment on his part and the band’s, it would be pointless to speculate anyway. It could go pretty much anywhere, which only means it’ll be more fun to find out where it ends up.

Here’s a quick update Bones posted on the social medias:

Wow what a busy few days here at Steer Run Studio….

The Kenny Bones Solo album is finally finished….(Details on the release soon)

Negative Reaction has just started recording a new album here….

And Browbeater has been recording here and I have just started the mix down and mastering for the new Browbeater EP!!!!!! It’s gunna be some Heavy shit!!!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/Negative-Reaction-166679340107961/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Steer-Run-Studio/152766388654183

Negative Reaction, “Docking Bay 94” Live at Stoner Hands of Doom XII, 2012