NEGATIVE – "In My Heaven": Dreams in the Autumnal Skies

My latest discovery online is the band Negative. They play excellent rock music, reminiscent of HIM, and their music videos are exceptionally well-produced—truly cinematic, the kind you’ve always dreamed of seeing. It’s music for a time before your soul has fallen apart, while you’re still on your way to paradise. The band sings about tears and the city, tinged with a touch of melancholy about life, yet the sound remains energetic and, in its own way, positive. The easiest comparison is to the band HIM.

The track opens with a bright, energetic, and spirited melody—dynamic, like the flow of traffic in a city. It’s rock music, not the heaviest, but it pulses with great intensity—much like an autumn sky: still bright, yet dappled with light, airy clouds. There’s a sense of lightness and breeziness to the melody, even while it remains a loud, powerful rock sound. It’s absolutely stunning.

Then, the melody drops into near-silence, punctuated by a high-pitched, deliberate sound from an electric guitar, before the vocalist begins to sing. And it’s worth the wait: "Dreams are fading. I’m frightened. Will I ever find a cure?" The singer’s delivery is very much in the spirit of HIM—rock music centered on tears. The mention of a "cure" feels, to me, like a nod to The Cure—which is fantastic. It’s as if I’m being hunted by ghosts—much like in The Cure’s "Fear of Ghosts."

Before the vocals kick in, the electric guitar produces a long, sustained note—a solo of sorts—and then the singer begins his narrative. The sound descends into chaos once more, before pulling back into a quieter passage where you can really hear the drums. Over this subdued, percussion-driven rhythm, the singer continues his story—until, once again, everything erupts back into a state of chaotic energy. The band’s sound is superb—perfectly balanced rock music. Sounds of chaos and silence. And the singer—he’s a standout element.

In the middle of the song, there’s a fantastic rhythm driven by the drums; it really grabbed me. Then, it’s back to chaos—but rock is still at the core. There’s a melody hidden within that chaos; now you know it, too. These shifts—from quiet to loud—make the song even more compelling, perhaps even unique. The sound is intriguing: it’s upbeat and energetic, yet it fits moments of sadness just as well—a light, autumnal melancholy, like the sky after summer has faded. You look up at the heavens, searching for something of your own.

The track is concise—2 minutes and 58 seconds—and moves quickly. The singer is incredibly expressive, perfectly capturing that specific mood—the white autumn sky, the heavens above. Once it ends, you find yourself wanting to listen all over again. His voice has a slight rasp, and at times, he lets out a cry—pure emotion. My own personal heavens.

Towards the end, there’s a sequence of forceful drum hits, signaling the song’s conclusion. It features beautiful power chords and the pleasing, overdriven tone of an electric guitar—gradually fading away into silence. It’s an interesting way to wrap things up, followed by a few seconds of atmospheric quiet.

At the very beginning, there’s also a subtle, magical sound—perhaps from a synthesizer—that evokes dreams. I actually prefer this to HIM; maybe it’s just because it’s new to me. The band, Negativ, has been around for a long time—they’ve even reunited—and they’re still playing that same style: melancholic, atmospheric, with a faint, frosty chill.

And one more significant detail: the music video. It’s very cinematic—far better than the typical music video from an average band, where things often feel nonsensical or poorly matched to the music. This video is excellent; it’s the kind of visual that makes you want to watch and listen to the song all over again. The singer is on a rooftop, surrounded by the very sky I mentioned—filled with dense, bright clouds. It sets a specific mood.

The word "heavens" (or "skies") flashes occasionally, like a supermarket sign. There’s a lightness to it, much like the clouds themselves. There’s a lot of white—reminiscent of those clouds—contrasted with black: the asphalt, the clothing worn by some of the musicians, and the actress who takes center stage. It’s definitely worth a look—to see the singer and the rest of the band. It feels just like a motion picture.