Hardcore band Negative Blast formed in San Diego during the depths of the pandemic when longtime buds Rainier Pesebre (vocals) and Alexander Jacobelli (guitar) began trading riffs and ideas in isolation. Jacobelli and bassist Patrick Callaway were touring buddies in their respective bands Lewd Acts and Hour of the Wolf during the early 2000s hardcore punk renaissance. Within two weeks of Pesebre and Jacobelli jamming ideas, Callaway relocated from Chicago to San Diego, cementing the songwriting core of the band.
At the time, Jacobelli operated Sunsick Studio in La Mesa, so he engineered and mixed the band’s early recordings. Their first EP, The First Four Months, was followed by DEMO 002. Initial shows featured Sam Rich (Del Vipers, Riverboat Gamblers) on drums before the group began work on their first LP, Echo Planet, released through Quiet Panic Records.
Midway through the record, Callaway reached out to Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless, Hot Snakes, Rocket From the Crypt), who joined on drums. With Rubalcaba, the band released a split with LA hardcore act SWEAT via Vitriol Records. In 2025, drummer Hunter Martinez (Decent Criminal, Human Issue) stepped in as a permanent member.
The group dropped their album Destroy Myself For Fun in summer 2025. The album was recorded at Sunsick Studios by the band’s own Alex Jacobelli and mastered by Brad Boatwright at Audiosiege, with release and distribution handled via Three One G and the band’s previous label Vitriol.
(Photo by Becky DiGiglio, courtesy Three One G)