“Blah blah blah since seminal record ‘Scum’, yada yada yada Brummie grindcore legends NAPALM DEATH etc etc etc 1.3 second long song ‘You Suffer’… HOLD THE RUDDY PHONE, BARNEY GREENAWAY IS SINGING?!”
Yes, it seems Napalm Death have grown tired of seeing the same review for every record as everyone has of reading them. Don’t take that the wrong way, as they haven’t turned into THE NAPALM DEATH ALL-SINGING ALL-DANCING CABARET – this album still contains 19 counts of some of the most twisted and most malevolent hardcore punk you’ll hear – however, over 30 years into the game, lazy write ups have seen their records in recent years slip just under the radar when their essentiality and progression should be revered, and this may just be the effort that will turn their heads.
The “clean vocals” I spoke of before come in ‘The Wolf I Feed’, a track you could probably imagine coming from ‘Miss Machine’ era DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. Death metal and grindcore aren’t genres that typically present themselves to experimentation, but it’s shown here with glimpses of saxophonist John Zorn (who you may know from his work with Mike Patton-fronted mentalists MR BUNGLE) on ‘Everyday Pox’. There’s even a friggin’ Gregorian choir on ‘Fall On Their Swords’.
It may be true that NAPALM DEATH aren’t reinventing the wheel with each record – the unrelenting vitriol and indignant bile can make for a gruelling listen in one go – but what certainly cannot be ignored is NAPALM DEATH’s mission statement as an active band in the 21st century. Their recent efforts have gone without the attention they truly deserve but this lot ain’t about to rest on their laurels anytime soon. Take the time to appreciate the NAPALM DEATH of now – extreme metal at its absolute ear-bleeding, punishing finest.
OLLIE CONNORS