Napalm Death

[yourenotevil]

i am making a thread about a band that doesn't suck or have questionable records(well, maybe some in the mid 90s) and/ or values. what era do you like best? i always thought this band was kind of like DRI in that kids seemed more into having a shirt from the band than knowing or caring that much about their records. seemed like that really happened when they covered nazi punks in 1994 and you could buy that shirt, as ND were def not making those kind of records at that time. i have seen them twice and they put on a good show. neglected seeming them in recent years because they usually ended up supporting bands like municipal waste or something and not playing a full set. scum is great, but i like the enslavement to utopia era better. when you think about all of the bands these guys spawned from their actual line up, it is pretty crazy. i know some people knock em for not having the same members as when they started, but they have had the same line up since 1991(pretty much) and still tour the world every year. my friend played at a fest with them in mexico earlier in the year and said they are still down to earth guys and love what they are doing.

[gregpolard]

They were better when xxxHunterxxx was in the band.

[yourenotevil]

They were better when xxxHunterxxx was in the band.

tired, hack jokes from the old board will result in serious detriment to said poster's health.

[MXV]

I really like the first two albums. I think I have a couple other random ones but I never listen to them. I find it extremely humorous that they have zero original members and aren't even in their country of origin anymore. It was a strange evolution for sure. The only other band I can think of that evolved like that was Christian Death. I can't pass judgement on their modern stuff because I haven't heard it but I admire their longevity so they must be doing something right.

[Gary]

First two are the best,FETO being my favourite. There was a boot lp a few years ago with some demos that was really good too. After that I don't think they are bad,just don't feel the need to own them as the first two are so good.

[yourenotevil]

I really like the first two albums. I think I have a couple other random ones but I never listen to them. I find it extremely humorous that they have zero original members and aren't even in their country of origin anymore. It was a strange evolution for sure. The only other band I can think of that evolved like that was Christian Death. I can't pass judgement on their modern stuff because I haven't heard it but I admire their longevity so they must be doing something right.

shane has been in the band since 87, and the line up has been steady since 91, so i don't get all of the knocks on that kind of thing. i mean, scum was two different line ups and the guys who started the band or were in the early line up wanted to do their own thing-(justin to godflesh, jeff to carcass, and lee dorrian just seemed to get bored of fast music, hence his starting cathedral and his unwillingness to play live anymore). i mean, it is not as humorous as something like the vandals to me. they still also live in england as far as i know. i think you have to look at the demos/scum as a different band than the enslavement era and beyond.

[gregpolard]

They were better when xxxHunterxxx was in the band.

tired, hack jokes from the old board will result in serious detriment to said poster's health.

Says the guy who consistently makes fun of my awesome taste....

[yourenotevil]

They were better when xxxHunterxxx was in the band.

tired, hack jokes from the old board will result in serious detriment to said poster's health.

Says the guy who consistently makes fun of my awesome taste....

awesome in this sense would have to be a very nebulous gray area. i would say you and i might agree on like 20 percent of what good music is. on hardcore, we match up and maybe some post hc related shit like quicksand or whatever, or the random band like screeching weasel and stuff like nirvana. other than that, there is no common ground.

[gregpolard]

They were better when xxxHunterxxx was in the band.

tired, hack jokes from the old board will result in serious detriment to said poster's health.

Says the guy who consistently makes fun of my awesome taste....

awesome in this sense would have to be a very nebulous gray area. i would say you and i might agree on like 20 percent of what good music is. on hardcore, we match up and maybe some post hc related shit like quicksand or whatever, or the random band like screeching weasel and stuff like nirvana. other than that, there is no common ground.

I like Grey Area too.

[Chris Shary]

Saw them a couple of times in 87-88, and they never did anything for me. Live they just did not deliver at all. In fact I believe a very early show with Shane I had seen where they were literally teaching him the songs before playing them. Teaching them took longer than the song itself. Since I was so bummed on them live I never went back and listened to their records. Considering how long they have been doing it, they have gotten me curious. I'd imagine Welly had seen them quite early on as well, so I wonder what his thoughts are.

[FormerLurker]

Every time I think I might like them, the vocals kick in.

[MXV]

I really like the first two albums. I think I have a couple other random ones but I never listen to them. I find it extremely humorous that they have zero original members and aren't even in their country of origin anymore. It was a strange evolution for sure. The only other band I can think of that evolved like that was Christian Death. I can't pass judgement on their modern stuff because I haven't heard it but I admire their longevity so they must be doing something right.

shane has been in the band since 87, and the line up has been steady since 91, so i don't get all of the knocks on that kind of thing. i mean, scum was two different line ups and the guys who started the band or were in the early line up wanted to do their own thing-(justin to godflesh, jeff to carcass, and lee dorrian just seemed to get bored of fast music, hence his starting cathedral and his unwillingness to play live anymore). i mean, it is not as humorous as something like the vandals to me. they still also live in england as far as i know. i think you have to look at the demos/scum as a different band than the enslavement era and beyond.

There is nothing at all humorous about The Vandals. Anything after the second record is not the Vandals and just plain sucks.

[MXV]

I thought the current Napalm Death were based in Florida

[patient_ot]

Reiterating what I said from the other thread but:

BBC/Peel Sessions were the best thing they ever did. First two albums were classics. I don't really like anything after that. Never seen them live.

I'd actually rather listen to one of Mick Harris' projects than anything after FETO. He had some good ones: Painkiller, several Lull albums, some collab projects in the 90s like the ones with Laswell and Plotkin. I suppose it would depend on your taste, but I'm a big fan of 70s-90s experiemental/ambient music so...

[tad ghostal]

I really like the first two albums. I think I have a couple other random ones but I never listen to them. I find it extremely humorous that they have zero original members and aren't even in their country of origin anymore. It was a strange evolution for sure. The only other band I can think of that evolved like that was Christian Death. I can't pass judgement on their modern stuff because I haven't heard it but I admire their longevity so they must be doing something right.

shane has been in the band since 87, and the line up has been steady since 91, so i don't get all of the knocks on that kind of thing. i mean, scum was two different line ups and the guys who started the band or were in the early line up wanted to do their own thing-(justin to godflesh, jeff to carcass, and lee dorrian just seemed to get bored of fast music, hence his starting cathedral and his unwillingness to play live anymore). i mean, it is not as humorous as something like the vandals to me. they still also live in england as far as i know. i think you have to look at the demos/scum as a different band than the enslavement era and beyond.

Yeah, this is true. The founding members of ND (of which there haven't been any since the B-side of "Scum") just gave that band away to other people. It's not a Christian Death-like situation where some less than ethical shit went on. I have heard, though, that Nic Bullen was pissed about "From Enslavement To Obiliteration" only because that was also the title of a demo from when he led the band and no one ever asked him if they could use that title for an album.

I think the current Napalm Death is based all over the world. I think Barney still lives in the UK but I think the rest of the guys like in the US. I'm not entirely sure, though.

I have some of the band's recent albums and I think they're really great.

[WrEtcH]

it's funny, usually I'm an "earlier albums" guy with most bands, but if anything Mtv did right was get me into "Fear Emptiness Despair" to which is still my fave NAPALM album. I liked the cleaner production as opposed when I first heard "Scum." When I bought "Fear Emptiness Despair," I got NAPALM DEATH and "Scum" (as an album) also and realized how solid of an album it is. I have to be in a mood to listen to it, but "Fear" I can listen to it anytime. It's sort of like CARCASS where I prefer "Heartwork" as opposed to the earlier stuff.

I kinda lost track with ND, the last album I bought was "The Code Is Red." I was buying other stuff and couldn't keep with their current releases as it was a "it will always be there and I'll get it later" as I was buying more IMMORTAL, ENSLAVED and DARKTHRONE at the time. While all their stuff is quality, the last one I really enjoyed was "Words from the Exit Wound."

Without a doubt, NAPALM DEATH are a major influence to death metal and grindcore.

[MXV]

My favorite Napalm Death record is the peel sessions EP. That thing is amazing and the sound on it is so powerful, especially compared to the versions of those songs on Scum.

[yourenotevil]

I really like the first two albums. I think I have a couple other random ones but I never listen to them. I find it extremely humorous that they have zero original members and aren't even in their country of origin anymore. It was a strange evolution for sure. The only other band I can think of that evolved like that was Christian Death. I can't pass judgement on their modern stuff because I haven't heard it but I admire their longevity so they must be doing something right.

shane has been in the band since 87, and the line up has been steady since 91, so i don't get all of the knocks on that kind of thing. i mean, scum was two different line ups and the guys who started the band or were in the early line up wanted to do their own thing-(justin to godflesh, jeff to carcass, and lee dorrian just seemed to get bored of fast music, hence his starting cathedral and his unwillingness to play live anymore). i mean, it is not as humorous as something like the vandals to me. they still also live in england as far as i know. i think you have to look at the demos/scum as a different band than the enslavement era and beyond.

Yeah, this is true. The founding members of ND (of which there haven't been any since the B-side of "Scum") just gave that band away to other people. It's not a Christian Death-like situation where some less than ethical shit went on. I have heard, though, that Nic Bullen was pissed about "From Enslavement To Obiliteration" only because that was also the title of a demo from when he led the band and no one ever asked him if they could use that title for an album.

I think the current Napalm Death is based all over the world. I think Barney still lives in the UK but I think the rest of the guys like in the US. I'm not entirely sure, though.

I have some of the band's recent albums and I think they're really great.

i can't find anything online to support this, but i am still pretty sure they all live in the UK. when jesse was in the band i think he still lived in the u.s. i think if the other guys lived in the US they would play more one off shows out here at fests and stuff.

[the mean]

There is nothing at all humorous about The Vandals.

Good band to bring up in a thread about a band who recorded with no original members. Let's work TSOL and Uniform Choice into this conversation as well.

[Knutsen]

I saw them once in 1988 or so and can say their drummer is reeeaaallly fast.

[captain2man]

I love Napalm. A relentless band both musically and by work-load. 15 full-lengths since 1987, which by my math means they're averaging better than an album every other year for 26 years....off the top of my head, I can't think of too many other bands with that kind of output consistency.....and there are no real duds in the catalog either, making it all the more impressive.

Not to mention they've put out tons of EPs and splits and whatnot and seemingly tour almost non-stop. And - on top of that - a few of the guys are even involved with long-standing side projects. It's like a bunch of guys who have genuinely devoted their entire lives to their art. Although I know Barney has said that once Napalm is done, he will move on with his life and he won't ever do another band. Although in that same interview, it was implied that there was no actual end in sight for the band.

Personally, I love the early grindcore stuff, i.e., the Lee Dorrian era, although Harmony Corruption has a special place in my heart since it was the first album I actually heard and digested. The Peel Sessions might very well be one of the most brutal releases ever.

And to touch upon the line-up changes.....truth is, there were no original members left by the time they were done with the very first record. The only original member on the first side was bassist/vocalist Nik Bullen (keep in mind that Side One and Side Two of Scum have entirely different line-ups except for drummer Mick Harris who, himself, wasn't an original member)....the second side has no original members.

Yet - with that said - they are actually a band with an extremely consistent line-up.....the band has had the same line-up in place since 1992 (Utopia Banished)....save for the death of Jesse Pintado in 2006 - and he wasn't replaced in the band.

[yourenotevil]

I love Napalm. A relentless band both musically and by work-load. 15 full-lengths since 1987, which by my math means they're averaging better than an album every other year for 26 years....off the top of my head, I can't think of too many other bands with that kind of output consistency.....and there are no real duds in the catalog either, making it all the more impressive.

Not to mention they've put out tons of EPs and splits and whatnot and seemingly tour almost non-stop. And - on top of that - a few of the guys are even involved with long-standing side projects. It's like a bunch of guys who have genuinely devoted their entire lives to their art. Although I know Barney has said that once Napalm is done, he will move on with his life and he won't ever do another band. Although in that same interview, it was implied that there was no actual end in sight for the band.

Personally, I love the early grindcore stuff, i.e., the Lee Dorrian era, although Harmony Corruption has a special place in my heart since it was the first album I actually heard and digested. The Peel Sessions might very well be one of the most brutal releases ever.

And to touch upon the line-up changes.....truth is, there were no original members left by the time they were done with the very first record. The only original member on the first side was bassist/vocalist Nik Bullen (keep in mind that Side One and Side Two of Scum have entirely different line-ups except for drummer Mick Harris who, himself, wasn't an original member)....the second side has no original members.

Yet - with that said - they are actually a band with an extremely consistent line-up.....the band has had the same line-up in place since 1992 (Utopia Banished)....save for the death of Jesse Pintado in 2006 - and he wasn't replaced in the band.

glad to hear them getting some love on here. the only thing i will disagree with you on is their mid to late 90s period. i think diatribes and most of the that era was pretty forgettable, save for a few songs. and yeah, i don't see napalm breaking up until a key member dies or walks away for good.

[captain2man]

glad to hear them getting some love on here. the only thing i will disagree with you on is their mid to late 90s period. i think diatribes and most of the that era was pretty forgettable, save for a few songs. and yeah, i don't see napalm breaking up until a key member dies or walks away for good.

I actually do agree with that.....you know, I think the '90s were sort of a weird time for metal anyway.....and I think there was definitely a dip with the Greed Killing EP/Diatribes LP era.....but it was a brief skid, because the quality came back completely after that period. Still - in light of a lot of what was going on with extreme metal in 1995-96, it was better than most.

[yourenotevil]

glad to hear them getting some love on here. the only thing i will disagree with you on is their mid to late 90s period. i think diatribes and most of the that era was pretty forgettable, save for a few songs. and yeah, i don't see napalm breaking up until a key member dies or walks away for good.

I actually do agree with that.....you know, I think the '90s were sort of a weird time for metal anyway.....and I think there was definitely a dip with the Greed Killing EP/Diatribes LP era.....but it was a brief skid, because the quality came back completely after that period. Still - in light of a lot of what was going on with extreme metal in 1995-96, it was better than most.

i think that musical direction of the band lead to barney quitting/getting fired(whichever version you want to prescribe to). at least he made that ENT album while he was out of ND. i would have liked to have seen what vane would have done with them actually.

i think bands that were big in the 80s like maiden, anthrax and priest all really suffered in the 90s, but it was mostly from key members leaving and just running out of ideas. that is when i started seeing those bands and there were some really sad moments. i got free tickets to priest and anthrax in 99 or so and the audience reaction to both of them was pretty weak and the arena was half empty. then every band seemed to try to jump on the metallica black album album bandwagon(like overkill) or everyone tried to sound like pantera(testament def went that route). i do think european metal was very strong in the 90s, as well as american death metal. but i guess i am looking back through a different perspective, as i wasn't there for most of it. i remember reading about how SOIA and napalm death did a tour, that would be awesome to see today.

[Bill]

Napalm's most recent album, Utilitarian from 2012, is without a doubt the best of the Barney era. It's pretty insane that a band would put out their best record 30 years (20+ with the same core lineup, for the MXV style stiklers) in.

[yourenotevil]

Napalm's most recent album, Utilitarian from 2012, is without a doubt the best of the Barney era. It's pretty insane that a band would put out their best record 30 years (20+ with the same core lineup, for the MXV style stiklers) in.

eh,i would def argue against that. harmony corruption and utopia are way better to me. i like the more recent albums, but everything since jesse left the band(he was credited on the last two albums he was on but it was almost 100 percent overdubbed) has kind have blended together for me. this album is def good though.

[The Snake]

Love first two albums, Mentally Murdered EP, Peel Sessions, Death By Manipulation compilation LP and for some strange reason - Fear, Emptiness, Despair LP. Harmony Corruption and Utopia Banished are kinda OK, but also nothing special comparing to older material. Never got into stuff after Fear...
I saw Napalm live here in Zagreb in 1995. At The Gates were on tour with them, when nobody knew who they were at the time (that reminds me on when I saw Slayer in 1998. and System Of a Down were on tour with them and nobody knew who they were at the time, ha ha). Napalm were OK on that show but I wasn´t blown away. I guess I expected more old songs, silly me. After that, they played bunch of times here, but I never bothered to check them out.

[MJH]

i remember reading about how SOIA and napalm death did a tour, that would be awesome to see today.

Saw this tour in Lawrence, Kansas at the good ol' Outhouse. Huge tour bus next to a cinderblock shack in a cornfield. 1991 or 92.

[yourenotevil]

Love first two albums, Mentally Murdered EP, Peel Sessions, Death By Manipulation compilation LP and for some strange reason - Fear, Emptiness, Despair LP. Harmony Corruption and Utopia Banished are kinda OK, but also nothing special comparing to older material. Never got into stuff after Fear...
I saw Napalm live here in Zagreb in 1995. At The Gates were on tour with them, when nobody knew who they were at the time (that reminds me on when I saw Slayer in 1998. and System Of a Down were on tour with them and nobody knew who they were at the time, ha ha). Napalm were OK on that show but I wasn´t blown away. I guess I expected more old songs, silly me. After that, they played bunch of time here, but I never bothered to check them out.

next time they come through, you should check them out. they definitely change up the set list and now they do about one or two songs from the 94 to 00 era, if any at all. always a fair amount off of scum, one from utopia and harmony corruption, and so forth. their last 4 or 5 albums are also really strong in most aspects.