Napalm Death is an english death metal band formed by Nicholas Bullen and Miles Ratledge...they are generally acknowledged to have been the first band to invent the grindcore genre...fortunately, the band progressed from these beginnings after their first two albums and became a death metal band...Napalm Death was originally called Civil Defence and started in 1982...well, information about the background of the band during this period is very rare and scarce, since they did little recording...the history of the band is one of constant member rotation, and by the second side of their debut album Scum, they didnt count with any original members...and although no member of the original line-up is playing in the band these days, they haven't cut down on their ferocity...their ceaseless worldwide touring helped them gaining technical perfection and thus the ability to refine their sound...their songs continued to be inalterable monuments of fury...hmm...specially the latest releases...showing us their dedication to sheer brutality...well, in my opinion a strong line-up, and the knowledege that the right people are doing the right job assures us that as long as Napalm lives, extreme music is in good hands...so cheesy! I know...

I like all their eras, specially the Grindcore beginnigs (being "From Enslavement To Obliteration" the masterpiece of the genre)...

I had always loved their protest attitude, the underdeveloped yet very strong music, the raw feeling and anger unleashed.

Their only album that had been actually difficult for me to get into is "Scum"... well, it's much closer to Punk than to Metal and the production makes it rather difficult to enjoy. Then comes the extraordinary FETO and then well, since "Harmony Corruption" we must consider Napalm Death as an absoluetly different band because of the formation changes.. that is my favourite album by them... After that, "Utopia Banished was rather unispired in comparison...

Since "Fear Emptiness Despair" Napalm Death adopted a much more modern, hardcore-metal sound, being the climax the album "Diatribes", very direct and dense as hell release...

Then i king of lost their footsteps until "The Code Is Red..." one of my favourite albums of the last year... I consider it to be some kind of back to Death Metal, yet with moder touches...

"Harmony Corruption" was my first extreme metal album, I picked it up back in 91 on cassette - still remains one of my five favorite DM releases ever.

I have most of their old catalog from "Scum" through "F,E,D" as well as the "The Code is Red", which is another ridiculously strong album.

Great band whose punk-ish political attitude helped immerse me in extreme metal.

Napalm Death is excellent when they do Grindcore.

They're pretty good when they do Death Metal.

Scum and The Code is Red... were excellent albums.

Order of the Leech and everything surrounding Diatribes were pretty good.

I am surprised to see so few threads about them and the threads that are about them are not too visited. Yes, they are the creators of grindcore and are also a very important band in the genre. They have changed from the grindcore style but still aren't pure death metal. All the albums have something special, even the ones released nowdays. The last album, SMEAR CAMPAIGN is an amaising album. Perfectly fit with their so known style ! Most of the songs are fast and powerfull creating a fury atomsphere, rebelious and creative. Amaising sound and extreme brutality ! After some thime they are still good at it and i hope they will make a tour that will include my country !

napalm death are the best live band i have ever seen. their shows is just pure intense

My band is playing a cover on "You Suffer" Amazing song!

Napalm Death rocks!

I was very impressed with The Code is Red. It sounded like they were completely revitalized.

I love this band!

Their song, "Cleanse Impure" was literally the very first Death Metal song I've ever heard. I don't like their GrindCore stage, but their DM stuff is great, very aggressive and angry. Good stuff.

Written by Guest on 27.07.2006 at 22:07

My band is playing a cover on "You Suffer" Amazing song!

Napalm Death rocks!

Heh heh, I'm not sure how a second long track can have an impact on anyone, but whatever!

I've only heard one track from the most recent album The Code is Red, and I'm impressed. I'm gonna try getting a few albums before I see them in October

Written by SteTech on 28.07.2006 at 18:04

Written by Guest on 27.07.2006 at 22:07

My band is playing a cover on "You Suffer" Amazing song!

Napalm Death rocks!

Heh heh, I'm not sure how a second long track can have an impact on anyone, but whatever!

I've only heard one track from the most recent album The Code is Red, and I'm impressed. I'm gonna try getting a few albums before I see them in October

Pun intended ^^. (But its no joke that we cover it )

Napalm Death has always been Grindcore...they just made their music alittle technical over the years but there is alittle death metal thrown in i guess...after all,Barney Greenway and Shane Embury are fans of all Extreme Music,,,anyways...all of Napalm Death's albums are badass especially the The Code is Red, Fear emptiness,Despair,Scum......they are probably One of my Favorite Grind bands next to Pig Destroyer...both are soo unique and stand out among all that Splatterhouse records shit that has a roster that sounds the same.and Streetcleaner, Grindcore is a subgenre of Punk,Not Metal...so that might Explain why you hear The Punk elements on Scum...StreetCleaner is one of my Favorite Godflesh albums btw

@Jesus_Puncher: well, I wanted to say exactly that: Grindcore is a spawn of punk, and that is specially notorious on Scum... well, I don't agree that ND had always been Grindcore though... albums like Fear Emptiness Despair or Diatribes have nothing of it... and yess, Streetcleaner is a killer album indeed...

I agree with Streetcleaner... "Diatribies" isn't a grindcore album... it's not a bad album but i don't like it, i prefer their new stuff (or the older ones)...

Written by Guest on 10.09.2006 at 06:17

@Jesus_Puncher: well, I wanted to say exactly that: Grindcore is a spawn of punk, and that is specially notorious on Scum... well, I don't agree that ND had always been Grindcore though... albums like Fear Emptiness Despair or Diatribes have nothing of it... and yess, Streetcleaner is a killer album indeed...

ehhh..yes and no...you're right in a sense that those albums weren't Pure Grind,However there is still grind on those said albums...it dont really matter though...ND is badass either way...we'll just agree to disagree

These fuckers are comin to where I live, and despite the not so good bands they're touring with, its gonna be great.

Written by SteTech on 28.07.2006 at 18:04

Written by Guest on 27.07.2006 at 22:07

My band is playing a cover on "You Suffer" Amazing song!

Napalm Death rocks!

Heh heh, I'm not sure how a second long track can have an impact on anyone, but whatever!

You should ask John Peel. He played it repeatedly on his show back in the day...

Written by BitterCOld on 16.11.2006 at 01:31

Written by SteTech on 28.07.2006 at 18:04

Written by Guest on 27.07.2006 at 22:07

My band is playing a cover on "You Suffer" Amazing song!

Napalm Death rocks!

Heh heh, I'm not sure how a second long track can have an impact on anyone, but whatever!

You should ask John Peel. He played it repeatedly on his show back in the day...

See I would, but sadly he died two years ago!

I'd just like to point out a few things. Bear with me, it's gonna be long winded.

Technically Napalm Death were not the first grindcore band, therefore they didn't actually invent it. Mick Harris did however coin the term 'grindcore', so giving the faster variety of crust/hardcore it's own unique identity. Infact the origins of grindcore began in the U.S. with two important bands for the genre; Seige and Repulsion. Seige were a hardcore band that released a demo in 1984 that is still to this day, said to be either the first grindcore release, or at least the first proto-grind recording. Not that they were the first to use blast beats (That goes to D.R.I. and even the Beastie Boys in their early hardcore incarnation circa 1981/1982), but they cemented it into a final form so to speak.

Repulsion considered themselves death metal (some members tried out in Chuck Schuldiner's Mantas for a short while), but they radically sped up things to the point that it was infact grindcore. Mick Harris was a huge fan of this band, and it was they who influenced him to get faster and tighter with his drumming. That's why when Napalm Death played 'Deciever' live, they tagged the first riffs of the Repulsion song 'Burning Stench Of Death' to the start of it, as a tribute to Repulsion.

Napalm Death did put the genre in the spotlight though, and it cannot be disputed at how important this band was to metal in general. Ex-members created and/or helped the sub-genres industrial metal (Justin Broadwick in Godflesh), Grind-jazz (Mick Harris in Pain Killer), doom/death (Lee Dorrian in Cathedral), goregrind and melodic geath metal (Bill Steer in Carcass). Needless to say, metal wouldn't be the same without this band and it's individual members.

So is it obvious I love this band?? lolz
The Mentally Murdered ep is one of the greatest grind recordings ever. And they pretty much have not missed a step in their whole crareer. The late 90's saw a few "only decent" albums, but the rest have been spot on brilliant. The latest 'Smear Campaign' is a killer and should not be missed.

(phew!)

No matter what 'genre' this band falls into. They should just be praised.
Sure, debate if they're 'grindcore' or 'death metal'. But remember, this band don't get ordered around by record labels. In a recent interview I read, Greenway said (along these lines) "If i could run my own record label, I would... But the time and effort I put into this band, is already enough."

At the moment, I have the following albums..
Scum,
Order Of The Leech,
Noise For Music's Sake,
The Code Is Red? Long Live The Code,
Smear Campaign.

(I will give you a word for word quote of what Greenway said soon.) (The interview I kinda quoted from, is from the UK edition of Metal Hammer, Issue December 2006)

I would recommend "Harmony Corruption" - it is my favorite ND album.

Written by Guest on 27.07.2006 at 16:13

I am surprised to see so few threads about them and the threads that are about them are not too visited. Yes, they are the creators of grindcore and are also a very important band in the genre. They have changed from the grindcore style but still aren't pure death metal. All the albums have something special, even the ones released nowdays. The last album, SMEAR CAMPAIGN is an amaising album. Perfectly fit with their so known style ! Most of the songs are fast and powerfull creating a fury atomsphere, rebelious and creative. Amaising sound and extreme brutality ! After some thime they are still good at it and i hope they will make a tour that will include my country !

well what do you know, they are coming in my country, this should be awesome !

ND hell yeah!!!!!
The Gods of Grind!!!!!!!!!!!
I heard them first on MTV HB long long ago..... 'The World Keeps Turning'... And I go hooked...!!!
I love their raving and ranting on all from Scum thru to Smear Campaign...
WOW!!!!

Here's a funny thought..... having Napalm Death do a show in United Arab Emirates..... they could also release a new minialbum to accompany it.... called 'Stupid Oil Rich Arabs, Fuck OFF'!!!

NAPALM DEATH IS PLAYING HERE IN 2 DAYS AND IM GOIN!!!!!!!


It's gonna be so great!!!!


TRACE OF FILTH TO BE SCRAPED OFF!

The new album kicks major ass, as did The Code is Red, but the best of ND was From Enslavement To Obliteration. I love Barney's vocals they are so damn brutal and the drummer is very underrated. Not the best grind band but they are the creators of the genre so...

Written by spirit_inblack on 17.12.2006 at 04:34

The new album kicks major ass, as did The Code is Red, but the best of ND was From Enslavement To Obliteration. I love Barney's vocals they are so damn brutal and the drummer is very underrated. Not the best grind band but they are the creators of the genre so...

Okay so you say you love Barney's vocals, yet your favourite album is From Enslavement To Obliteration, so I guess that is despite it not featuring Barney but Lee Dorian (now of Cathedral). Btw, I only truly like Scum and From Enslavement... cause after that Napalm Death turned into a a normal run-of-the-mill a-dime-a-dozen death metal band. At least with their first two albums they were still an original band.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.12.2006 at 04:41

Written by spirit_inblack on 17.12.2006 at 04:34

The new album kicks major ass, as did The Code is Red, but the best of ND was From Enslavement To Obliteration. I love Barney's vocals they are so damn brutal and the drummer is very underrated. Not the best grind band but they are the creators of the genre so...

I only truly like Scum and From Enslavement... cause after that Napalm Death turned into a a normal run-of-the-mill a-dime-a-dozen death metal band. At least with their first two albums they were still an original band.

Smear Campaign is definitely a grindcore album....you don't like it?

I think all of the albums that were released by them between now and From Enslavement are grindcore, but just toned down a bit. They for sure aren't 100% death metal and I think the punk influences still show in their middle era, even if they aren't as prevalent as they are in Scum, Enslavement, and Smear Campaign.

Written by Dangerboner on 17.12.2006 at 05:03

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.12.2006 at 04:41

Written by spirit_inblack on 17.12.2006 at 04:34

The new album kicks major ass, as did The Code is Red, but the best of ND was From Enslavement To Obliteration. I love Barney's vocals they are so damn brutal and the drummer is very underrated. Not the best grind band but they are the creators of the genre so...

I only truly like Scum and From Enslavement... cause after that Napalm Death turned into a a normal run-of-the-mill a-dime-a-dozen death metal band. At least with their first two albums they were still an original band.

Smear Campaign is definitely a grindcore album....you don't like it?

I think all of the albums that were released by them between now and From Enslavement are grindcore, but just toned down a bit. They for sure aren't 100% death metal and I think the punk influences still show in their middle era, even if they aren't as prevalent as they are in Scum, Enslavement, and Smear Campaign.

I agree with you that Smear Campaign is 100% grindcore, The Code is red is just a bit grindcore, Leaders but not Followers I am leaving out of the equation since the ep and the pt 2 are just covers albums. But lemme see... Harmony Corruption has some slight grindcore influences but EVERYTHING after Harmony Corruption is 100% pure unadultered death metal, albeit the english variety and not the us, but death metal nonetheless. I don't hear any punk(grind, whatever you wanna call it) in those albums whatsoever. I can udnerstand people liking even the death metal era Napalm Death, but please, please don't say it is grindcore cause it is just pure death metal. But IMO a very bland sort of death metal. And it's not surprising that napalm death weren't as popular during that period as they were during their first two/three albums and also more or less now.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.12.2006 at 05:10

Written by Dangerboner on 17.12.2006 at 05:03

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.12.2006 at 04:41

Written by spirit_inblack on 17.12.2006 at 04:34

The new album kicks major ass, as did The Code is Red, but the best of ND was From Enslavement To Obliteration. I love Barney's vocals they are so damn brutal and the drummer is very underrated. Not the best grind band but they are the creators of the genre so...

I only truly like Scum and From Enslavement... cause after that Napalm Death turned into a a normal run-of-the-mill a-dime-a-dozen death metal band. At least with their first two albums they were still an original band.

Smear Campaign is definitely a grindcore album....you don't like it?

I think all of the albums that were released by them between now and From Enslavement are grindcore, but just toned down a bit. They for sure aren't 100% death metal and I think the punk influences still show in their middle era, even if they aren't as prevalent as they are in Scum, Enslavement, and Smear Campaign.

I agree with you that Smear Campaign is 100% grindcore, The Code is red is just a bit grindcore, Leaders but not Followers I am leaving out of the equation since the ep and the pt 2 are just covers albums. But lemme see... Harmony Corruption has some slight grindcore influences but EVERYTHING after Harmony Corruption is 100% pure unadultered death metal, albeit the english variety and not the us, but death metal nonetheless. I don't hear any punk(grind, whatever you wanna call it) in those albums whatsoever. I can udnerstand people liking even the death metal era Napalm Death, but please, please don't say it is grindcore cause it is just pure death metal. But IMO a very bland sort of death metal. And it's not surprising that napalm death weren't as popular during that period as they were during their first two/three albums and also more or less now.

What about Enemy of the Music Business? I definitely hear punk in that album, even though it's kinda slower grind (oxymoron?), which kinda makes me sad.

Yeah, Smear is 100% grind and a killer album as we all know. I beleive I read that it was in your top 5 pyro. They went on a little bit of a death metal-esque streak from FETO onwards. I would certainly say that The Code Is Red was all that grind, it sounded a little like DMish. lol yeah, that for sure is an oxymoron.