Spring Break
Metal watch: Napalm Death tears it up again
Ian Grogan
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: Diversions
Napalm Death
Time Waits For No Slave
Four stars
Label: Century Media Records
Check Out: Diktat," "Work to Rule," "Feeling Redundant"
Skip: "Time Waits For No Slave," "Life & Limb"
It's hard to describe a band like Napalm Death, mainly for the fact that it is so diverse and experimental. It has been almost 30 years since the members came together in England to form one of the most powerful bands in metal history, yet unlike other popularized bands, it's still relatively unknown. However, I feel that "Time Waits For No Slave" will put this band on the map.
Napalm Death is the product of several musicians on uppers, playing their instruments at insane speeds to create the offspring known as grindcore. Grindcore is a unique musical platform, because it combines so many diverse sounds to deliver an explosive sound all its own. This sound is either loved or hated amongst fans, making grindcore a difficult genre to master. However, Napalm Death has sifted through the diversity, clearing the path to its rightful throne of grindcore and diversifying the shape of metal to come.
"We soldier on, because this is what we believe in. There have been times when we've been close to everyone thinking is it time to do something else, but we've always managed to hang in there,"bass player Shane Embury said.
Napalm Death has maintained the same sounds since their first studio album was released in 1987. Although they may have made their songs a little longer (Napalm Death holds the Guinness world record for shortest song, "You Suffer," which clocks in at 1.316s), the group has been able to maintain a unique style, which is no small feat.
"Time Waits For No Slave" is Napalm Death's 14th studio album, but the message is still the same-heart pounding, ear-bleeding and mind-shattering one we have come to expect from this band. Although a few songs are a little rocky, overall the album is quite the piece of work. It still has its underlying anti-government themes, a trademark of the band, but it seems as if even those have been lifted a little bit in this album. The band had a major shift in the mid-90s that shifted the focus more to the music rather than just relying on bashing Bush and playing as fast as possible. Though, they haven't fully lost that side of themselves either; it's just more subtle on this release.
Time Waits For No Slave
Four stars
Label: Century Media Records
Check Out: Diktat," "Work to Rule," "Feeling Redundant"
Skip: "Time Waits For No Slave," "Life & Limb"
It's hard to describe a band like Napalm Death, mainly for the fact that it is so diverse and experimental. It has been almost 30 years since the members came together in England to form one of the most powerful bands in metal history, yet unlike other popularized bands, it's still relatively unknown. However, I feel that "Time Waits For No Slave" will put this band on the map.
Napalm Death is the product of several musicians on uppers, playing their instruments at insane speeds to create the offspring known as grindcore. Grindcore is a unique musical platform, because it combines so many diverse sounds to deliver an explosive sound all its own. This sound is either loved or hated amongst fans, making grindcore a difficult genre to master. However, Napalm Death has sifted through the diversity, clearing the path to its rightful throne of grindcore and diversifying the shape of metal to come.
"We soldier on, because this is what we believe in. There have been times when we've been close to everyone thinking is it time to do something else, but we've always managed to hang in there,"bass player Shane Embury said.
Napalm Death has maintained the same sounds since their first studio album was released in 1987. Although they may have made their songs a little longer (Napalm Death holds the Guinness world record for shortest song, "You Suffer," which clocks in at 1.316s), the group has been able to maintain a unique style, which is no small feat.
"Time Waits For No Slave" is Napalm Death's 14th studio album, but the message is still the same-heart pounding, ear-bleeding and mind-shattering one we have come to expect from this band. Although a few songs are a little rocky, overall the album is quite the piece of work. It still has its underlying anti-government themes, a trademark of the band, but it seems as if even those have been lifted a little bit in this album. The band had a major shift in the mid-90s that shifted the focus more to the music rather than just relying on bashing Bush and playing as fast as possible. Though, they haven't fully lost that side of themselves either; it's just more subtle on this release.
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