Grindcore. The term conjures up images of a metallic sub-genre that does nothing but grate away endlessly like some tool toiling in a dirty factory. It makes you think of same old, same old; a place where nothing ever changes and what was once shocking is now just a dingy, repetitive skeleton of its former self.
And until the release of Napalm Death's latest album The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code, you'd be spot on. Grindcore — and in effect death metal — were going through the motions over the past, oh, decade.
It was getting boring. But something shot a spark up Napalm Death's ass. Maybe it's turning 25. Maybe it's frustration with the "scene" they created. Whatever it is, it's resulted in one hell of an album, the band's best in years.
"I think I know what it is," relates vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway. "People say you get more conservative as you get older. I turn into more of a pinko. I'm angered at the world and it shows in this album."
Disgruntled with the globe's continually deteriorating political climate, something Greenway was forced to acknowledge as Napalm Death toured Indonesia recently, the band have taken a very simple political point of view with The Code Is Red — it's not working. Fix it.
"I believe in no borders at this point — talking in simple terms — we get judged on race and geographic location all the time. [It] creates divisions and instant stereotypes. I love people for people. Worth should not be judged on the comfort level your life has. The sooner we realize that, the sooner the balance of power will start to shift."
Such a prophetic answer from a band who once revered themselves for a two-second song comprised of nothing but a short grunt and guitar blasts. But listening to the politically-charged rantings on The Code Is Red, one can't help but realize that Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera have successfully channeled their aggression this time around.
Always known to be an intelligent band in an otherwise thick-minded scene, Greenway is stunned at this record's final results. Comparing some of the album's more lucid moments to that of The Swans or My Bloody Valentine, he may seem to be well, crazy, but as the album unfolds and sucks you in, maybe he's onto something.
"There's nothing that irritates me more than hearing my favourite bands trying to keep up with the Joneses. They scrape away some of the elements that made them special in the first place," he says. "We try to realize that with Napalm, but still branch out within that framework. Striking that balance for Napalm makes a special album. It really hit home on this one."
Similarly, Greenway admits that it's a fine, dangerous line to ride when a band try to challenge themselves without alienating their core base of fans. The fact that The Code Is Red will clearly satiate both sides is not only rewarding — it's surprising.
"The core of the band doesn't have to be stagnant. Napalm is seen as a pioneering band. To be in a band that pushes music to the nth degree is going to excite you. To be controlled and metronomic? We don't do that. We attack stuff. We have to push the whole thing down the stairs. And it really went crashing all the way down this time. Without sounding pompous, even I had to stand back and take notice."
Post a comment