Death metal is stereotyped as a bunch of noise with some guy barking unintelligible lyrics about death and gore packaged in a sleeve adorned with radical artwork. At first glance, the package of meaty chunks with a label stating Napalm Death to a casual observer will trigger disgust. Listening to the raw grindcore metal contained within will also be easily dismissible to the casual listener.
What a great loss...
As most of us sit in our air conditioned homes, snacking on bountiful food and drink, surfing the web or the television for entertainment, a large part of mankind is subjected to inhumanity and indignity day in and day out. Many people live day to day in fear of brutal terrorist groups. Many people live day to day doing backbreaking labor or working toxic jobs to make a pitiful wage. Many societies have caste systems where those in control are able to treat those lower than them like animals.
Napalm Death keep their finger on the pulse of inequality, indignity, and atrocity in our world and they succinctly channel the rage that should be in all of our hearts in their finely honed sonic outbursts. I have learned more about the injustices of this world through Napalm Death than through any other media. Occasionally, the corporate new broadcasts will touch on some of these stories, but it seems like nothing changes and nothing improves.
I have read several reviews of Apex Predator - Easy Meat and it has been disheartening to read the majority of them as they mention nothing as to the subject matter. They focus only on the music and the production quality. I even read one review stating man is the apex predator and all of the other creatures of the world are the easy meat.
As we are the apex predator on this planet, we find it very easy and convenient to prey upon our own kind. The album notes mention the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh as an influence on the record. Rana Plaza contained clothing factories, shops, and a bank. Cracks began to appear one day. The shops and bank closed. The clothing factories stayed open and even threatened withholding a month's wages from employees who did not show up. The building collapsed killing 1,129 workers the next day.
Napalm Death recorded this album across several recording sessions instead of a single session using different recording setups to vary the sound and they branched out with different types of sounds and arrangements. The end result is exactly what they aimed for in my opinion.
The opening title track is a prime example. The vocals are almost Gregorian chants against industrial clangs and hammers. "Smash A Single Digit" bursts with the grindcore Napalm Death are known for. What was amazing to me after reviewing track lengths on the album is the songs is 1:26 long and has multiple verses, choruses, and even a breakdown change of pace before returning to the main riff. One minute and 26 seconds.
The lyrics are very much about how people in control treat others inhumanely, Even now in the year 2015 mankind has a long way to go. Napalm have perfected the amalgamation of hardcore punk and death metal and "Bloodless Coup" is a great example. "Hierarchies" is a favorite of mine and even has a sing-along chorus.
The vinyl edition contains a vinyl only bonus track while the deluxe CD contains three other bonus tracks including a cover by a Swedish hardcore punk band called G-Anx whom I had not heard of before (Napalm are very good about covering obscure underground bands that have fallen through the cracks of music history).
If you are a Napalm Death fanatic, I think you will agree this is one of their strongest albums in their 30+ year career.
This style of music is not for everyone. Fred Roger's once asked, "What do you do with the mad that you feel?" Obviously, for Napalm Death, they create a musical juggernauts proclaiming to the world all is not well and we have to make this world a better place.
Keep listening and I thank you for reading this.
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