With the arrival of Napalm Death's Apex Predator - Easy Meat last month, I knew I was two albums behind with Napalm's catalog and decided to catch up. I was able to get the limited edition version of Time Waits For No Slave containing a sticker and two bonus tracks.
The album begins with the alarm like riff of "Strong-Arm," a pro-peace and anti-violence juggernaut. Before you can get a breath in, "Diktat" opens with a semi-playful single string lick before the tremendous blast beats of underrated drummer Danny Herrera. Again, a quick breath, and the opening harmonics of "Work To Rule" give way to blast vocals telling us to stop and smell the roses and take the time to live life away from our daily grind. "On The Brink Of Extinction" has a great double bass drum groove and deals with evolution and whether the human race will survive itself. We get a few long breaths before the title track begins. The album title and song refers not only to slaves as we typically would think but all of humanity as we subject ourselves to sacrificing over a third of our life or more to a job we are forced to undertake in order to survive. Meanwhile, time rolls on and we may forget to really live. "Time Waits For No Slave" has some great double bass drum rhythms as well. "Life And Limb" is a bit of a curve ball with its slower tempo and a catchy punk anti-torture chorus. "Downbeat Clique" returns us to the hardcore punk grind.
The second half of the album begins with "Fallacy Dominion," an anti-discrimination track arguing against discrimination by appearance and legislated discrimination. "Passive Tense" is another slower crusher dealing with how societal expectations and political correctness are stifling. "Larceny Of The Heart" has some interesting droning guitars that remind me of the excellent Inside The Torn Apart album back in 1997. "Procrastination On The Empty Vessel" continues some of the droning, chiming guitars and deals with us needing to take a step back from the labor, toil, and grind of our everyday lives to remember to live and the idea that if we do not like where we are in life, then are we brave enough to make a change or will we trudge on disappointed? "Feeling Redundant" is a favorite of mine. I like the speedy opening and ending verses musically. The lyrics deal with not letting the past drag us down lest we repeat it. This also fits in with the overall theme of the album in seizing life by the horns. Without a blink, "A No-Sided Argument" tears up and has an atypical hardcore guitar solo. "De-Evolution Ad Nauseum" crunches the album to a close.
The first bonus track, "Suppressed Hunger," shows off Danny Herrera's drumming chops and unconventional rhythms. "Omnipresent Knife In Your Back" is a slow chant dirge with guitar feedback drones that are very different from the relentlessness of the main album. I am glad to have these extra tracks.
As I have said before, Napalm Death is not for everyone, but I really dig these guys not only for their musical craft, but their lyrical content. When you listen to Napalm and then listen to their contemporaries who have nothing better to talk about than Satan or gore, then those other bands seem kind of corny and childish in comparison.
Keep listening and thank you for reading.
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