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Napalm Death is one of the few bands to have played two different genres and become legendary figures in both.
The band was formed in England around '84, when NWOBHM (acronym for New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) was raging and, overseas, the Thrash of the so-called “Bay Area.” Our guys, just teenagers, however, managed to coin a sound that for the first time could be defined as "Extreme Metal,” very distant from both the aforementioned currents and the new Death Thrash trends that were beginning to emerge in bands like Possessed and Sepultura.
Their historic debut in '86, “Scum,” literally shook the entire Metal scene: Punk Hardcore rhythms and themes (socially engaged) mixed with a distinctly Metal attitude and violence, all seasoned with a superhuman voice (probably the first growling). No form of melody, twenty-eight songs for thirty-three minutes of practically unlistenable music: the very young Napalm Death had generated Grindcore, a punch in the gut even for those accustomed to Slayer, Venom, and the like. But they soon abandoned this genre: from their fourth Full Length released in 1992 (excluding various Peel Sessions and unknown EPs), “Utopia Banished,” they dedicated themselves to Death Metal, a type that had by then acquired its own shape and was enjoying extraordinary success. With that single release, this English band violently penetrated the Olympus of Death Metallers, positioning themselves as one of the best and most active bands, standing out for their ability to put the platonic ideas of “rage” and “violence” into music.
The album I'm about to review is just a drop in the ocean of their monumental production, but in my opinion, it represents the highest point ever reached by the group in terms of power and adherence to Death metal canons, indeed, listening to this work one could definitively assert that this is THE Death Metal: perhaps I'm putting it this way also because it was the album that introduced me to this genre back in 1999 (I was indeed struck after seeing the video of “Plague Rages” in an episode of "Beavis & Butthead”). Released in 1994 after the aforementioned “Utopia Banished,” it has remained an unjustly ignored chapter by critics and fans: one of the distinctive elements of this album is, in my opinion, the singer, indisputably the best Napalm Death has ever had in their lineup. He is indeed the one who makes the difference and makes the CD, with his unheard-of growling power (much more than many Death and Brutal singers), a cornerstone of the genre. Pure rage screamed by “Barney” Greenway, the perfect partner of the musical proposal of “Fear, Emptiness, Despair.”
It should be noted that, from album to album, a noticeable improvement in technical level can always be appreciated: starting from the almost complete instrumental ignorance of the beginnings, we arrive in this album (and perhaps already in the previous one) to high medium standards, which certainly do not disappoint in the Death metal scene. The drum tempos are generally high and the drummer performs quite interesting numbers; certainly, he cannot be compared to many other drummers in the field, but he gives a great show of originality, more so than skill. The same can be said for the guitarists, who perform a work of indisputable power and impact. It's a shame that the bassist, the legendary Shane Embury, can't stand out and demonstrate his talent adequately, but unfortunately, this is a common limitation to many works of this genre. All the songs are excellently structured, between slowdowns (few) and very fast outbursts, although in the end, some kind of mid-tempos (if I may use this term) prevail.
It's hard to cite some representative tracks: probably those that best express the essence of the work are the opener “Twist The Knife,” the (unforgettable) single “Plague Rages,” and the deadly “Hung.” But what is most astonishing about this album is the communicative ability of this quintet: each song expresses a rage and violence that is also explained conceptually in the lyrics. The social denunciation is not an issue addressed with calm and optimism towards a more just future nor with the bravado of Punk, but with nihilism and fierce awareness. Barney's screams are not the screams of a subversive, but of someone who no longer even believes in the overthrow of the system, a system that possesses and controls everyone at all times: and then there is contempt, hatred towards an unjust society that feeds on the weak. It can be said that, in this sense, they continue the path started in far 1986, but they do so with renewed fierceness. If one then considers that they follow this line of thought even in their dealings with record labels (in their career they have clashed with the most important labels of the genre, from Earache to Columbia), one can appreciate even more their works' message.
A CD played with passion by one of the longest-lived and most fruitful Death Metal bands, which, over years and years of career, has consistently produced good work without letting the tension or quality level drop. As far as I'm concerned, “Fear, Emptiness, Despair” represents the creative peak of the band: Death metal without compromise, angry and with a devastating impact, recommended for all genre lovers but also for those approaching it for the first time. The immediacy of this CD will captivate the listener and make it very clear what Death is, what it evokes, and how it must be played.
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