Napalm Death
Inside the Torn Apart

THE REVIEW

Once again, Napalm Death entrust their seventh, heavy discography work to the capable hands of Colin Richardson.

It's 1997, exactly ten years since the debut and absolute cornerstone Scum, and compared to the extremities of the beginnings, we are faced with a much less chaotic, less direct work, even though those Grind-Death Metal blasts that set the standard are not lacking.

They are the inventors of Grindcore and can never put aside a genre they helped create and spread.

Sinister, heavy, granite-like with industrial overtones that can be clearly felt in many of the twelve tracks that form the album's sound framework.

Colin's production turns every single song into a truly immense tour de force.

Mid tempo where the contorted drumming with uneven and lopsided tempos of Danny Herrera stands out, confirming once again as the driving engine of a well-oiled, aggressive, perfect death machine.

After a brief departure from the group due to some disagreements with bassist Shane Embury, singer Mark "Barney" Greenway returns to the fold. His trademark growl is one of the most recognizable in the entire extreme scene; but this time, as with the previous Diatribes, there's also room for clean and much more understandable vocal lines.

The "commercial" Breed To Breathe opens the dirty dozen; the noisy and chaotic strikes of Reflect on Conflict and Prelude are the new punches in the gut that look to the past. The title track and the concluding The Lifeless Alarm are the darkest and gloomiest tracks that well represent the turning point and the successful attempt to step out of the usual auditory slaughterhouse. The fury and chaos are still evident; but now they are more controlled.

Passed, even if not with full marks

Diabolos Rising 666.