Napalm Death is back with Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw of Throes, a new slightly more experimental EP.
Since 1981, the band driven now by Shane Embury (bass, Brujeria, Lock Up, Venomous Concept, Tronos…), Mark “Barney” Greenway (vocals, ex-Benediction, ex-Extreme Noise Terror), Mitch Harris (guitar, Defecation, Brave the Cold, ex-Meathook Seed) and Danny Herrera (drums, ex-Venomous Concept) defends its idea through raw violence.
Helped by John Cooke (live guitarist, Venomous Concept, Corrupt Moral Altar) and Russ Russell (Tronos, Absolute Power) on effects, the band is well decided to offer us its Grindcore with diversified influences. With Narcissus, we feel some deep blackness on the introduction which will turn into an unfurling wave of rage under the banner of Hardcore/Punk accompanied by oppressive backing vocals. But the basis of their aggressiveness remains untouched, and we have it too on Resentment Always Simmers which unveils weighing and nearly occult tones, mainly with this hooking and strange introduction. Saturation quickly surfaces again, but it is still anchored into those dark tones before By Proxy comes to flood us of unchained violence with a short composition over which howlings are legion. We find this Old School violence before going to People Pie, a totally different and very groovy track on which the band welcomes Catherine Sharples (Kathika) for a vocal duo far from what we expect from the Grindcore legends. Did you ever think you would hear female backing vocals and Noise on Napalm Death one day? The day has come, but the band goes back to Old School Death Metal with Man Bites Dogged, while keeping Grindcore’s raw roots for shrilling harmonics. The song ends with oppressive vocals, then Slaver Through a Repeat Performance comes over while watering us with effective and aggressive riffs while staying special on vocals. We immediately understand which band we’re listening to, but we clearly feel experimentation is the basis of the song, then Don’t Need It comes with barely more than a minute of raw violence, the one on which the crowd will get unchained and allows the band does whatever they want, including a crazy solo. To close the album, the band decided to offer us a way darker version of Resentment is Always Seismic, entrusting it to Shane and his Dark Ambient/Industrial project Dark Sky Burial. Never mind what you expect, you will be surprised by its waves of blackness.
There is no doubt Napalm Death handles violence. However, their last album gave us a glimpse of new elements, which are developed on Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw of Throes, an as interesting as surprising EP, proving innovation can be good.
80/100