UMUR "The World Keeps Turning EP" is a 3-track EP release by UK grindcore/death metal act Napalm Death. The EP was released through Earache Records in June 1992 only a few days after the release of Napalm Death´s fourth full-length studio album "Utopia Banished" (June 1992, Earache Records). "The World Keeps Turning" is featured as track number 5 on "Utopia Banished", while "A Means to an End" and "Insanity Excursion" are both exclusive to this release. "The World Keeps Turning" is an alternate version to the one on "Utopia Banished" though, as all three tracks on the EP were recorded at a different recording session (and studio) than the material featured on "Utopia Banished"...

...and it´s audible. While the basic structures of "The World Keeps Turning" are still the same, an atmospheric intro has been added, and the more raw and unpolished sounding production job makes this version of the song a more savage and raw listen than the version featured on "Utopia Banished". "A Means to an End" is a relatively similar sounding track to "The World Keeps Turning" as it also features a mid-paced main riff but of course also faster paced parts (both fast and minimal blasting). "Insanity Excursion" opens in full-on blasting mode, but is also a fairly varied track with both mid-paced heavy parts and faster paced parts (in addition to the blast beat parts).

The raw sounding production, although arguably professional and well sounding almost appears demo like compared to the sound production on the contemporary "Utopia Banished", but I´m sure that´s exactly how Napalm Death envisioned this EP to sound. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Mass Appeal Madness" is an EP/mini-album release by UK grindcore/death metal act Napalm Death. The EP was released through Earache Records in 1991 and notably it´s the last release to feature drummer Mick Harris. Harris was the last musician left, who played on Napalm Death´s debut full-length studio album "Scum" (July 1987, Earache Records). Harris and bassist Shane Embury didn´t agree on the future musical direction of Napalm Death, with Harris pushing for the incorporation of more experimental musical ideas, while Embury wanted to keep the experiments within the band´s core grindcore/death metal style. Harris also had personal issues with both lead vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway and guitarists Mitch Harris and Jesse Pintado.

The EP bridges the gap between Napalm Death´s third- and fourth full-length studio albums "Harmony Corruption" (July 1990, Earache Records) and "Utopia Banished" (June 1992, Earache Records).

"Mass Appeal Madness" features four tracks and a total playing time of 8:53 minutes. "Mass Appeal Madness" and "Pride Assassin" are new original compositions while "Unchallenged Hate" and "Social Sterility" are both re-recorded tracks from the "From Enslavement to Obliteration" (September 1988, Earache Records) album. The new compositions are in the death metal style of "Harmony Corruption", but the more raw and unpolished sounding production on "Mass Appeal Madness" still makes them sound quite different from the material on the preceding album release. Both "Pride Assassin" and "Mass Appeal Madness" could well have been written around the same time as the material on "Harmony Corruption".

"Unchallenged Hate" is one of the standout tracks on "From Enslavement to Obliteration" and it´s therefore fully warranted that Napalm Death have opted to re-record it with a sharper and more brutal sounding production (although the original is great too). "Social Sterility" also sounds great in this new version. It´s still a mid-paced grindcore track, but with Barney´s brutal death metal growling vocals it becomes a much more potent and aggressive track than the original. Upon conclusion "Mass Appeal Madness" is worth checking out if you´re a fan of "Harmony Corruption" but could have wished for a more raw and unpolished production job. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Time Waits for No Slave" is the 14th full-length studio album by UK death metal/grindcore act Napalm Death. The album was released through Century Media Records in January 2009. It´s the successor to "Smear Campaign" from 2006. 3 years were at this point in the band´s career the longest time between album releases since they released their debut full-length studio album "Scum" in 1987...

...but I assure you that it has nothing to do with Napalm Death slowing down or showing signs of fatigue, because "Time Waits for No Slave" continues the fiercely aggressive, raw, and energetic death metal/grindcore style of the previous post-2000 releases by the band. Just as the case has been on the last couple of releases Russ Russell was brought in to produce "Time Waits for No Slave", and again he has created a massive, brutal, heavy, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. It´s maybe slightly too polished, and a little more filth and grit could have provided the album with more authentic rawness, but that´s details and not an issue.

"Time Waits for No Slave" features 14 tracks and a total playing time of 50:20 but there exists both a limited edition version and a special Japanese version, which features 2 and 3 bonus tracks respectively. The album was promoted with videos for the tracks "Time Waits for No Slave" and "On The Brink Of Extinction". Stylistically the listener is treated to aggressive, and both fast-paced and mid-paced heavy grindcore/death metal. The vocals are predominantly raw shouting semi-growling but guitarist Mitch Harris also performs the occasional higher pitched screaming vocal part. As always with Napalm Death the listener is challenged in terms of song structures, tempo changes, unconventional riffs and rhythms, but compared to the material on "Smear Campaign", the material on "Time Waits for No Slave" is actually a bit more conventional (which is of course always relative when dealing with Napalm Death).

After finishing the album it´s hard not to think that´s it´s another high quality release from Napalm Death in a now long line of high quality releases from the band, but if I have to make a slight critique it would be that "Time Waits for No Slave" isn´t a standout album in the band´s discography. It´s generally not an album where the band challenges themselves or their listeners much with new stylistic elements or experimental ideas. When it comes to Napalm Death less will of course do, and even a standard quality release from Napalm Death is still better than most of the best albums produced by other similar artists. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code" is the 12th full-length studio album by UK death metal/grindcore act Napalm Death. The album was released through Century Media Records in April 2005. One lineup change has happened since "Leaders Not Followers, Part 2 (2004)" as guitarist Jesse Pintado has jumped ship, leaving the band a four-piece with only one guitarist. Although credited, Pintado had in reality not performed on any of the band´s releases since "Enemy of the Music Business (2000)".

Stylistically the material on "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code" continues the raw and creative grindcore/death metal style of the two direct predecessors (not counting the covers album "Leaders Not Followers, Part 2 (2004)"), although it sounds more like the successor to "Enemy of the Music Business (2000)" than it does to "Order of the Leech (2002)". Ultra fast blast beats, hardcore punk rhythms and riffs, aggressive grindcore/death metal riffs in various paces, and Mark "Barney" Greenway´s raw barking vocals in front. It´s not easily accessible music and to some ears it´s probably very extreme, but quite a few of the tracks actually feature memorable hooks. Not melodic hooks, but memorable riffs, rhythms, or a vocal phrase here and there, that you can hold on to and in some cases even scream along to.

Common for all material on the 16 tracks on the 50:07 minutes long album is the intensity and raw power that it is delivered with, and how creative the songwriting is. This is not just 1, 2, 3, 4 noisy grindcore. It´s so much more than that, and repeated listens reveal a level of sophistication in the songwriting approach and the lyrical content that you won´t often experience on the most extreme parts of the metal scene. Upon conclusion "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code" is through and through a high quality album and a 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Smear Campaign" is the 13th full-length studio album by UK death metal/grindcore act Napalm Death. The album was released through Century Media Records in September 2006. It´s the successor to "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code" from 2005, and features the same four-piece lineup who recorded the predecessor. Mark "Barney" Greenway (lead vocals), Mitch Harris (guitar, backing vocals), Shane Embury (bass, backing vocals), and Danny Herrera (drums). As a first on a Napalm Death album a couple of tracks feature female vocals, as Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering, The Gentle Storm, solo) performs on "Weltschmerz" and "In Deference".

Stylistically the material on "Smear Campaign" pretty much continue the politically charged grindcore/death metal style of the predecessor (this time particularly critical of religion and religious institutions). In many ways it´s a similar sounding release to "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code (2005)", although Napalm Death branch out a little more on "Smear Campaign". The (very) rare use of clean vocals, and the inclusion of female vocals show development, but other than that this is post-2000 Napalm Death as we know and love them. Unconventionally structured tracks, fierce aggression, and highly energetic playing. Napalm Death are an incredibly well playing band and the listener is treated to one brutal and aggressive creative riff after another (even the most simple grindcore/hardcore riffs usually feature a twist or seque into something adventurous), constant tempo changes dictated by powerhouse drummer Herrera, and the gruff shouted vocals by Greenway. "Smear Campaign" also features a lot of screaming high pitched vocals performed by Harris, so the vocal part of the music is relatively varied.

"Smear Campaign" is a consistent release in terms of quality and style, and any track from the 16 track, 45:09 minutes long album could be mentioned as worth listening to. The often unconventional song structures have a lot to do with the album continuing to be an interesting listen throughout the album´s playing time and a good example of that is "Sink Fast, Let Go", which is initially a blast beat grindcore/hardcore infused track, which develops and features both heavier groove laden sections, and an atmospheric clean vocal part. That´s what sets Napalm Death apart from a lot of other grindcore acts. The perfect balance between raw aggression and sophisticated compositional details. Not many other contemporary artists in the genre master the latter to the point of perfection found on "Smear Campaign".

"Smear Campaign" features a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production which suits the material perfectly. The album was recorded from May to June 2006 at Foel Studios, Llanfair Caerinion, Wales with producer Russ Russell, which is a repetition of how "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code (2005)" was recorded and produced, again linking the two albums together in a sibling relationship. Upon conclusion "Smear Campaign" is yet another strong post-2000 album release by Napalm Death, and a 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.

Kingcrimsonprog Punishment In Capitals is a 2002 live DVD (also available on CD) by British extreme metal icons Napalm Death, released after their triumphant Enemy Of The Music Business album won back the praise of fans and critics after their experimental string of records in the nineties.

The band play a mixture of every era in their career up to that point, the catchy nineties singles ‘Breed To Breathe,’ and ‘Greed Killing,’ sit side by side with mid era death inspired fare such as ‘Suffer The Children,’ and ‘World Keeps Turning,’ which blends against the band’s early grindcore material era like ‘Scum,’ ‘Lucid Fairy Tale,’ and the famous ‘You Suffer,’ in a set list which also leans heavily on the band’s then newest, and still arguably best album Enemy Of The Music Business.

Standout tracks include an energetic version of ‘Hung,’ as well as ‘Can’t Play Won’t Play,’ and ‘Narcoleptic,’ which was as yet unreleased at the time of recording. With a set-list of this caliber, Punishment In Capitals should be a rewarding viewing experience for most Napalm Death fans and would serve well as an introduction to the band for potential fans as well.

Interestingly, the DVD recording retains all the dead air, waiting out-of-breathe and other non-musical moments in between tracks, presenting you the gig as it actually happened and not inter-cutting the show with outside material to create some false sense of professionalism or excitement. This is a double edged sword as it is commendable but may still irritate viewers raised on slicker, fast paced major label DVD releases.

The production is fairly good in terms of audio recording quality and mix, with simple camera work and editing covering the visual side of things. Although not the most impressive looking DVD ever released, it serves well for Napalm Death to deliver an energetic a sweaty performance. My only major gripe is that for the first half of the show shots of drummer Danny Herrera are very few and far between, but this is remedied later on.

There are a fair amount of extras too, including two bootleg quality recordings in Tokyo from 1996, a six track selection from a Chilean gig in 1997 as well as a hidden Easter Egg (a live-in-a-TV-studio version of ‘If The Truth Be Known,’ accessible by making the image’s eyes glow red my navigating the menu.) In addition to the musical extras there is also a documentary, which while not masterfully crafted is worth at least one watch, covering topics such as Barney’s haircut, the effect of foreign food on the bowels and the charity for which this gig was in aide of.

Overall, Punishment In Capitals is a worthwhile DVD purchase that will give you a good selection of Napalm Death material, both in the concert itself and with a nice selection of extras. Definitely recommended viewing for fans of the band.