NAPALM DEATH — Time Waits for No Slave (review)

NAPALM DEATH — Time Waits for No Slave album cover Album · 2009 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
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.
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