Napalm Death



Napalm Death are an extreme metal band (sometimes classified as 'death metal'), although they prefer the terms 'Grind' or 'grindcore' to describe the music they play, which they claim to have originally been influenced by the Swans. The band "pushed the envelope of metal to new extremes of ear-splitting intensity, rejecting all notions of melody, subtlety, and good taste to forge a brand of sonic assault almost frightening in its merciless brutality." (allmusic.com) According to Wikipedia, they were formed in Birmingham in 1981, although allmusic claims this was Ipswich in 1982.

Despite a number of line-up changes, the most well-remembered aggregation featured Lee Dorrian (vocals); Bill Steer, from Carcass (guitar); Shane Embury (bass); Mitch Harris (drums). In 1989 Mark "Barney" Greenaway and Jesse Pintado replaced departing members Dorrian and Steer respectively. Pintado died of liver failure in 2006.

They played a vital part in promoting extreme metal, with gruff vocals, thunderous drums and brief song lengths ('You Suffer', at 0.75 seconds, is listed in The Guinness Book Of Records as the shortest song ever recorded).

Links To Peel
"Napalm Death, whose LP 'Scum' boasts twenty-eight tracks of quite exceptionally rapid music, described on the sleeve as 'savagely brutal hardcore thrash', sounded as if they were playing soundtracks of the end of civilisation. I liked them a lot."

The band recorded two sessions for JP with the first line-up and one with the second as listed above. Greenaway said, "John Peel, essential for Napalm Death", as his constant promotion ensured widespread exposure for the band throughout their career, although he felt that the improved production values on the 1990 album Harmony Corruption took something of the band's appeal away.

As an interesting footnote to their influence, Terry Edwards, in his first session for Peel (recorded 1991-12-15) concluded his set with saxophone renditions of 'You Suffer', 'Your Achievement', 'Dead' and 'The Kill'.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Sessions
''We had to hire equipment - we had no amps, drums or cymbals - because we hadn't started touring then and had recorded on equipment available in studios. Anyway, we turned up. "How long are your songs?" Dale (Griffin) asked. "Pretty short, we'll do twelve numbers," we said. "Well, that's OK by us," they said, but I could see they weren't sure.''

''We literally blasted our way through it. I really enjoyed it. I was so happy with the sound that day. It was just a blinding vicious sound coming straight back at you. What Dale and the engineers didn't know was that the twelve songs came to only 5' 40" in all, the shortest ever Peel Session.''

''That first Napalm Death session had a huge impact. It was nearly perfect. It was like doing a great live recording, but more relaxed, a good experience. I think Peel enjoyed it too. He repeated it three times. '' (Mick Harris).

Three sessions. All were available on Strange Fruit, but have been re-released on the 3-CD compilation Grind Madness At The BBC.

1. Recorded: 1987-09-13. First broadcast: 22 September 1987. Repeated: 12 October 1987, 28 October 1987 2. Recorded: 1988-03-08. First broadcast: 20 April 1988. Repeated: 17 May 1988, 29 June 1988, 28 December 1988. 3. Recorded: 1990-08-12. First broadcast: 10 September 1990. Repeated: 25 November 1990.
 * The Kill, Prison Without Walls, Dead / Deceiver, Lucid Fairytale, In Extremis / Blind To the Truth, Negative Approach, Common Enemy / Obstinate Divide, Life, You Suffer.
 * Mutinational Corporations, Instinct Of Survival / Moral Crusade, Worlds Apart, Mad / Divine Death, C9, Control / Walls, Raging In Hell, Conform Or Die, SOB.
 * Unchallenged Hate, Mentally Murdered / From Enslavement To Obliteration, Suffer The Children / Retreat To Nowhere, Scum / Deceiver, Social Sterility.
 * Peel referred to this as the 'something old, something new' session, since 'Scum' and 'Deceiver' were songs featured on their debut release Scum; 'Unchallenged Hate', 'Mentally Murdered', 'From Enslavement To Obliteration', 'Retreat To Nowhere' and 'Social Sterility' are from the second LP From Enslavement To Obliteration; and 'Suffer The Children' originates from the then current release Harmony Corruption.

Other Shows Played

 * 1987
 * 27 July 1987: 'Sacrificed (LP-Scum)' (Earache)
 * 10 August 1987: 'Point Of No Return (LP-Scum)' (Earache)
 * 13 August 1987 (Rockradio): 'Divine Death (LP-Scum)' (Earache)
 * 14 August 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 066 (BFBS)): 'Sacrificed (LP-Scum)' (Earache)
 * 14 August 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 066 (BFBS)): 'Sacrificed (LP-Scum)' (Earache)


 * 1988
 * 30 May 1988: 'Deceiver / Lucid Fairytale / In Extremis (EP-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 24 June 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 087 (BFBS)): 'Obstinate Direction / Life / You Suffer Pt. 2 (12"-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 22 August 1988: Obstinate Direction / Life / You Suffer Pt. 2 (album - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit SFPSD 049
 * 27 August 1988 (Rockradio): 'Obstinate Direction / Life / You Suffer (EP-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 19 September 1988: 'Human Garbage / You Suffer (LP-Scum)' (Earache)
 * 31 October 1988: It's A M.A.N.S World! (LP – From Enslavement To Obliteration) Earache
 * 01 November 1988: Lucid Fairytale (LP – From Enslavement To Obliteration) Earache
 * 02 November 1988: Private Death (LP – From Enslavement To Obliteration) Earache
 * CD November 1988: Unchallenged Hate (LP – From Enslavement To Obliteration) Earache
 * 21 November 1988: Uncertainty Blurs The Vision (CD - From Enslavement To Obliteration) Earache
 * 25 November 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 093 (BFBS)): 'Uncertainty Blurs The Vision (LP-From Enslavement To Obliteration)' (Earache) (JP: 'Ah, I'm filled with a great and unwholesome love for them.')
 * 06 December 1988: From Enslavement To Obliteration (LP - From Enslavement To Obliteration) Earache
 * 19 December 1988: 'Moral Crusade (LP-Hardcore Holocaust (87-88 Sessions) - The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)


 * 1989
 * 15 March 1989: Scum (v/a album - The North Atlantic Noise Attack) Manic Ears ACHE 017
 * HO John Peel 10 1989: Life (v/a album - The North Atlantic Noise Attack) Manic Ears ACHE 017
 * 28 March 1989: Retreat To Nowhere (LP - From Enslavement To Obliteration) Earache
 * 17 April 1989: Multi-National Corporations / Instinct Of Survival / Stigmatised / Parasites (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit SFPSD 049
 * 21 April 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 103 (BFBS)): 'Multinational Corporations / Instinct Of Survival / Stigmatised / Parasites (CD-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 28 April 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 103 (BFBS)): 'Walls / Raging In Hell / Conform Or Die / S.O.B (CD-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 04 May 1989: Divine Death / C.S. / Control (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit SFPSD 049
 * 17 May 1989: Walls / Raging In Hell / Conform Or Die / S.O.B. (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit SFPSD 049
 * 30 May 1989: Re-Address The Problem (split 7" with S.O.B. - S.O.B. / Napalm Death) Sound Of Burial ULTRA FAST 1
 * 31 May 1989: Understanding?!?! (split 7" with S.O.B. - S.O.B. / Napalm Death) Sound Of Burial
 * 12 July 1989: You Suffer (7" with v/a album - Grindcrusher - The Earache Sampler) Earache MOSH 12
 * 19 July 1989: The Missing Link (v/a album - Grind Crusher) Earache MOSH 12CD
 * 01 August 1989: The Missing Link (v/a album - Grindcrusher - The Earache Sampler) Earache MOSH 12
 * 12 August 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 112 (BFBS):  'The Missing Link (Compilation CD- Grind Crusher)' (Earache)
 * 04 September 1989: Rise Above (12" - Mentally Murdered) Earache MOSH 14
 * 05 September 1989: The Missing Link (12" - Mentally Murdered) Earache MOSH 14
 * 05 September 1989: Mentally Murdered (12") Earache MOSH 14
 * 06 September 1989: Walls Of Confinement (12" - Mentally Murdered) Earache MOSH 14
 * 23 September 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 117 (BFBS)): 'Rise Above (12"-Mentally Murdered)' (Earache)


 * 1990
 * 12 June 1990: 'Blind To The Truth / Negative Approach / Common Enemy (EP - The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 26 July 1990: 'Suffer The Children (12")' (Earache)
 * 28 July 1990 (BFBS) (Peel 152 (BFBS)): 'Suffer The Children (12")' (Earache) (JP: 'Well, the old Napalm Death would have done about eight numbers in the time it took the new one to do that, but I still care for it.')
 * 01 August 1990: 'Suffer The Children (12")' (Earache)
 * 11 August 1990 (BFBS) (Peel 153 (BFBS)): 'Siege Of Power (12"-Suffer The Children)' (Earache)
 * 21 August 1990: 'Harmony Corruption (12"-Suffer The Children)' (Earache)
 * 22 August 1990: Circle Of Hypocrisy (LP - Harmony Corruption) Earache
 * 28 August 1990: 'Circle Of Hypocrisy (LP-Harmony Corruption)' (Earache)
 * 01 September 1990 (BFBS) (Peel 156 (BFBS)): 'Unfit Earth (LP-Harmony Corruption)' (Earache)


 * 1991
 * 16 June 1991: 'Mass Appeal Madness (7")' (Earache)
 * 22 June 1991: Pride Assassin (Maxi CD - Mass Appeal Madness]) Earache MOSH 46 CD
 * 28 June 1991 (BFBS): Pride Assasin / Unchallenged Hate / Mass Appeal Madness (7" - Mass Appeal Madness) Earache
 * 29 June 1991: 'Mass Appeal Madness (Maxi CD-Mass Appeal Madness)' (Earache)
 * 14 July 1991: 'Walls / Raging In Hell / Conform Or Die / SOB (LP-Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 26 July 1991 (BFBS): Mass Appeal Madness (CD single) Earache


 * 1992
 * 15 May 1992: 'The World Keeps Turning (LP-Utopia Banished)' (Earache) (JP: 'A very different band these days, but still sounding majestic to me.')

1998
 * 1993
 * 09 July 1993: Nazi Punks Fuck Off (7") Earache
 * 17 December 1993: 'The Kill / Prison Without Walls / Dead Part 1 (CD-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * May 1998 (BBC World Service): Breed To Breathe (v/a CD Album - Hellspawn (Extreme Metal Meets Extreme Techno)) Earache
 * 2000
 * 19 April 2000: 'The Kill / Prison Without Walls / Dead Part 1 (CD-The Complete Radio One Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)


 * 2002
 * 03 December 2002: 'The Kill / Prison Without Walls / Dead Part 1 (CD-The Complete Radio One Sessions)' (Strange Fruit) (JP: 'Ah, those were the days.')
 * 03 December 2002: 'The Icing On The Hate' (free CD with 'Terrorizer' Magazine issue 20)
 * 16 November 2004 (Rob Da Bank): ‘The Kill/ Prison Without Walls/ Dead Pt. 1’ – (Peel Session)


 * Other
 * Peel 084 (BFBS): 'Mass Appeal Madness (CDS)' (Earache) (1991-06-21) (JP: 'We were just debating whether Barney out of Napalm Death actually sort of sings like that, or whether his voice is mechanically adjusted in some way or another...but it may not be the case, perhaps he actually sings like that, in which case I suspect that he's probably not allowed out after the hours of dark without a muzzle on.')