You may have noticed that Napalm Death is not the most melodic band around. In fact, "noisy" would be putting it mildly. Their music is so abrasive that it makes many extreme metal bands sound like Iron Maiden. But that violence is not accidental. The abrasion is the message. Or rather, it is the delivery system for the message. Because beneath the blast beats, shrieks and walls of distortion lies a worldview built on inclusion, empathy and an uncompromising rejection of greed, fascism and every form of oppression. They are, by all accounts, good blokes. Good blokes who happen to enjoy caving in skulls with sound.
At Hellfest, Napalm Death demonstrates once again that virtually every strain of extremity is fair game. Crust punk, grindcore, death metal and noise collide in a set designed to pulverize rather than seduce. Shane Embury remains on leave, but otherwise business proceeds as usual. Mark "Barney" Greenway barks himself hoarse, Danny Herrera pummels his kit with frightening intensity and John Cooke coaxes all manner of unpleasant noises out of his guitar. The lyrics may be impossible to decipher in real time, but the conviction behind them comes through loud and clear.
And somehow, through all the personnel changes and stylistic shifts, Napalm Death always remains instantly recognizable. There hasn't been an original member in decades, yet no amount of turnover has diluted the identity of the band. Like Robert Fripp once said about King Crimson, the resemblance ending there, Napalm Death is less a fixed group of individuals than a way of doing things. And no one else, not even the best grindcore bands inspired by them, quite knows how to locate that strange sweet spot where chaos, dissonance and sheer ugliness become something oddly exhilarating. There really is no band like Napalm Death.
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TesseracT @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Point Mort @ Warzone (Photo)
Queensrÿche @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Stoned Jesus @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Bloodywood @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Accept @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Sepultura @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Helloween @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Opeth @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Iron Maiden @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
DAY FOUR
Scour @ Temple Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Eyehategod @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Six Feet Under @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Corrosion Of Conformity @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Possessed @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Agnostic Front @ Warzone - (Photos, setlist)
Acid Bath @Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Marduk @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Napalm Death @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Down @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)