1477 - Napalm Death Instinct Of Survival 1987

"Scum" is the first album by the English grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1987 through Earache Records. Side A of the "Scum" album was originally recorded for £50.00 at Rich Bitch studio (Birmingham, England) in August 1986: it was intended to form part of a split release with the English crossover thrash band Atavistic on Manic Ears (Bristol, England). After an extensive line-up change, the second half of "Scum" was recorded in May 1987 at Rich Bitch studio. The album was released as a single album through Earache in July 1987. Notably, only drummer Mick Harris played on both sides of the album. Side one of the album is the fruit of a demo tape recorded with the band’s 1986 lineup of Justin Broadrick (guitars, vocals), Nik Bullen (bass), and Mick Harris (drums). That lineup fell apart, and Harris recruited guitarist Bill Steer (from fellow UK scene folks the Electro Hippies) and punk show promoter Lee Dorrian as vocalist. The two dominant aspects of the band are the vocals (whether delivered by Broadrick or Dorrian), which are uniformly unintelligible growls that would soon become iconic throughout extreme music in general, and the doomy, minor key riffs sandblasted by the hyperactive tempos. The sound is muddy and raw, as any demo tape quality recordings forcibly transferred to digital will tend to be, but that primitive quality doesn’t distract at all. And by the way, the lyrics, which are right out of the Crass/Conflict school of anarchist punk, were highly influential as well, forcing many within the generally apolitical metal scene to reflect on their lifestyle choices and social values. The fury that rages through tracks like "Instinct of Survival" is chilling, a stiff middle finger at corruption and injustice.

1275 – Napalm Death The Wolf I Feed 2012

This track displays a unique progression, heavily featured within Napalm Death‘s fifteenth studio album, "Utilitarian". ‘The Wolf I Feed’ introduces the use of an incredibly rare characteristic in Napalm Death’s music — clean vocals. Guitarist Mitch Harris provides a slightly melodic style of Gregorian Chant, giving the track an unnerving, yet fascinating quality.

1091 - Napalm Death Silence Is Deafening 2005

In April 2005, the album "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code" was released. It features guest appearances from Jeffrey Walker (formerly of Carcass), Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed vocalist) and Jello Biafra (formerly of Dead Kennedys, and Lard among many other bands). The album continues the band's progressive approach to their brutal brand of extreme metal, with their trademark grindcore sound retained.
Barney Greenway's unmistakable voice is instantly recognizable as he tears into “Silence Is Deafening” with ripping growls and his trademark high pitched screams.

653 - Napalm Death Scum 1987

“Scum”, the debut album of Napalm Death, is one of the dirtiest, ugliest and most underdeveloped albums ever made. Of course that was the aesthetic looked by a band that had made cacophony as creative value and if they wanted people to drown in shit and creep in a tangled jungle of human misery while listening, they did it with brilliancy. Lyrically, “Scum” is a Punk album, being that scum the trans-national enterprises, human lowness, T.V., politicians etc. It’s the typical anarchist speech of being against everything, a strong disobedient attitude that in this case shocks. This was a heavy scream from the underground that maybe didn’t make the fat fishes in the Coca-Cola headquarters to feel afraid, but represented the voice of a desperate generation that saw its dreams suffocated by an oppressive system.

452 - Napalm Death Unchallenged Hate 1988

Napalm Death had already become the most notorious offspring of the Earache-label, which became a hotbed for extreme European (mainly British bands, although they also released Entombed’s seminal debut) metal, and believe it or not, but allegedly, "From Enslavement to Obliteration" was anxiously awaited by decibel-junkies all across Europe. It is the only Napalm Death album to feature Lee Dorrian as the sole vocalist, where he offers the low, grunting vocals and from time to time in songs, he will scream in an odd-pitched tone, not unlike static. He is considered one of the first extreme metal vocalists to alterate between guttural growls and high-pitched screams, a technique that would be elaborated on by fellow grind act Carcass (who are often given credit for the invention of this vocal style) and imitated by countless bands in the future. The powerful groove of “Unchallenged Hate" shows the band´s agressive sound.

169 - Napalm Death Breed to Breathe 1997

In November '96, the band revealed that they had replaced long-term vocalist Barney with Phil Vane from Extreme Noise Terror. A split EP with Coalesce emerged in January 1997, seemingly marked the end of Barney's career in the band, but the partnership with Vane was short lived as during the 'Inside the Torn Apart' recording sessions Barney was dramatically re-instated.
Re-energised the band attacked the recording of the new album with new verve, completing sixteen crushing songs in double quick time. The suitably ironically titled 'Inside the Torn Apart' can be seen as the result of creative tensions working to the maximum effect. With the turmoil within the band out in the open, each individual member seemed determined to let the music do the talking. The opening salvo is 'Breed to Breathe", played at every live show, it's possibly the most known mid 90s song, along with "Greed Killing" from Diatribes.

17 - Napalm Death Suffer the Children 1990

Napalm Death are generally acknowledged as the group that invented the "Grindcore" genre, a fusion of thrash metal and hardcore punk. Napalm Death united and cemented the fusion of punk aggression, high velocity tempo, metallic production and deep guttural vocals. While writing "Harmony Corruption" they changed their style a little, from grindcore, to a mix of blast beats and some slower, more rhythmic parts, influenced by death metal. Drummer Mick Harris eventually left Napalm Death because of conflicts regarding their musical style. "Suffer the Children" is a classic of the band.