Words: Lewis McWillian Smith, Photos: Lewis McWilliam Smith/Will Quaintance
Do you ever find yourself preparing to see an artist or band that you know more from their cultural impact than from their actual music? Maybe that’s just me. But Napalm Death is one of those bands whose name has been around for decades. Where do you place a band like Napalm Death, really, outside of traditional genre boundaries? Their name sits alongside the likes of Slayer and Black Sabbath (in regards to legacy), and while I’ve always been, and will always be, a fan of those bands—especially Slayer—I can’t quite picture myself sharing a pint, or a cup of tea, with them for some reason. Napalm Death, though, feels different. Or maybe that’s just how I see it.
Full of Hell absolutely blew me away. The raw energy of this ferocious grindcore band turned the venue into a charged battery. Electricity was practically crackling off the stage, as they unleashed a sound that felt like a fusion of Converge, The Berzerker, Nine Inch Nails, and Brutal Truth. Kicking off with “Deluminate” from Trumpeting Ecstasy, vocalist Dylan Walker stormed the stage with fierce intensity. The band’s sound was full-bodied, made even richer by the integration of effects and synths—adding a whole new layer of texture that balanced the power of Dave Bland’s punishing drumming.
Then came Crowbar, and as you’d expect, they were a completely different beast. While Full of Hell had swung in like a samurai sword, Crowbar’s riffs were more like a massive, crushing force. They flattened the audience with their groovy, fuzzed-out riffs, like a prehistoric sauropod rolling through.
Finally, Napalm Death took the stage. The sheer intensity of a band that’s been at it for decades is incredible. This was my first time seeing them, and I couldn’t believe how powerful this four-piece was. They kicked things off with my personal favourite, “Silence is Deafening,” and from there, the ride never stopped. Every track was a full-force assault. They played classics like “Suffer the Children” and “Scum,” and I even forgot they covered “Nazi Punks”—a very fitting choice in today’s world.
I left the venue feeling completely energised, with a sense that anything is possible and that the power of unity was tangible. The positivity was contagious, and the energy in the crowd was nothing short of electric.
Links
Napalm Death
Web: https://napalmdeath.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialnapalmdeath
Crowbar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crowbarmusic
Music: https://www.martyrstore.net
Full of Hell
Web: https://www.fullofhell.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullofhell