Apex Predator – Easy Meat is the fifteenth studio album by British grindcore band Napalm Death, released on 23 January 2015 through Century Media.[1]
Release and promotion[]
In October 2014, Napalm Death made a press release about the ongoing work on the upcoming album, revealing details of the recording status and some song titles.[12] In the press release vocalist Mark Greenway mitigated concerns about the duration of the album recordings: "The full story is though that we've been recording it in segments to try and achieve varying types of sonic assault."[12] The track "Cesspits" was the first song of Apex Predator – Easy Meat to be presented to the public in advance. It debuted with British music magazine Terrorizer in November 2014.[13] Shortly after, in December, Napalm Death revealed the track listing and artwork, along with comments on the artwork from bassist Shane Embury and Greenway.[14] In January 2015, the band launched the song "How the Years Condemn" online via music magazines Stereogum and Metal Hammer.[15][16]
Century Media released the album between 23 and 30 January 2015 in different countries on CD, vinyl and MC in different variations and with various extras such as bonus tracks, posters and extended booklets depending on the format.[1] A video clip for the song "Smash a Single Digit" accompanied the release. It was directed by Michael Panduro and is composed of 1093 single drawings.[17] Singer Greenway commented on the capitalism-critising theme of the video, "It shows nothing of dignity or life's fundamental pleasures — only a snapshot of those unfortunate enough to only be deemed as numbers for production quotas in this world. When a 'digit' has therefore been expended, it is rubbed out (or consumed leaving no trace, as in the case of this video)."[18]
Critical reception[]
Upon its release, Apex Predator – Easy Meat received rave reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 93, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 12 reviews.[19] Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote that "Apex Predator – Easy Meat ups the ante on all their post-2000 albums," describing the album as "completely unrelenting; thoroughly amazing."[2] Clash critic Geoff Cowart described the album as "both intensely lyrical and supremely musical" commenting that "it plays out in a way that is designed to be perversely uncomfortable for the ears."[3] Writing for Exclaim!, Denise Falzon observed that the band's "traditional characteristics and intellectual concepts, incorporated with new elements and ideas, make Apex Predator - Easy Meat another impressive addition to Napalm Death's spotless catalogue."[4] The Quietus critic Dean Brown thought that "Apex Predator - Easy Meat 's hyperactive energy and deadly pacing of its recent predecessors" gives their fans "a diverse and devastating listening experience during what is a quintessential, zeitgeist-destroying grindcore album."[20]
Guy Pratt of Revolver stated that "experimentation rife on the record proves that sometimes variety makes grind even better."[10] MetalSucks critic Sammy O'Hagar wrote: "Apex Predator – Easy Meat isn’t the easiest of theirs to like, but it’s still Napalm Death right down to its bones."[7]
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Apex Predator – Easy Meat" | Mark Greenway | Shane Embury | 3:46 | |
| 2. | "Smash a Single Digit" | Greenway | Embury | 1:26 | |
| 3. | "Metaphorically Screw You" | Greenway | Mitch Harris | 2:05 | |
| 4. | "How the Years Condemn" | Embury | Embury | 2:43 | |
| 5. | "Stubborn Stains" | Greenway | Embury | 3:03 | |
| 6. | "Timeless Flogging" | Greenway | Harris | 2:26 | |
| 7. | "Dear Slum Landlord..." | Greenway | Harris | 2:00 | |
| 8. | "Cesspits" | Greenway | Embury | 3:33 | |
| 9. | "Bloodless Coup" | Greenway | Harris | 2:32 | |
| 10. | "Beyond the Pale" | Harris | Harris | 3:04 | |
| 11. | "Stunt Your Growth" | Greenway | Harris | 2:06 | |
| 12. | "Hierarchies" | Embury | Embury | 3:14 | |
| 13. | "One-Eyed" | Greenway | Embury | 2:49 | |
| 14. | "Adversarial / Copulating Snakes" (Track 16 on mediabook CD edition) | Greenway | Embury | 5:17 |
| LP and MC bonus track | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length | ||||||
| 15. | "Critical Gluttonous Mass" | Greenway | Harris | 2:31 | ||||||
| North American Digipak CD bonus track | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length | ||||||
| 15. | "Oh So Pseudo" | Greenway | Harris | 1:42 | ||||||
| Mediabook CD bonus tracks | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length | ||||||
| 14. | "What is Past is Prologue" | Embury | Embury | 1:38 | ||||||
| 15. | "Oh So Pseudo" | Greenway | Harris | 1:42 | ||||||
| 17. | "Clouds of Cancer / Victims of Ignorance" (G-ANX cover) | 2:06 | ||||||||
Personnel[]
Napalm Death[]
- Mark "Barney" Greenway – vocals
- Shane Embury – bass guitar
- Mitch Harris – guitar
- Danny Herrera – drums
Additional musicians[]
- John Bilbo Cooke – token guitar solo (12)
Technical personnel[]
- Russ Russell – engineering, recording, production, mixing, mastering
- David Pavlik – Mitch Harris vocals engineering
- Frode Sundbø Sylthe – album art, layout
- Ignacio Galvez – band photos
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Napalm Death: 'Apex Predator - Easy Meat' out as of today; video debut for 'Smash A Single Digit'". Century Media (Dortmund). 23 January 2015. http://www.centurymedia.com/newsdetailed.aspx?IdNews=15461. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Napalm Death: Apex Predator-Easy Meat > Overview at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cowart, Geoff (19 January 2015). Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat. Clash. Clash Music. Retrieved on January 27, 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Falzon, Denise (23 January 2015). Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat. Exclaim!. 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved on January 23, 2015.
- ↑ Lawson, Dom (29 January 2015). Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat review – grindcore masters on top form. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved on February 4, 2015.
- ↑ Law, Sam (17 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat". Kerrang! (London: Bauer Media Group) (1551): 53.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 O'Hagar, Sammy (27 January 2015). You Suffer Not: The Rewarding Difficulties of Napalm Death’s Apex Predator – Easy Meat. MetalSucks. Retrieved on January 27, 2015.
- ↑ Hutch (26 January 2015). Album Review: Napalm Death – 'Apex Predator – Easy Meat'. New Noise. Retrieved on February 7, 2015.
- ↑ Camp, Zoe (28 January 2015). Napalm Death: Apex Predator - Easy Meat. Pitchfork. Ryan Schreiber. Retrieved on January 28, 2015.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Pratt, Greg (14 January 2015). Review: Napalm Death — Apex Predator – Easy Meat. NewBay Media. Retrieved on January 26, 2015.
- ↑ Bolton, Matt (26 January 2015). Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat – Album Review. SF Media. Retrieved on January 28, 2015.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sheila (3 October 2014). "Napalm Death release new album recording status update". Planetmosh (Rotherham). http://planetmosh.com/napalm-death-release-new-album-recording-status-update/. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ↑ Whelan, Kez (19 November 2014). Napalm Death Premiere New Song 'Cesspits' With Terrorizer. Terrorizer. Dark Arts. Retrieved on January 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Napalm Death unveil Apex Predator-Easy Meat album artwork, tracklisting". raveWords.com (Barrie). 1 December 2014. http://bravewords.com/news/napalm-death-unveil-apex-predator-easy-meat-album-artwork-tracklisting. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ↑ Nelson, Michael (9 January 2015). Napalm Death – 'How The Years Condemn' (Stereogum Premiere). Stereogum. SpinMedia. Retrieved on January 29, 2015.
- ↑ Wenig, Christina (9 January 2015). Hört hier zuerst den neuen Napalm Death-Song 'How The Years Condemn' (German). Metal Hammer. Axel Springer Mediahouse Berlin GmbH. Retrieved on January 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Napalm Death: 'Smash A Single Digit' Video Released". Blabbermouth.net (White Plains, New York). 23 January 2015. http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/napalm-death-smash-a-single-digit-video-released/. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ↑ Adams, Gregory (23 January 2015). Napalm Death: 'Smash a Single Digit' (video). Exclaim!. 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved on February 1, 2015.
- ↑ Apex Predator - Easy Meat - Napalm Death. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved on January 26, 2015.
- ↑ Brown, Dean (27 January 2015). Napalm Death: Apex Predator - Easy Meat. The Quietus. Retrieved on January 28, 2015.
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