When Napalm Death dropped their last album, Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism, the reaction was rather mixed. The legacy metal media praised it as a masterpiece, placing it among the top albums of 2020, if not the #1 altogether. Purists complained that it was too “weird” and “artsy”, hearkening back to their mid 90s “wilderness” period. I laid somewhere in the middle, acknowledging the subtleties that set it apart from past straightforward deathgrind releases, but appreciating it for what it was: a good album (judging by my 6 out of 10 rating).
Although Throes failed to come close to the groundbreaking brilliance of Scum, From Enslavement to Obliteration, Harmony Corruption, and Utopia Banished, it opened a new chapter for these godfathers of grind, one which continues with their latest release, Resentment is Always Seismic – A Final Throw of Throes. Clocking in at 29 minutes, Resentment is technically an EP, despite being as long as the band’s first two full lengths. Granted, when you take away the closing 6 minute drone soundscape, you’ve got five original songs and two covers recorded during the Throes sessions. “Throeaways”? Think again.
The EP opens “Narcissus”, a raging amalgamation of thrashy hardcore, grinding riffs, moshy breakdowns, and death metal insanity. It’s brutal and to the point, firmly establishing the mood for the rest of the release. The band’s love for post-punk, goth, and noise rears its ugly head on “Resentment Always Simmer”. Cold, dissonant, and disjointed, this cut comes off as Swans gone metal. On the flip side of this coin is the chaotic deathgrind of “By Proxy”, whose blinding blasts and hellish gutturals (courtesy of Danny Herrera and Barney Greenway respectively) take us back to the Harmony Corruption days.
“People Pie” is the first of the EP’s two covers. It was originally performed by an early industrial metal band named Slab! and can best be described as pleasantly bizarre, thanks to its funky bassline, harsh guitars, and industrial textures. I’m curious now to check out the original. From here, we’re treated with two more originals, “Man Bites Dogged” and “Slaver Through a Repeat Performance”. “Man Bites Dogged” is pissed off old school hardcore with lethal metallic riffs, while “Slaver” is frantic, vitriolic, and downright psychotic. Granted, if the latter appeared on one of their early efforts, it would’ve only been a minute or so as opposed to four-ish, but it’s still a grinder through and through.
Rounding out the affair is a cover of hardcore legends Bad Brains’ “Don’t Need It”, as well as the aforementioned soundscape I mentioned towards the beginning, “Resentment is Always Seismic (Dark Sky Burial Dirge)”. In a nutshell, Resentment is just as good as the album it serves as companion to, as well as being something worthwhile to hold Napalm Death fans over until their next full length. Who knows when that will be, but one thing’s for certain. Napalm Death can still grind with the best!
6 out of 10
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore
For fans of: Brutal Truth, Terrorizer, Lock Up