Artist: Napalm Death
Label: Spitfire Records
Release Date: 11/5/02
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Title: Order of the Leech Artist: Napalm Death Label: Spitfire Records Release Date: 11/5/02 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
While I understand the respect that Napalm Death commands when it comes to the evolution of extreme music, I must admit I've never been all that big a fan. There just always seemed to be a better alternative for me out there. I was introduced to them around the same time I got into Carcass, which resulted in me becoming a huge Carcass fan. The first time I saw Napalm Death live, there was a Swedish band called At The Gates opening up and making their stateside debut. This resulted in me becoming a huge At The Gates fan. So, you see, Napalm Death always seemed to be a lesser priority to me.
"The songs are all around the three-minute mark, which is a bit long for grindcore, so maybe these guys are just getting old." This isn't to say that I dislike the band by any stretch of the imagination. I think they are quite good. I just never found them all that exciting. I find myself coming around a little bit now that I've spent a good amount of time with Order of the Leech. This album seems a bit of a 'return to their roots' in that they've sped things up from their last few, more experimental releases. The songs are all around the three-minute mark, which is a bit long for grindcore, so maybe these guys are just getting old.
If that is the case, at least they don't sound old yet. In fact, they sound re-invigorated with this record. Barney Greenway's vocals sound awesome, and while I believe some of it is effects, I don't really care. He blisters my eardrums on tracks like "Forced to Fear" and "Narcoleptic" and I honestly don't think I've ever heard him sound more acidic. The riffs are deliciously heavy as well, as the band inches a little further away from death and a little more to the grind side of the fence. The band isn't afraid to go all out, a fact that is blastbeaten into your brain throughout the album. Napalm Death seem to be able to transcend the almost two decades they've been around without sounding stale, a feat that is more than impressive.
"Napalm Death seem to be able to transcend the almost two decades they've been around without sounding stale, a feat that is more than impressive." Bottom line is that while this album can be touted as a 'return to roots,' that phrase is usually meaningless. Order of the Leech is much better described as a kick-ass record that proves that this band is not only enduring, but also maintaining its relevance, and it's a beautiful sight. And while I still won't refer to myself as the biggest Napalm Death fan anytime soon, I sure am a big fan of this album. One word review: Cool.
Death's Review:
Venerable grind veterans (Allmusic Guide calls them "the fathers of grindcore") and self-proclaimed "enemies of the music business" Napalm Death return with a new platter of technical, groove-oriented grind, this time entitled Order of the Leech. The result is a good to very good listen, everything you expected from a new Napalm Death record only executed with a precision and a fire that is frankly a bit more intense than one might expect from a band that long-ago achieved legendary status. While there is nothing particularly new at play on this record, the band isn't exactly going through the motions either. Instead there is a bit of bile and venom being spit amongst the barely-controlled chaos, and what I thought would be an average release is really a notch above.
"There is a bit of bile and venom being spit amongst the barely-controlled chaos, and what I thought would be an average release is really a notch above."
The riffs are intricate and aggressive and the sound is muddy yet purposefully and delightfully so. The songs as a whole are focused enough - in true Napalm Death style - to allow the listener to get a headbanging thing going on even though the aim is to be brutal and chaotically aggressive. This as much as anything is the true hallmark of the Napalm Death sound, and this distinguishing characteristic is in full-effect for the entire new record. It seems Napalam Death has found a home with Spitfire Records (this is their second (?) release for the label), and instead of a washed-up bunch of grindcore has-beens (I'm not sure I've ever heard the phrase "grindcore has-beens" before - time surely is marching on) they have a relevant artist that is going to take this material to the masses in a major way as part of the upcoming Nile/Strapping Young Lad/Dark Tranquillity tour. Should be fun.
"The riffs are intricate and aggressive and the sound is muddy yet purposefully and delightfully so."
Hel's Review:
Napalm Death is a band that has always existed on the fringes of my radar. The timing wasn't right back in the day (I didn't even know anyone who knew anything about Napalm Death at that point), and while I have enjoyed their albums when they have been played for me and have seen them perform live before, there just has never been a catalyst for me to make the jump from "like them when I hear them" to "must seek out all things Napalm Death." So they remain upon the fringe until this very day.
"While Order of the Leech is certainly entertaining, it still lacks that necessary catalyst."
"In the end, it's the people who are craving that classic Napalm Death style that are the real winners." While Order of the Leech is certainly entertaining, it still lacks that necessary catalyst. I have been enjoying the time I've spent with it, and the performances and production are all very well executed. I very firmly believe that the dyed in the wool Napalm Death fan will be wildly excited when they hear this album. Those who are more jaded will probably decide how much they enjoy it based on their emotional attachment to the band, with those who have been loyal fans for a long time ranking it higher than those who have more of a passing acquaintance, like myself.
So while I may not be converted to the ranks of die-hard Napalm Death fans by the new material on Order of the Leech, I still had a lot of fun driving around blasting it on my stereo. In the end, it's the people who are craving that classic Napalm Death style that are the real winners. Here's one for the old-school fans to really sink their teeth into.
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