BWACH! GRIFUJKLBWAHBWEHBWAHHHHSHK! EVRBFYSU PGKS EVRSHDUY EVERYDAY POX! *wild sax solo*.
My apologies; that was the last album.

Apex Predator – Easy Meat is Napalm Death’s fifteenth album.
That they’ve made it to fifteen is a fairly impressive feat.
It is an intense, loud and heavy release, but is this album a choice cut or have they finally passed their best before date?

Again, my apologies.

The album kicks off with the title track; Barney Greenway is heard first, sounding as though he is holding a sermon.
Drums eventually come in with a very mechanical sound. The vocals switch to an odd-sounding scream as guitar and bass come in sounding much like factory machinery.
The song comes off as unsettling and sets the tone for the rest of the album.

After the title track the music picks up significant pace. “Smash a Single Digit” is a turbulent rush that speeds faster than one would expect after the opener.

Songs continue to remain frenetic, aside from “Dear Slum Landlord…” which comes in at the right time to allow a quick breath before the album tears off again.

I’ve seen a lot of people referring to this album as experimental and usually I would be inclined to agree.
However, I feel it’s more that Napalm Death are looking at things differently.
A lot of the music heard is what we’re used to from them.
There’s a bit more groove and technical playing than what has been heard recently as well as melodic passages than one wouldn’t expect to hear.
The songs are sounding much tighter than previously
“Hierarchies” is an excellent example of the melodic aspect with its choruses that have a sudden flourish of beauty, sounding almost as though they’re soaring.
“Adversarial / Copulating Snakes” is a strong indicator of the technical and groove aspects. starts off rather “exact” sounding and in the second half becomes a groove-laden end for the album as a whole.

Barney’s vocals are getting stronger with time as the conviction of the words he screams become more apparent. They feel quite a lot like more like an instrument than usual; that may be due to his style.
They certainly do combine well with the controlled chaos that is occurring alongside them.
guitar and bass drive forcefully as one whilst the drums blast away without slipping up, displaying the aggression that one can expect from Napalm Death at this stage.

If there’s one point I’d have to mark the album down on, it’s that it’s far louder than it needs to be, causing some of the quality to drop. The mix isn’t exactly great either; it can sound a bit muddy at times.
However, the song writing is so strong on this album and the songs hit so hard and intensely that it almost completely compensates for it.

Almost.

I think the reason as to why many people are drawn to Napalm Death is that it is an intensity that appeals to something basic in us.
It’s intense as it’s very direct music that touches us on a level we don’t expect.
Everything sounds quite purposeful; it’s hard to doubt the legitimacy of their belief in what their music is about.
A lot of the time it’s as though they are saying “How can you not see that this is happening? How can you be so idle?!”

Apex Predator – Easy Meat is an intense album that might not be easy to swallow for some. It is unsettling and more on the blunt side of things. It’s also put together very well. The album doesn’t drag or meander; it’s very tight. The songs all fit into place and none overstay their welcome.

It’s a step forward for the band and one that shows they’re more than able to make good music.