Napalm Death

interview

It’s been 27 years but Napalm Death are still sounding as furious and relevant as ever.  As the band play Leicester I sat down with their genial singer Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway for a brief chat about their history, beliefs and trailblazing future.   

Napalm Death have been around for 27 years now.  What’s the secret to sounding so passionate after that length of time?
I’ve not really analysed it that much.  When you consider our style of music and ethos, it’s the sort of thing that doesn’t give itself the chance to become dull.  This band is four individuals who don’t want to let go of that passion and that’s been our main consideration throughout the time we’ve been playing.

And has your audience changed much during that period?
There’s never been a definitive Napalm Death crowd.  We’ve got kids that are into metal, punks and people who’ve followed us for years.  It’s a very furious style of music but the musicianship is very technical so that brings us a separate crowd, people who are into jazz and that sort of thing.  The paradox is that our music is so insane but the ethos is peace and tolerance.

Loads of bands have been influenced by Napalm Death, but are there any bands at the moment who inspire you?
My favourites are the classic metal bands like Motorhead, as well as a lot of the second generation of punk bands.  At the moment I don’t really have time to check out newer CDs, although one album that landed on my desk recently was the latest one by Dream Theater.  They’re old friends of mine.

What keeps you sounding pissed off?
People say we sound pissed off but there’s more to it than that.  I always try and peel away the layers so what you’re left with is the truth.  Without trying to be too intelligentsia about it, we’re trying to tell people that it’s up to you to be free; don’t let a third party justify what you are.  Our view is a humanitarian one and we believe in the totality of human rights.

And do you find any inspiration in life in the UK at the moment?
I really worry about the freedom of speech in the UK.  It’s been a worry for some time when you look at things like CCTV and the amount of propaganda that people are swallowing without questioning it.

So what next for the band?
There’s never been a real masterplan for Napalm Death.  If circumstances beyond our control took their toll then it could all be over next week, but after this tour is done we’re heading down to South America, then Singapore, Malaysia and China, which I’m really excited about.  I’m very interested to see from the inside what life is like in China in terms of censorship, and it’s amazing that a band like us is playing that country as there’s pop bands who haven’t played there yet.  We’re grateful that people still want to listen to us and we’ll hang onto that trailblazing spirit for as long as we can.

Napalm Death Live Review