UMUR "Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism" is the 17th full-length studio album by UK grindcore/death metal act Napalm Death. The album was released through Century Media Records in September 2020. It´s the successor to "Apex Predator - Easy Meat" from 2015 and although the album doesn´t feature any lineup changes guitarist Mitch Harris member status is a bit uncertain at this point. Harris has not played live with Napalm Death for some years, and he and his family moved back to his hometown Las Vegas from the UK, where they had lived for almost two decades. So although he plays on "Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism", nothing is certain at this point regarding his future in Napalm Death.

Stylistically "Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism" is one of the more varied Napalm Death releases, featuring both blasting grindcore/hardcore tracks, industrial tinged deathgrind/death metal tracks, and even a few experimental tracks, which honestly took me a little off-guard. A reaction I´m sure Napalm Death would find delightful, as they have always set out to challenge their audience and themselves. "Joie de ne pas vivre" is for example Napalm Death as I have never heard them before. It´s a strongly Swans influenced track featuring a bleak industrial atmosphere. Other standout tracks are "Amoral" and "A Bellyful of Salt and Spleen", which sound like they are influenced by artists like Head of David/Godflesh and Killing Joke. So while Napalm Death still blast away when that is called for, "Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism" is one of the most diverse albums in their discography. They even touch semi-melodic territory on the choruses of "Fuck the Factoid" and "Contagion". The lyrical content is as always politically charged and lashing out at the social and political issues and injustices of the world.

The album features a heavy, dark, and detailed sounding prodction, which suits the material well. So upon conclusion "Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism" is another high quality release in a long line of high quality releases by Napalm Death. It even stands out a bit more than many of their preceding post-2000 releases and there is a good chance it´s one of the band´s releases which will be mentioned among their standout albums in the future. Not necessarily because it´s a greater album than the direct predecessors, but because the diversity of the album makes it a little more memorable than some of the more relentlessly aggressive and energetic releases of the past. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Vim Fuego OK, here’s the tl;dr on Napalm Death’s new album:

1. It’s still heavy, harsh shit.

2. It still sounds mostly the same as other Napalm Death records.

3. There’s some little bits that sound a bit different to other Napalm Death records.

4. This is really fucking good!

If you have a slightly longer attention span than the “too long; didn’t read” crowd, here’s a few more thoughts on “Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism”.

If you’re a Napalm Death fan, when was the last time the band genuinely surprised you? For most, it’s probably the first time you ever heard the band. But also if you’re a Napalm Death fan, can you honestly say that any two albums sound the same? There will be a few listeners who will say yes, but observe: death metal influence creeping in to “Harmony Corruption”, massive grooves on “Inside The Torn Apart”, the rediscovery of the band’s hardcore roots with “Leaders, Not Followers”.

That’s the essence of Napalm Death’s longevity. It’s not so much change for change’s sake, but the incorporation of new influences to combine with the band’s existing sound to evolve slowly to something new. This time, it seems there is a touch of alternative thrown into the mix. No, not alternative rock which seemed edgy for about 10 minutes in the 1990s, but the alternative to alternative, Harsh, heavy, and properly original, like Swans and Neurosis. Check the evidence.

“Fuck The Factoid” blasts past almost before you’ve noticed. The familiar wall of noise smacks you in the face as you would hope. Most prominent in this song, Danny Herrera still smashes the hell out of the drum kit in ways which shouldn’t be humanly possible. Shane Embury’s blown-to-bits bass is more visible on this album than in previous releases. Check his gargantuan intro to “Backlash Just Because”. The old school hardcore influence is still floating near the top. “That Curse of Being in Thrall” has abundant hardcore riffs and blastbeats, and then slams into a thunderous doom/death riff.

“Contagion” has hints of Necroticism-era Carcass in the guitar sound, but it has Barney’s dry bark layered over it, and an almost Neurosis-ish discordant drone to the chorus. Embury pulls off another vicious bass intro to “Joie De Ne Pas Vivre”, an almost otherworldly demonic sounding song with a Godflesh/Swans industrial dissonance to it.

“Invigorating Clutch” is an unabating robotic rockcrusher of a song, reminiscent of Monotheist-era Celtic Frost. No one else creates riffs like Mitch Harris – simple in the “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that?” vein, yet nobody else has thought of it.

There are so many references to different bands and genres which could be thrown in here that it makes your mind spin, but it’s all still Napalm Death to the (grind)core. There are subtleties and little flourishes which won’t be picked up on a first listen, and it’s all bathed in glorious stentorian noise.

Unlike “Apex Predator”, which was a more demanding and difficult listen, “Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism” could be presented to someone not familiar with Napalm Death as an introduction to the band. And for those already familiar with then band, it’s quickly obvious that even for a band well into it’s fourth decade of existence, Napalm Death is still producing music as strong and vital as at any time in the band’s long and celebrated career.