NAPALM DEATH — Inside the Torn Apart (review)

NAPALM DEATH — Inside the Torn Apart album cover

Album · 1997 · Death Metal

3/5 · 2016-10-19
UMUR

"Inside the Torn Apart" is the 7th full-length studio album by UK Grindcore/death metal act Napalm Death. The album was released through Earache Records in June 1997. It´s the successor to "Diatribes" from 1996. Although it appears there have been no lineup changes between the two albums, it´s actually not completely true.

During the touring cycle for "Diatribes (1996)" lead vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway was fired from Napalm Death and replaced by Phil Vane from Extreme Noise Terror (who Greenway himself replaced in Extreme Noise Terror). It was a temporary lineup change though, as the two singers returned to their respective bands again in time for Greenway to perform vocals on "Inside the Torn Apart".

Stylistically the music on "Inside the Torn Apart" is mostly mid- to fast paced groove oriented death metal. At this point in Napalm Death´s career there weren´t many grindcore elements left in their sound. There are some blast beat parts on the album, but they are very few. Mark "Barney" Greenway growls with his barking raw voice and he sounds as angry as ever about the state of the world. So nothing new there...and then again... there are actually some singing/talking parts and some more melodic raw singing on the album too, but it´s nothing which dominates the vocal part of the album. The musicianship is top notch but that´s not surprising if you´re familiar with the preceding releases by the band.

The Colin Richardson sound production is very clean and polished, and while it´s professional and very well sounding, Napalm Death´s music simply sounds better with a more raw production. As always the material is well composed, but not many tracks stick out as highlights. While some would shake their head if I said Napalm Death sounded melodic, this album is actually one of their most melodic efforts. There are plenty of atmospheric futuristic sounding dissonant chords in the music that give the album a really melancholic and at times slightly melodic sound. Good examples are the title track and the closer "The Lifeless Alarm" but also a track like "Breed to Breathe", that opens the album, features plenty of semi-hooks.

"Inside the Torn Apart" is quality wise a decent effort by Napalm Death, but like the case was with "Diatribes (1996)", it just isn´t what most fans of the band expect from a Napalm Death album. The groove oriented direction of the material, the lack of blast beats, and a songwriting which smells a bit of fatique, are not exactly positives when describing the album. The musicianship and the professional sound production (although I maintain it doesn´t fit that well with the material) save the album a little and upon conclusion a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

more than 2 years ago
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UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Yep from "Enemy of the Music Business" and onwards. Great, great albums from that point onwards.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Harmony Corruption is a classic! What don't you like about it?

I haven't heard any Napalm Death past Diatribes, is there any specific point where they pick back up in quality?

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

What!!!...you must be mad :-)

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I'd save that for Harmony Corruption myself.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Like Diatribes I think it´s a pretty stale ND album, and I wouldn´t recommend it, when they have so many other great albums to pick from. I´d probably rate it as their least interesting release.

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I'd rate this a four myself, but I can see where you're coming from. Breed To Breathe got quite a bit of air play on MTV at the time, and was pretty much the heaviest thing you'd ever see back then.