NAPALM DEATH — Utilitarian (review)

Album · 2012 · Death Metal

4.5/5 · 2012-04-13
J-Man

If there's any doubt that Napalm Death is one of the most consistent forces in the world of extreme metal, Utilitarian is likely to silence those naysayers. With fifteen albums (as well as numerous EP's, demos, splits, and live releases) now under their belts, the latest from Napalm Death is a perfect example why this famed grindcore band from Birmingham, England is still as relevant in 2012 as they were nearly thirty years ago. Utilitarian is a downright lethal blend of death metal and grindcore, filled to the brim with crushing riffs, brutal technicality, and overwhelming amounts of rage. It's tough to imagine any Napalm Death fan being disappointed by an effort with this kind of quality, and Utilitarian currently stands as one of the year's best death metal offerings.

After an epic instrumental opening in the form of "Circumspect", the band dives straight into their bone-crushing and distinct hybrid of death metal of grindcore with the killer "Errors in the Signal". Utilitarian, like most recent Napalm Death albums, veers much closer to death metal territory than grindcore or crust punk, but there are frequent reminders that the band did start out in the eighties' as one of the earliest grindcore acts. Many of the riffs are definitely rooted in hardcore punk territory, and Barney Greenway's hostile vocal delivery just reeks of anger and raw aggression. Throughout this sixteen track album (or eighteen if you purchase the version with bonus tracks - something I highly recommend), your head will be bashed in by some extremely brutal music, but Napalm Death never forgets to keep their music memorable and exciting. Lots of variation within riff structures, tempos, and vocal delivery always keeps me on my toes, and Utilitarian is an absolute blast throughout its full duration. Not many deathgrind albums are as well-composed as what we have here - believe it or not, Utilitarian actually stands as one of Napalm Death's finest musical efforts thus far. With songs like "Errors in the Signal" and "Quarantined" (to only name two), it's hard not to be left amazed by this exceptional observation.

Utilitarian also shows Napalm Death taking a few risks musically, particularly in "Everyday Pox" where saxophone legend John Zorn delivers frantic squeaking to add to the already frenzied atmosphere. This is a damn solid album from every angle; the band is as tight as ever, the compositions are brutal yet rewarding, the production is phenomenal, and a sheer sense of unbridled energy is always present. Fans of Napalm Death are advised to head out to their local record stores and pick up a copy of Utilitarian immediately - this is yet another fantastic observation from kings of deathgrind.

more than 2 years ago
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Wilytank wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Hows "Blank Look About Face" for the mp3 for this album?

J-Man wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Well I'm not the most well-versed in grindcore, so that's probably a mistake on my part. I feel like the album is like a 60 / 40 split between death metal and grindcore - there's definitely plenty of both here, and the crust-punkish riffs really feel grinding at times. I may need to give the album another listen and re-evaluate... and I, of course, have no problem with giving this another spin! ;-)

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

The review I´ve written sounds pretty much the same and I´ve given the album an equal rating. Our opinions differ slithly on the topic of the album being more death metal than grindcore though. I actually think Napalm Death for the last six releases (including this one) have leaned more towards grindcore than death metal.