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Apex Predator – Easy Meat

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Apex Predator – Easy Meat
Studio album by
Napalm Death
Released23 January 2015 (2015-01-23)[1]
Recorded2014 (2014)
StudioParlour Studios, Kettering
Studio Hostivar, Prague
Griffin Studios, Las Vegas
Genre
Length39:57
LabelCentury Media
ProducerRuss Russell
Napalm Death chronology
Utilitarian
(2012) 		Apex Predator – Easy Meat
(2015) 		Coded Smears and More Uncommon Slurs
(2018)

Apex Predator – Easy Meat is the fifteenth studio album by British grindcore band Napalm Death, released on 23 January 2015 through Century Media.[1] Since the band recorded the album in segments, recording took almost a year. In advance of the release, Napalm Death issued details of the then upcoming album such as artwork and track listing as well as two new songs. The first video clip taken from Apex Predator coincided with the release. Reviews of Apex Predator were overwhelmingly positive, while it also entered a number of American and European charts.

Rolling Stone put the album on the list of the best 20 metal albums of 2015.

Style, writing, composition

[edit]

In Terrorizer, vocalist Greenway cited Swans, My Bloody Valentine, Big Black, The Young Gods and SLAB! as sources of influence on Napalm Death.[2] For the vocals in the intro of the album Greenway drew inspiration from Michael Gira as well as from Johnny Rotten. Referring to the latter, Greenway pointed out "the way he used to spit his words out, enunciate them in different ways. I've never done that before, and when I listened back to it I thought it sounded pretty vicious." Both Greenway and bassist Shane Embury emphasised the spontaneity as the principle for writing music, as Embury explained: "I wanted to bring that to Napalm on this album in particular."[3] With all the influences, "for this album, we just wanted to make it varied and intense", he added.

Lyrically, "the main thrust of the album was inspired by the building collapse in Bangladesh, the Rana Plaza in April 2013," said vocalist Greenway.[4] He considered it "a major event in terms of human tragedy" with less media coverage and public awareness than it should have had. He concluded, "that's what truly highlights the point I want to make, which is that life seems to be viewed as cheaper in some points of the world, especially where it's treated as a kind of dumping ground for everybody else who is much more fortunate and who consumes."

Release and promotion

[edit]

In October 2014, Napalm Death made a press release about the ongoing work on the upcoming album, revealing details of the recording status and some song titles.[5] In the press release vocalist Mark Greenway mitigated concerns about the duration of the album recordings: "The full story is though that we've been recording it in segments to try and achieve varying types of sonic assault."[5] The track "Cesspits" was the first song of Apex Predator – Easy Meat to be presented to the public in advance. It debuted with British music magazine Terrorizer in November 2014.[6] Shortly after, in December, Napalm Death revealed the track listing and artwork, along with comments on the artwork from bassist Shane Embury and Greenway.[7] In January 2015, the band launched the song "How the Years Condemn" online via music magazines Stereogum and Metal Hammer.[8][9]

Century Media released the album between 23 and 30 January 2015 in different countries on CD, vinyl and MC in different variations and with various extras such as bonus tracks, posters and extended booklets depending on the format.[1] A video clip for the song "Smash a Single Digit" accompanied the release. It was directed by Michael Panduro and is composed of 1093 single drawings.[10] Singer Greenway commented on the capitalism-criticising theme of the video, "It shows nothing of dignity or life's fundamental pleasures — only a snapshot of those unfortunate enough to only be deemed as numbers for production quotas in this world. When a 'digit' has therefore been expended, it is rubbed out (or consumed leaving no trace, as in the case of this video)."[11]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[12]
Metacritic89/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Clash4/5[15]
Exclaim!9/10[16]
The Guardian[17]
Kerrang![18]
MetalSucks[19]
New Noise[20]
Pitchfork7.9/10[21]
Revolver[22]
SF Media[23]

Upon its release, Apex Predator – Easy Meat received rave reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 89, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 15 reviews.[13] Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote that "Apex Predator – Easy Meat ups the ante on all their post-2000 albums," describing the album as "completely unrelenting; thoroughly amazing."[14] Clash critic Geoff Cowart described the album as "both intensely lyrical and supremely musical" commenting that "it plays out in a way that is designed to be perversely uncomfortable for the ears."[15] Writing for Exclaim!, Denise Falzon observed that the band's "traditional characteristics and intellectual concepts, incorporated with new elements and ideas, make Apex Predator - Easy Meat another impressive addition to Napalm Death's spotless catalogue."[16] The Quietus critic Dean Brown thought that "Apex Predator - Easy Meat's hyperactive energy and deadly pacing of its recent predecessors" gives their fans "a diverse and devastating listening experience during what is a quintessential, zeitgeist-destroying grindcore album."[24]

Guy Pratt of Revolver stated that "experimentation rife on the record proves that sometimes variety makes grind even better."[22] MetalSucks critic Sammy O'Hagar wrote: "Apex Predator – Easy Meat isn’t the easiest of theirs to like, but it’s still Napalm Death right down to its bones."[19]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Apex Predator – Easy Meat"Barney GreenwayShane Embury3:46
2."Smash a Single Digit"GreenwayEmbury1:25
3."Metaphorically Screw You"GreenwayMitch Harris2:05
4."How the Years Condemn"EmburyEmbury2:43
5."Stubborn Stains"GreenwayEmbury3:02
6."Timeless Flogging"GreenwayHarris2:26
7."Dear Slum Landlord..."GreenwayHarris1:59
8."Cesspits"GreenwayEmbury3:33
9."Bloodless Coup"GreenwayHarris2:31
10."Beyond the Pale"HarrisHarris3:03
11."Stunt Your Growth"GreenwayHarris2:06
12."Hierarchies"EmburyEmbury3:13
13."One-Eyed"GreenwayEmbury2:48
14."Adversarial / Copulating Snakes"GreenwayEmbury5:17
Total length:39:57
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
13."Caste the Waste"EmburyEmbury3:07
14."One-Eyed"GreenwayEmbury2:49
15."What Is Past Is Prologue"GreenwayHarris2:56
16."Oh So Pseudo"EmburyEmbury2:37
17."Adversarial / Copulating Snakes"GreenwayEmbury5:17
18."Paracide" (Gepøpel Cover)  1:42
LP and MC bonus track, North American digipak CD bonus track & mediabook CD bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
13."One-Eyed"GreenwayEmbury2:49
Mediabook CD bonus tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
14."What Is Past Is Prologue"EmburyEmbury1:38
15."Oh So Pseudo"GreenwayHarris1:42
16."Adversarial / Copulating Snakes"GreenwayEmbury5:17
17."Clouds of Cancer / Victims of Ignorance" (G-ANX cover)  2:06
LP and MC bonus track & North American digipak CD bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
14."Adversarial / Copulating Snakes"GreenwayEmbury5:17
LP and MC bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
15."Critical Gluttonous Mass"GreenwayHarris2:31
North American digipak CD bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
15."Oh So Pseudo"GreenwayHarris1:42

Personnel

[edit]
Napalm Death
Additional musicians
Technical personnel
  • Russ Russell – engineering, recording, production, mixing, mastering
  • David Pavlik – Mitch Harris vocals engineering
  • Frode Sundbø Sylthe – album art, layout
  • Ignacio Galvez – band photos

Chart positions

[edit]
Chart (2015) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 103
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] 111
French Albums (SNEP)[27] 99
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[28] 36
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 64
UK Top Rock Albums[30] 15
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[31] 10
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[32] 2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[33] 25
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[34] 28
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[35] 12

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Napalm Death: 'Apex Predator - Easy Meat' out as of today; video debut for 'Smash A Single Digit'". Century Media. Dortmund. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Santos, José Carlos (January 2015). "'Nobody's Pushing Hard Enough for Anything to Change, it's only Token Gestures'". Terrorizer. No. 256. Leigh-on-Sea: Dark Arts. p. 17. ISSN 1350-6978. OCLC 770611553.
  3. ^ Santos, José Carlos (January 2015). "'Nobody's Pushing Hard Enough for Anything to Change, it's only Token Gestures'". Terrorizer. No. 256. Leigh-on-Sea: Dark Arts. p. 18. ISSN 1350-6978. OCLC 770611553.
  4. ^ Santos, José Carlos (January 2015). "'Nobody's Pushing Hard Enough for Anything to Change, it's only Token Gestures'". Terrorizer. No. 256. Leigh-on-Sea: Dark Arts. p. 19. ISSN 1350-6978. OCLC 770611553.
  5. ^ a b Sheila (3 October 2014). "Napalm Death release new album recording status update". Planetmosh. Rotherham. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  6. ^ Whelan, Kez (19 November 2014). "Napalm Death Premiere New Song 'Cesspits' With Terrorizer". Terrorizer. Leigh-on-Sea: Dark Arts. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  7. ^ "Napalm Death unveil Apex Predator-Easy Meat album artwork, tracklisting". BraveWords.com. Barrie. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  8. ^ Nelson, Michael (9 January 2015). "Napalm Death – 'How The Years Condemn' (Stereogum Premiere)". Stereogum. Los Angeles: SpinMedia. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  9. ^ Wenig, Christina (9 January 2015). "Hört hier zuerst den neuen Napalm Death-Song 'How The Years Condemn'". Metal Hammer (in German). Berlin: Axel Springer Mediahouse Berlin GmbH. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Napalm Death: 'Smash A Single Digit' Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. White Plains, New York. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  11. ^ Adams, Gregory (23 January 2015). "Napalm Death: 'Smash a Single Digit' (video)". Exclaim!. Toronto, Ontario: 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Apex Predator – Easy Meat by Napalm Death reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. PalmerWatson. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Apex Predator - Easy Meat - Napalm Death". Metacritic. San Francisco: CBS Interactive. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  14. ^ a b Napalm Death: Apex Predator-Easy Meat > Overview at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  15. ^ a b Cowart, Geoff (19 January 2015). "Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Clash. London: Clash Music. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  16. ^ a b Falzon, Denise (23 January 2015). "Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Exclaim!. Toronto, Ontario: 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  17. ^ Lawson, Dom (29 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat review – grindcore masters on top form". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  18. ^ Law, Sam (17 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat". Kerrang! (1551). London: Bauer Media Group: 53.
  19. ^ a b O'Hagar, Sammy (27 January 2015). "You Suffer Not: The Rewarding Difficulties of Napalm Death's Apex Predator – Easy Meat". MetalSucks. New York. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  20. ^ Hutch (26 January 2015). "Album Review: Napalm Death – 'Apex Predator – Easy Meat'". New Noise. Berkeley, California. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  21. ^ Camp, Zoe (28 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Pitchfork. Chicago: Ryan Schreiber. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  22. ^ a b Pratt, Greg (14 January 2015). "Review: Napalm Death — Apex Predator – Easy Meat". Revolver. New York: NewBay Media. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  23. ^ Bolton, Matt (26 January 2015). "Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat – Album Review". SF Media. Petersham, New South Wales. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  24. ^ Brown, Dean (27 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator - Easy Meat". The Quietus. London. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  27. ^ "Lescharts.com – Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  28. ^ "Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Germany. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  29. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  30. ^ "UK Top 40 Rock Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  31. ^ "Napalm Death Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  32. ^ "Napalm Death Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  33. ^ "Napalm Death Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  34. ^ "Napalm Death Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  35. ^ "Napalm Death Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
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