Napalm Death
Club 9ONE9
Victoria, BC
October 25
Over 27 years ago, in Birmingham, England, Napalm Death were beginning to fuse death metal with hardcore punk. Featuring abrasive vocals, sociopolitical lyrics, down-tuned guitars, and speedy punk drumming, Napalm Death were the grindcore pioneers. Strangely enough, they recently played at Club 90NE9 in Victoria.
Local grinders Compound Terror kicked off the night. This three-piece contains drums, guitar, and a singer/sampler. The trio wielded a unique sound utilizing dirty synth tones and fast d-beats in tasteful combination with grooves and blasting. As a pleasant surprise, Six Brew Bantha, another local grind trio, hopped on stage seconds after Compound Terror finished their last song. After being denied a spot on the bill, Six Brew Bantha were able to perform two songs after all.
After a grindcore introduction, fellow locals Reaver delivered melodic death metal. Despite two new members, Reaver gave a performance as solid as ever. Blazing harmonies and ripping guitar solos filled Club 90NE9, much to the dismay of many strictly grindcore locals. Reaver gave a tight, and mostly well received, performance, although it seemed like they were just on the bill to sell drinks and get people through the door.
After a lengthy changeover, Napalm Death exploded onto stage sending the floor into a moshing and fist-pumping frenzy. Shredding their signature short blasts with lengthier songs sprinkled between, Napalm Death gave an energetic performance lacking nothing present in their past years (besides hair).
Frontman Mark “Barney” Greenway was in his signature persona: calm, cool, and completely insane. He introduced almost all songs with their meanings and made sure to give out handshakes on stage, even stepping out front of the venue after their 90-minute-long set. Greenway also showed sincere care for his fans, requesting that kids not be thrown out “just for jumping on stage.”
These English innovators are clearly still killing it after 27 years of grinding the world to a Napalm Death.