Punishment In Capitals

Napalm Death has long been credited with being the pioneers of grindcore metal. Initially starting in the mid 80's as more of a punk influenced metal band, they slowly evolved into a band that is pretty much synonymous with many of the extreme metal genres today including death metal. The band currently has no original members and has had a virtual revolving door of band members coming and going over the years. Vocalist Lee Dorian (Cathedral) had a brief stint in the band in the mid to late 80's and other members have left to form other well known extreme metal acts such as Carcass, Godflesh and Scorn. Through all of this, the band has remained true to its roots and has garnered many very loyal and faithful fans and never really fails to deliver whether it be in the studio or on stage. This new live release Punishment In Capitals is a re-issue of a live recording that had been only previously available in Europe. Most dedicated fans probably already have this as a very expensive import but Armoury Records, a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment, has obtained the rights to this album and it's finally getting it's long overdue North American release.

This particular show was originally recorded in 2002 at the University Of London (England) during a benefit concert for a prevention of animal cruelty campaign. Clocking in at just over 63 minutes, Napalm Death manages to pack 28 tracks of sheer mayhem into their setlist with the type of precision that only they can pull off. Drummer Danny Herrera is the real star of this show as his relentless assault on the drums is simply unbelievable. Buzz saw riffs, ferocious speed, punk aggression and the guttural growl of Mark "Barney" Greenway are the norm for any Napalm Death song in as raw and as brutal a fashion as you'll ever hear from any band period. This recording also features the late Jesse Pintado on guitar who died last year of complications of severe alcoholism. The set list does a pretty fair job of covering the band's entire career at the time with earlier material from albums like Scum and Lucid Fairytale up to and including tracks like Can't Play, Won't Play and Breed To Breathe. Ignoring the mid to late 90's era of the band, covers of tracks by the Dead Kennedy's and Death as well as 5 other tracks from Enemy Of The Music Business, their current album at the time, round out their set list.

The general consensus among most Napalm Death fans is that they always sound much better live. This particular recording has long been regarded as one of the best live performances ever recorded by the band. It's also available on DVD which would give the full visual effect of the madness and mayhem that is any Napalm Death show. The band is currently enjoying widespread critical acclaim for their latest album Smear Campaign and this live show would be a great addition to anyone's collection who has just recently discovered this band and an absolute must for long time fans.