Listen: Napalm Death Wrote a Post-Punk Song ‘Amoral’ + It Still Crushes
Grindcore originators Napalm Death set Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism as the title of their 16th album earlier this year. In tandem with the new album announcement came the brutalizing "Backlash Just Because" and now the group has reversed course a bit, having just debuted the post-punk pulverizer, "Amoral."
It's not like this is the first time Napalm Death have gone a bit experimental — they've shifted dynamics throughout their entire career — and there's some post-punk and industrialized flashes on 2014's Utilitarian that suggested the band was digging back into their early fringe influences such as Killing Joke and Throbbing Gristle.
"Amoral" is, overall, fairly melodic, even as the Brits stack the song with dissonance. This is probably the closest we'll ever come to hearing Barney Greenway "sing" on a Napalm Death song and his distorted bark works well over the lunging grooves and catchy simplicity.
Watch the music video for "Amoral" further down the page.
"A good shout to work once again with Michael Panduro, as he really adapts his style video to video rather than just using a singular approach," enthused Greenway. "We delight in a generous helping of the absurd, so for one thing, the footage of children seemingly at play but displaying signs of systemic obedience really propels Shane’s lyrical thrust of our default powerlessness within the pecking order. As sonics go, I think it’s post-punk as fuck and grooves massively and accordingly."
As for the Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism album cover (seen here), Greenway had previously stated, "The artwork specifically uses a white dove as a centerpiece, which of course is a commonly recognized symbol of peace and cooperation. The dove has been mauled very violently by a sterilizing hand and in death appears particularly broken and bloodied."
Still, there is some sort of hope to be found in the artwork as the frontman continued, "However, through the violence you can see an equality symbol in blood on the chest of the dove, which perhaps demonstrates – visually at least – that equality cuts through in the end. A positive amidst many negatives then, much like the album title itself being a bit of an oxymoron – the celebration of humanity even in the mangling jaws of negativity."
Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism will be released on Sept. 18 on Century Media. Pre-order your copy of the album here.
Napalm Death, "Amoral" Lyrics
When our emotions summon ghosts
They scratch the wound and feed the host
The past, the lies are all revealed
Those layers of guilt can never heal
Trauma seeks a vengeful heart
To pluck the truth out from the dark
We all take turns to hide deceit
But what we sew is what we reapThere’s no prediction to apportion hope
Disconnected Amoral limbo
Deceiving to achieve
What is there really to achieve?
There’s no conviction that can bestow
Disconnected Amoral limbo
In the end we’re just food for the worms - shit of the earthAssassins within our closest kin
Conceived control hid in the wings
Silent, we gave away our faith
A future unknown? a hindered race?
Punished for trust the mindless won
Banished no thought of the outcome
Diseased you poisoned all with fear
Against ourselves the choice was clearThere’s no prediction To apportion hope
Disconnected in amoral limbo
Deceiving to achieve
What is there really to achieve?
There’s no conviction that can bestow
Disconnected amoral limbo
In the end we’re just food for the worms - shit of the earth
Napalm Death, "Amoral"
Napalm Death, "Amoral" Single Artwork
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