Napalm Death

Leaders Not Followers: Part 2 (Century Media)
by Tim Den

Expanding upon the first five-song installment, Leaders Not Followers: Part 2 sees Napalm Death once again tackling old hardcore, thrash, and death favorites, whipping out some superunknowns (there were TWO Devastations!?) and familiar anthems (“Riot of Violence” by Kreator, “Troops of Doom” by Sepultura). The production is even rawer here than on their last few releases, a fact the band must be proud of. And though I prefer some clarity with my madness, it’s hard to argue with such back-to-basics grindcore ferocity. When the band rip into “Face Down in the Dirt” by The Offenders (wasn’t one of them in D.R.I. for a while?), you just wanna get up and fucking throw your body horizontally against a sea of human bodies. “War’s No Fairytale” (by Discharge) and “Bedtime Story” (by The Dayglo Abortions) cause similar reactions, as they make you “circle pit” madly in your room. It’s no coincidence that the hardcore numbers benefit the most from such balls-out intensity – Agnostic Front’s tried-and-true “Blind Justice” is as likely to start a massive pile-up as ever – since a lot of thrash and death’s proficiency is traded in for pure adrenaline. “Master” (by the band of the same name), “Riot of Violence,” and “Clangor of War” (by Massacre) all sound inferior to their original versions, suffering from a lack of discipline and bottom end. But that’s just me being all techy and nerdy again.

Leaders Not Followers: Part 2 is a much-needed history lesson. Pick this up along with the book Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore for a thorough experience.
(www.centurymedia.com)