"Time waits for no slave" LP by Napalm Death

by Björn Thorsten Jaschinski (29.01.2009) You can rely on these co-founders of Grindcore - musically and lyric-wise. Their "Strong arm", for example, is a typical leftist street fighter’s one and, unlike Saxon’s, the strong arm of the law... The songs are longer than those on "Smear campaign", but the Brummies don’t cut back on speed, furious chord attacks, and extreme vocals. Quite the contrary: Barney bellows and belts it out as usual in the opener and also isn’t above a short clean vocal part in that song either. After their experimental phase in the 90s, Napalm Death have returned to their roots, add some sophisticated arrangements and on rare occasions also some alternative experimental riffing ("Procrastination of the empty vessel"). "Work to rule" does even cross the borderline to Black Metal for a few beats. Also terrific: the touch of Speed Metal on "Feeling redundant" and the atmospheric, airy beginning of "Passive tense". As usual: first-class material.