Search - Napalm Death :: Fear, Emptiness, Despair

Their most accomplished release to date.

J. Sa | Salvador, BRAZIL | 07/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The early nineties was a great time for Rock music. Hair Metal was - finally - dying, and lots of underground bands were selling huge amount of records, and record company folks were flabbergasted, because they couldn't safely predict who might be the next big hit. Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden and in a lesser degreee, Metallica - which already had a huge fanbase - were considered flukes from the suits that worshipped Guns N'Roses, Bon Jovi and Poison.



Company executives went on to hire scouts to 'fish' on underground waters, and maybe hit upon the next Metallica or the next Nirvana. Epic hired Sepultura, Warner Brothers hired Helmet and Biohazard and other bands on the WB roster, like Ministry and Pantera, were doing great.



Company heads then turned attention to a small UK label, Earache. In 1992, after a label frenzy, Earache signed a distribution deal with Columbia in America for its major acts, except Morbid Angel (which signed their own deal with Giant, another american company). The first disc to come out from the new distribution deal was Cathedral, which featured Lee Dorian, ex-Napalm Death grunter. The deal was, initially, mutually beneficial. Earache got more money to invest on tours and more studio time for the bands. In turn, Columbia might get the next Megadeth (Carcass) or the next Nine Inch Nails (Godflesh).



This major label interest in Earache's roster had, like it or not, both a positive and a negative influence on its bands. 1993-1994 was a period which some of the best Death Metal records were released (in my opinion). And many of these bands ended, after the "Corporation Pull-In".



Ok, but... Why take so much time to explain all this?



"Fear, Emptiness, Despair", to me, is undoubtly a product of this period. Instead of 'blast-beat-us-til-death' gimmick - which had already wore thin - ND opted for midpaced songs. To me, it worked. They couldn't get faster than "From Enslavement to Obliteration", and the attempt to get back to their "roots" - "Utopia Banished" (1992) - was midly disappointing. "Fear", however, has more of that "roots" quality - without so much blast-beats. You don't need to be fast to be heavy and brutal.



And I think and ND proved that to themselves, and to me, with this record.



And I hope to all of you, too."

Best release from napalm death

EdIbLeCaNnIbAL-X | Nj | 03/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is the most lyrically complex album from napalm death.its got alot of confusing metaphors and similies.its also really heavy and thrashy.there is no release in music history tht can live up to this album.the best tracks are armaggedon x7 and twist the knife (slowly).this is one of the main grindcore albums in history and influenced most grindcore.other good releases by napalm death are inside the exit wound and scum.all thrash and death fans, buy this album as soon as possible, you wont regret it!"

The best of the 90's era of Napalm Death albums

Self Induced | Drexel Hill, PA | 04/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"in my personal opinion, there really is no bad N.D. album. some old-school purists don't really like the stuff they did during the mid to late 90's. I've read that these are their "experimental" albums and that this was the reason why Barney left the band for a few months back in '97 (even the N.D. logo is different on these albums). however, I love all of them. I honestly feel that they never lost any of the power or intensity on any of the albums. Fear Emptiness Despair has all the elements of a great Napalm Death record. it has the blastbeats, the mid-tempo grooves, the in-your-face lyrics, and pretty clear, crisp production on top of all that. it has a really nice balance of straight-up death metal and hardcore punk/grindcore to satisfy all N.D. fans young & old. if you can get your hands on this out of print CD, do not hesitate to snag it!"