Napalm Death Utopia Banished [2/16]

Napalm Death's evolution continues with Utopia Banished, another change of direction for the band. Here Napalm Death stylistically veer somewhere between the grindcore noise assaults of their early, seminal albums (Scum [1987], From Enslavement to Obliteration [1988]) and the straightforward death metal of their more recent releases (Harmony Corruption [1990], Mass Appeal Madness [1991]). However, they also incorporate quite a bit of experimentalism into the synthesis, resulting in a curious album that doesn't fall into any preconceived category (if you need a tag, consider it an expansive death metal approach to savage grindcore aesthetics). Napalm Death thus go back to their roots in a way. Few of the songs top three minutes, and they often break into frenzied breaks of whirlwind blasting (highlighting new drummer Danny Herrera). Then again, Colin Richardson gives the songs a lustrous production sheen, and the band crafts elaborate songs that twist and turn from section to section. S