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Napalm Death

Leaders Not Followers: Part Two
2004
Century Media

Napalm Death - Leaders Not Followers: Part Two (Cover Artwork)


Review by: Jason Thornberry
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Century Media (Logo)

Published on November 2nd 2004

Albums by established groups chock full of cover songs are a dime a dozen, and there are a billion bands intent on foisting their favorite artists on you. From Metallica, to Eric Clapton, to Dwight Yoakam, Richie Stevens, and Cat Power, artists have strip-mined their record collections, and though the occasional intention is to explain where they’ve derived their influences, the term "stop-gap" usually comes to mind instead. It’s as though some will do almost anything to remain in the public consciousness, weighing their own work against performers no nearer to stardom through this association (see Metallica).

So when Napalm Death brought out their first edition of Leaders Not Followers in 2000, it would have been to be suspicious of their motivation. The aim, however, was to be educational, not to revel in monetary exploitation/grave robbing. Napalm’s collective knowledge of these groups, some of whom are quite obscure, helped shed light on their careers. This even, in one case, propagated the release of an entire disc worth of demo tracks from Michigan’s Repultion, featured on their first installment. The roots of that six song release have blossomed into Part Two, which, at nineteen tracks finishes the argument that their vortex of dissonance had to originate somewhere. And while many will claim them for the “metal” camp, the Crasstifarian mood of their early years is felt when they tackle the songs of Discharge and Anti Cimex. They move on through numbers by Agnostic Front, Siege, Die Kruezen, and Attitude Adjustment, as well as a few more metal/speedcore hits by Cryptic Slaughter, Master and Sepultura, but the idea is to show how each group helped forge Napalm Death’s sound and attitude.

And Napalm borrow from all of them, but they have advanced too, obviously. They have added their own signature quirks, while inventing an entirely new genre from piles of nearly-forgotten demos, rehearsal tapes, and albums that never saw proper release. Fast forward to now and Napalm Death’s songwriting has moved beyond extremes heretofore unforeseen anywhere in guitar-based music. Leaders Not Followers Two is a fresh start, a turning of the page, for a band who, two decades in, still have more to add.



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    Posted by EdCain on 2006-08-13 18:59:45

    ^that is one of the most misinformed statement i've heard in a damn long while

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 at 8:52 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    "Uh early grind, black metal, thrash, and metal in general is just as technically non-proficient as punk. Just because they use precision blues chops doesn't make them real musicians"

    Are you fucking kidding? That is one of the dumbest comments I've ever read here.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 8, 2004 at 12:16 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Okay dudes, lets play the riff from "scum"....ready?

    Duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-NUH
    Duh-na-na-na-NAH-NUH!
    D uh-nuh-nuh-nuh-NUH
    Duh-na-na-na-NAH-NUH!
    Bleeeeeaaaaaarrrrrrggg gghhhh!

    -Ken

    Posted by wannabepunktony on 2004-11-05 03:24:16
    My Score:

    You know what would be a cool? A review NOT mostly about a different album. Thanks for nothing.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at 9:10 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Uh early grind, black metal, thrash, and metal in general is just as technically non-proficient as punk. Just because they use precision blues chops doesn't make them real musicians.

    -BSD

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at 8:52 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    "YES! This is great stuff....punk rock, a different type of punk rock, but punk rock nonetheless."

    I agree. Music doesn't have to be devoid of talent and technicality to be classified as punk.

    Posted by FortyMinutesWest on 2004-11-04 16:19:51
    My Score:

    Napalm fucking Death.

    Someone needs to review Repulsion.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 4, 2004 at 8:38 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    anyone here like carcass? awesome shit

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 at 6:16 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I love Napalm Death but I like Extreme Noise Terror more.

    Posted by some1 on 2004-11-03 16:09:25
    My Score:

    there is nothing fashionable about Napalm Death.

    they are just awesome.

    Posted by gladimnotemo on 2004-11-03 12:33:58
    My Score:

    "I'd also like to say that this is good because it makes so many stupid "extreme music" fans realize how punk-oriented grind, death metal, thrash, etc. actually are.

    -BSD"

    I second that.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 at 6:54 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    My score isn't for this Napalm Death album, its for the Nerve Agents.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 at 3:09 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    YES! This is great stuff....punk rock, a different type of punk rock, but punk rock nonetheless.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 at 11:25 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I'd also like to say that this is good because it makes so many stupid "extreme music" fans realize how punk-oriented grind, death metal, thrash, etc. actually are.

    -BSD

    Posted by joeg on 2004-11-02 23:18:50
    My Score:

    naplam death is teh shit.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 at 11:10 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    These guys are awesome.

    -BSD

    Posted by Fuzzy on 2004-11-02 22:47:50
    My Score:

    This is a well written review.

    Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2004-11-02 22:32:12
    My Score:

    Cannible Corpse, Napalm Death, Macbre.

    Hell yes.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 at 10:29 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Look, it's the moron who gave the Nerve Agents a 1.