We've been waiting patiently for the metal gods to send us something from Napalm Death. Well, Baphomet has heard our prayers, and has awarded us metal heathens with some new material!
Yesterday, Century Media announced that the new album will be called Apex Predator – Easy Meat and will be released on January 27 (a day earlier in Europe).
Napalm Death frontman Barney Greenway says the album is an "an exposé of slave labour in the modern world (and the surrounding conditions propping it up)."
Greenway was inspired by the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh, which killed over a thousand people and injured more than 2,500. Most of the building occupants were textile workers, who were forced to work in the building despite its dilapidation.
He comments:
Sometimes you have to ponder long and hard for an album title, but following the Rana Plaza disaster of last year (collapse of a textile sweatshop building in Bangladesh), it spurred me on to try and craft an exposé of slave labour in the modern world (and the surrounding conditions propping it up).
Some in power like to declare that slavery is consigned to the history books. But if you look beneath the surface it is alive and well in many different forms – it just has a different face now, and exists in ways that may seem ethically ambiguous. Using the terminology of evolution particularly interests us, so in this case the 'Apex Predator' represents those who bring the slavery to bear (and capitalise from it), and the 'Easy Meat' is of therefore those who feel they have no option but to comply.
When asked about the music on the upcoming record, Greenway called the album "punishing." Earlier this month, the band stated that Apex Predator – Easy Meat would be their "fastest and spazziest" yet, which just sounds fucking awesome.
The vocalist clarifies a bit for us:
Fittingly, the music on Apex Predator – Easy Meat is punishing. We feel it's more ambient, more expansive, more unsettlingly discordant than ever, and importantly, still extremely rampant at excessive speed. We hope in every respect – both musically and lyrically – this album will make your eyes burn with the harsh sonics and harsh visions of the dumping ground of globalisation."
No official track listing has been announced yet, but we know already that some of the song titles include "Copulating Snakes", "Dear Slum Landlord", "What Is Past Is Prologue", and "Stunt Your Growth."
You can check out the band below, performing "Dead Slum Landlord" at Roadburn earlier this year:
