Apex Predator – Easy Meat

Apex Predator – Easy Meat
Studio album by Napalm Death
Released 23 January 2015[1]
Recorded 2014
Studio Parlour Studios, Kettering, England
Studio Hostivar, Prague
Griffin Studios, Las Vegas
Genre Grindcore, death metal
Length 40:04
Label Century Media
Producer Russ Russell
Napalm Death chronology

Napalm Death / Insect Warfare
(2013)		 Apex Predator – Easy Meat
(2015)

Apex Predator – Easy Meat is the fifteenth studio album by British grindcore band Napalm Death, released on 23 January 2015 through Century Media.[1] Since the band recorded the album in segments, recording took almost a year. In advance of the release, Napalm Death issued details of the then upcoming album such as artwork and track listing as well as two new songs. The first video clip taken from Apex Predator coincided with the release. Reviews of Apex Predator were overwhelmingly positive, while it also entered a number of American and European charts.

Release and promotion

In October 2014, Napalm Death made a press release about the ongoing work on the upcoming album, revealing details of the recording status and some song titles.[2] In the press release vocalist Mark Greenway mitigated concerns about the duration of the album recordings: "The full story is though that we've been recording it in segments to try and achieve varying types of sonic assault."[2] The track "Cesspits" was the first song of Apex Predator – Easy Meat to be presented to the public in advance. It debuted with British music magazine Terrorizer in November 2014.[3] Shortly after, in December, Napalm Death revealed the track listing and artwork, along with comments on the artwork from bassist Shane Embury and Greenway.[4] In January 2015, the band launched the song "How the Years Condemn" online via music magazines Stereogum and Metal Hammer.[5][6]

Century Media released the album between 23 and 30 January 2015 in different countries on CD, vinyl and MC in different variations and with various extras such as bonus tracks, posters and extended booklets depending on the format.[1] A video clip for the song "Smash a Single Digit" accompanied the release. It was directed by Michael Panduro and is composed of 1093 single drawings.[7] Singer Greenway commented on the capitalism-critising theme of the video, "It shows nothing of dignity or life's fundamental pleasures — only a snapshot of those unfortunate enough to only be deemed as numbers for production quotas in this world. When a 'digit' has therefore been expended, it is rubbed out (or consumed leaving no trace, as in the case of this video)."[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 89/100[9]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [10]
Clash 8/10[11]
Exclaim! 9/10[12]
The Guardian [13]
Kerrang! [14]
MetalSucks [15]
New Noise [16]
Pitchfork 7.9/10[17]
Revolver [18]
SF Media [19]

Upon its release, Apex Predator – Easy Meat received rave reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 89, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 15 reviews.[9] Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote that "Apex Predator – Easy Meat ups the ante on all their post-2000 albums," describing the album as "completely unrelenting; thoroughly amazing."[10] Clash critic Geoff Cowart described the album as "both intensely lyrical and supremely musical" commenting that "it plays out in a way that is designed to be perversely uncomfortable for the ears."[11] Writing for Exclaim!, Denise Falzon observed that the band's "traditional characteristics and intellectual concepts, incorporated with new elements and ideas, make Apex Predator - Easy Meat another impressive addition to Napalm Death's spotless catalogue."[12] The Quietus critic Dean Brown thought that "Apex Predator - Easy Meat '​s hyperactive energy and deadly pacing of its recent predecessors" gives their fans "a diverse and devastating listening experience during what is a quintessential, zeitgeist-destroying grindcore album."[20]

Guy Pratt of Revolver stated that "experimentation rife on the record proves that sometimes variety makes grind even better."[18] MetalSucks critic Sammy O'Hagar wrote: "Apex Predator – Easy Meat isn’t the easiest of theirs to like, but it’s still Napalm Death right down to its bones."[15]

Track listing

No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
1. "Apex Predator – Easy Meat"  Mark GreenwayShane Embury 3:46
2. "Smash a Single Digit"  GreenwayEmbury 1:26
3. "Metaphorically Screw You"  GreenwayMitch Harris 2:05
4. "How the Years Condemn"  EmburyEmbury 2:43
5. "Stubborn Stains"  GreenwayEmbury 3:03
6. "Timeless Flogging"  GreenwayHarris 2:26
7. "Dear Slum Landlord..."  GreenwayHarris 2:00
8. "Cesspits"  GreenwayEmbury 3:33
9. "Bloodless Coup"  GreenwayHarris 2:32
10. "Beyond the Pale"  HarrisHarris 3:04
11. "Stunt Your Growth"  GreenwayHarris 2:06
12. "Hierarchies"  EmburyEmbury 3:14
13. "One-Eyed" (Track 14 on Japanese edition)GreenwayEmbury 2:49
14. "Adversarial / Copulating Snakes" (Track 16 on mediabook CD edition, track 17 on Japanese edition)GreenwayEmbury 5:17
LP and MC bonus track
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
15. "Critical Gluttonous Mass"  GreenwayHarris 2:31
North American Digipak CD bonus track
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
15. "Oh So Pseudo"  GreenwayHarris 1:42
Mediabook CD bonus tracks
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
14. "What is Past is Prologue"  EmburyEmbury 1:38
15. "Oh So Pseudo"  GreenwayHarris 1:42
17. "Clouds of Cancer / Victims of Ignorance" (G-ANX cover)   2:06
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
13. "Caste the Waste"  EmburyEmbury 3:07
15. "What is Past is Prologue"  GreenwayHarris 2:56
16. "Oh So Pseudo"  EmburyEmbury 2:37
18. "Paracide" (Gepøpel Cover)   1:42

Personnel

Napalm Death

Additional musicians

Technical personnel

Chart positions

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[21] 103
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[22] 111
French Albums (SNEP)[23] 99
German Albums (Official Top 100)[24] 36
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 64
UK Top Rock Albums[26] 15
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[27] 10
US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[28] 2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[29] 25
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[30] 28
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[31] 12

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Napalm Death: 'Apex Predator - Easy Meat' out as of today; video debut for 'Smash A Single Digit'". Century Media (Dortmund). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sheila (3 October 2014). "Napalm Death release new album recording status update". Planetmosh (Rotherham). Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Whelan, Kez (19 November 2014). "Napalm Death Premiere New Song 'Cesspits' With Terrorizer". Terrorizer. Leigh-on-Sea: Dark Arts. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Napalm Death unveil Apex Predator-Easy Meat album artwork, tracklisting". BraveWords.com (Barrie). 1 December 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  5. ↑ Nelson, Michael (9 January 2015). "Napalm Death – 'How The Years Condemn' (Stereogum Premiere)". Stereogum. Los Angeles: SpinMedia. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  6. ↑ Wenig, Christina (9 January 2015). "Hört hier zuerst den neuen Napalm Death-Song 'How The Years Condemn'". Metal Hammer (in German). Berlin: Axel Springer Mediahouse Berlin GmbH. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Napalm Death: 'Smash A Single Digit' Video Released". Blabbermouth.net (White Plains, New York). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Adams, Gregory (23 January 2015). "Napalm Death: 'Smash a Single Digit' (video)". Exclaim!. Toronto, Ontario: 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Apex Predator - Easy Meat - Napalm Death". Metacritic. San Francisco: CBS Interactive. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Napalm Death: Apex Predator-Easy Meat > Overview at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Cowart, Geoff (19 January 2015). "Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Clash. London: Clash Music. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Falzon, Denise (23 January 2015). "Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Exclaim!. Toronto, Ontario: 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Lawson, Dom (29 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat review – grindcore masters on top form". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  14. ↑ Law, Sam (17 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat". Kerrang! (London: Bauer Media Group) (1551): 53.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 O'Hagar, Sammy (27 January 2015). "You Suffer Not: The Rewarding Difficulties of Napalm Death’s Apex Predator – Easy Meat". MetalSucks. New York. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  16. ↑ Hutch (26 January 2015). "Album Review: Napalm Death – 'Apex Predator – Easy Meat'". New Noise. Berkeley, California. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  17. ↑ Camp, Zoe (28 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Pitchfork. Chicago: Ryan Schreiber. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Pratt, Greg (14 January 2015). "Review: Napalm Death — Apex Predator – Easy Meat". Revolver. New York: NewBay Media. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Bolton, Matt (26 January 2015). "Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat – Album Review". SF Media. Petersham, New South Wales. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  20. ↑ Brown, Dean (27 January 2015). "Napalm Death: Apex Predator - Easy Meat". The Quietus. London. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  21. ↑ "Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat" (in Dutch). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  22. ↑ "Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat" (in French). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  23. ↑ "Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  24. ↑ "Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Officialcharts.de. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  25. ↑ "Napalm Death – Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  26. ↑ "UK Top 40 Rock Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  27. ↑ "Napalm Death Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums for Napalm Death. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  28. ↑ "Napalm Death Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums for Napalm Death. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  29. ↑ "Napalm Death Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Independent Albums for Napalm Death. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  30. ↑ "Napalm Death Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Napalm Death. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  31. ↑ "Napalm Death Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top Tastemaker Albums for Napalm Death. Retrieved 6 February 2015.