Napalm Death are a legendary, British and massively influential band in the world of extreme music, I'm quite unsure as to when it was i first discovered there music, but over the years i have grown very fond of there music and have found their discography to be quite varied. In the early days they were pushing the boundaries of sound with their sonic noise oriented Grindcore, and over the years they have dabbled with Death Metal, Grove Metal and other extremes. This was a record i had initially avoided after reading negative reviews, but having now grown to love this record i realize the negativity mainly stemmed from fans unhappy with a change of direction in the bands sound.
The album is not the most sizable of shifts in sound from 93's "Fear, Emptiness, Despair", a much darker, punkier vibe. Diatribes shifts to a clearer, more approachable mix, the drums are calmer (for Naplam) and adds some real kick to the grooving riffs that pop up throughout this album. Groove Metal may be the best genre to describe this record but doesn't give Napalm much credit for the variety this album offers.
There are many grooving head banging moments, but also its fair share of snaking riffs, atmospheric tracks like Cold Forgiveness and general variety in approach and style from track to track that gives this one a lot of replay value. Theres plenty to enjoy here for a fan of Metal and i have to mention a track "Finer Truths, White Lies" from the Greed Killing EP. Probably there best track of this era, a real bouncy thumper. I have no idea how i didn't make it onto the LP.
Favorite Tracks: My Own Worst Enemy, Just Rewards
Rating: 6/10