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Ok, first of all things I would like to congratulate you on the new album, which surely is one of the best things that the band has released. I think the band had gone through some troubled times in the recent past but that was not a problem when it came to making new songs. I would like to know how has been the reaction (both of fans and press) on "Words from the exit wound"?
I think it as gone over good, it is a shame that in the States Earache didn't push it very well, but that was one of the reasons we got off the label.The press seemed to like it very well, there was some good reviews I know in Gemany's rock hard it got #1 on the check list for that month, which, considering the competition, I think is good. And yes the songs went over well.
Has it widened Napalm's audience?
Who can tell? When we did a tour of the States the album was badly promoted. We had great turnouts but a lot of the kids were still getting familliar with the stuff, I think the Cradle tour did us some good, but you never can tell untill you go on tour next time.
How is it working like live?
Good I think. The album has a lot of angry tracks, which I think the old fans like, and (it still) is interesting to the newer fans who maybe got into us around Diatribes.
Does it pleases new fans and old alike?
As I said it seems to please both types of the Napalm fan (even though that definition could be split into more group's).
We are living in strange times for underground hardcore music such as the music you make. Whereas in the past all that was extreme would be put together, due to the narrow mind of some, today some bands/styles just won't mix. You have recently toured with a Black Metal band, Cradle of Filth. The band is huge, particularly in Europe. What were the concerts like and how did the "black metal fans" reacted to Napalm Death's Grindcore/Metal/Crossover holocaust?
Good and strange at the same time, I definitely think the black metal fan has got to start developing a sense of humour, some of them definitely got into the speed of it, where as some just kind of stared. But saying that they kind of did that for Cradle as well, ha!
What do you consider Napalm Death to be? A Metal band? A Hardcore band? Which audience do you connect with better? The Punk/HC/Crust or the metal fans? What do you think of Punk nowadays?
I guess a hardcore metal band would be the best description.We can connect with anybody as long as they are not assholes, that's just in general there are intelligent people on all sides. As regards to Punk, which type do you refer? sureley not the MTV shit that they would have you make us think is punk, that is garbage. No, there are still a lot of good bands out there who are extreme and playing from the heart and that is what it is about.
What is the Punk/HC/Crust scene like nowadays? (in the UK)
I dont think the Crust thing is as strong as it used to be, but saying that it seems to have merged with the stoner movement recently. There are still a few bands though, around, I see from time to time that remind me of the late eighties bands I saw. But to be honest I dont keep in touch as much as I used to. I know in Birmingham gig's are few and far between so that's probably why.
Among the fans of Napalm Death there are several members of the Straight Edge community, who share some of the views of the members of the band. What do you think of the Straight Edge "thing" and do you identify with any of it? Do you feel as being, somehow, part of it?
Barny is the only member in the band who is Straight Edge, so I guess that is more of a question for him, but I have met a lot of cool people in the movement who have had a lot of good things to say and that is good. I'm not into the people who go around knocking peoples drinks out of their hands and stuff, that to me is childish. My philosophy as always been to do what you do and not interfer with others-each to his own really. As long as you really believe in what you are doing then that is good, as long as you dont do it to think you are above other people-i myself dont identify with it, just my personal opinion.
How important is to Napalm Death to stay political? Do you still feel the urge to bring up social subjects and question certain issues? Or is that not important to the band anymore? How do you feel about what the band has written and what are your concerns now?
Well Barny's lyrics tend to be more pollitical than mine (but on the brand new album to be released in September 2000-they are more directed towards the music industry). Mine tend to be more personal, but I think it's important to question things around you and realize there are a lot of fucked up things going on. There are always things to talk about, just living your life dealing with all the problems everybody faces, so there are constant subjects to talk about. I'm proud of what the band has dealt with in the past, especially since a lot of bands shy away from such subjects.
The lyrics from "Words form the exit wound" deal with how someone can hurt others even if just saying words to them. The lyrics are, however, very introspective and a bit "hard to grasp". Could you develop the idea of being hurt by words a little further, how this affected your lives and, has that topic got anyhting to do with things that might have been said to each other during the troubled times of the band?
Well as a band over the years we have definitely had our fair share of problems personally, but have managed to work them out. So some of the lyrics deal with personal ego's we may have had with each other over the years, but actually a lot of the lyrics deal with mistrust from a buisness point of view, inevetably when you are involved in the music industry you are going to come across some sharks, some people who you thought were your friends, how you deal with that is an entirely different subject. But by puutting some of those feelings on record you get a weird sense of release so those were the main topics for the album.
With the released of "Leaders not followers" we had a sample of what sort of bands influenced you. Could you tell about the importance of the american/british hardcore scene and the metal scene in your lives and on Napalm's music?
Well for me and the rest of the guy's the underground was very important, it brought us together for one thing, without it I probably wouldn't be here today. Back in the late eighties you had a scene of people, many of which are in bands today, sharing idea's and music, and that was a great period for us, you didn't care about the sound quality of the demo's you were trading-it was the passion with which they were made which counted. I sometimes think that is lacking a little bit in today's music. And so we wanted to pay homage to some of the bands that inspired us personally and collectivelly, and i think in the future we will continue to do so.
Which bands/music do you listen to nowadays?
We listen to a lot of different music, it can range from the old scholl stuff like Discharge, G.B.H., Motorhead, Slayer, Death, Repulsion, Possesed, Siege, Raw Power to the Cocteau Twins, Killing Joke, Ministry, Dream Theater, Joe Satriani. Jesse listens to a lot of ethnical stuff, Mitch and me (listen to) some industrial techno, Mitch loves Bjork, old school heavy metal yes everybody loves the old Saxon, Ha! Rush etc
Ho do you see new bands like Korn, Machine Head and Fear Factoy? How do you compare them to Napalm Death?
It's not for me to compare really but i think we are completeley different from those bands(apart from maybe Fear Factory who started off in a kind of simmilar vein musically). I dont know about Machine Head, but Korn to me are totally manufactured. I just dont think they care anymore (if they ever did ). I think all there so called frrustration and contempt is made up to try and come across like they have valid things to say.
How much are you willing to change Napalm Death? (as far as music goes). Are there any fans that do not accept the changes in the sound of the band? Do you think you just have to keep some of the original elements to stay true to the band? Or is NxDx a mutating organism which should adapt itself and grow with the times regardless of what it was before?
I think as a band we have fans old and new alike some are into the new stuff some are not, But when it comes to the shows they all go for it in a big way and I think it all comes together.We alway's try to keep the original element of the band in the music, of course on a couple of the last albums we tried to go for a more mid-paced aproach with only a few fast songs, this was good for us experimentation-wise but I think lateley we want to bring some of the crazy fast shit back into it and merge that with what we learned during our experimental albums. I think we have to keep growing but at the same time we are learning how to mix all of our styles together to ultimateley and hopefully take napalm to new extremes.
What do you think of nowadays grindcore? Are there any bands that please you?
There are some great bands like Nasum from Sweden , Scalplock from England Crossed Out from the States and a few others I like. it's amazing to see how far it's all come.
What do you think of japanese "power electronics" bands like Merzbow? How do their sound compares to the sheer brutality of ND? Music wise do they have the importance/same meaning that bands like NxDx had when brutal grindcore first came up from the Underground?
I know the first time I heard Merzbow I was like "wow what the fuck is this" as I'd never really heard anything quite that crazy, so I think that kind of music has an association with what our music is about, I heard that the guy behind Merzbow is a Napalm fan so I wonder if this is an interpretation for him but in obviousley differenrt way. But yes I quite like some of that stuff.
Which bands were your main influences to pick up an instrument and/or to get involved with music? How did each one of you got involved with Napalm Death and why?
I guess one of the biggest influences on me was Venom back in '81. At the time I'd never really heard anything that noisy and in a way that was responsible for getting me into discharge. But my first instrument was the drums it wasn't untill I joined napalm that I took playing the bass seriously.The rest of the band were fans of Napalm, Barny used to follow us around in the old day's, and when Lee left he was already singing for Benediction, so we asked him to join and he was well up for it. As for Jesse and Mitch the same deal really they were over in the States with their bands, we used to tape trade with each other and when Bill left we decided that we wanted two guitarist's. Mitch's influences as a guitarist were Destruction and Kreator, then later on Pentagram from Chille, I think with Jesse in the early day 's it was Maiden and Priest.
Do you plan on expanding your side-projects? Is Meathook Seed becoming a real band with the release of a new album? Are your planning to tour? Will Lock Up keep releasing stuff? Is Barney's "Nothing But Contempt" project going to release something? I read that Shane had plans on making a project with ex-Napalm and currently Cathedral singer Lee Dorrian. Are there any plans on going on with it?
Well there was a new Meathook album out last year, and there are plans to do a new one next year. Lock up will hopefully record the new one in September of this year for release next year, as for Nothing But Contempt I dont know really. That was a band with Danny also thay had a few rehearsals a couple of years ago but nothing came of it you never know. As for the band with Lee we have been talking about it for ages, who knows I think the idea's are there sort of a cross between sob,neurosis and the boredoms probably but we will have to see.
The band started in Birmingham, I got that right, but were do you live now? Were does Barney lives? (I heard he lives in London)
Me, Jeese, Mitch and Danny all share a house together in Birmingham (about five minutes from the old Mermaid pub where many of the old gig 's took place ) and Barny now live's in Kettering, which is about one hour from Birmingham.
Do any of you work with something else besides music? I know Greenway writes to magazines such as Kerrang from time to time. What are your other interests?
Besides Barny the rest of us fortunateley concentrate on music really, I'm into collecting movie's and such. Mitch reads a lot about the solar system and stuff, Danny is into sports and Jesse is into a lot of flamenco music .
Was the parting of ways with Earache amicable? How do you view the new Earache looks/sound? Do you still keep in touch with Dig?
Suppose you could say it was ammicable, to me I think that Earache has changed to much really and to be honest he is pretty shady regarding how he treats his bands, I dont keep in touch with Dig there abeen to many disagreement's in the past. I think he should have stuck true to the original concept of the label, but then again every body want's to move on I guess who's to say just my opinion.
Do you have any contact with old Napalm Death members? Would you (or they) be willing to work together again in the future? How do you view their work? (particularly I would appreciate your view(s) on Mick Harris, Justin Broadrick, Lee Dorrian, Bill Steer, Nick Bullen and Jim Withley)
Yes I keep in contact with Lee, Bill, Jutin, Nick and Jimmy.
Do you get along with the ex-members? Are there any Ill feelings?
I get along with most of the guy 's. There are some ill feeling 's about some past issues, but nothing that really get 's in the way.
What do you think of the current Black Metal scene? Are there any bands that you like?
To be honest I dont listen to much, I grew up with the old Black Metal like Venom and Bathory, but I am into Satyricon, Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. There are a few other's but I can't remember their names.
What sort of books do you like to read? Which are your favorite movies? Which are the other arts that interest you?
I am a masisive Star Wars fan so I read a lot of those book 's, I'm also abig fan of the Necroscope series of book ' s by Brian Lumley. I know Danny likes to read a lot autobiography 's, to be honest I dont know what Jesse like 's to read, and Barny reads a lot of horror as well. As for Mitch, he reads a lot of books on conspiracy 's. The movies we like vary: Goodfellas, Casino, Scarface, Star Wars, Contact, The Fight Club, lot's of comedys. I like a lot of the really old black and white horror movies, all kinds really.
Who invented the name Napalm Death?
As far as I know it was Nick Bullen, but I think you have the answer to that elsewhere. (Yes, according to Miles Ratledge, ND's founder and drummer, it was him and Rat, probably it was more due to Miles than to Bullen in my opinion. Anyway, it was a homage to one of their favorite movies: Apocalipse Now, and it's use of Napalm - Joaquim)
Do you know exactly who were the original members of the band? And what happened to them?
No not really. When I met the guy's in early 86 it was Nick, Justin and Micky
Do you know what is Nik Bullen up to? Is he still working with music? Are you friends with him? How did he see Napalm Death going on without him? (since he started the band)
As I said I am still friends with him and see him from time to time. The last time was at a Meathoo Seed show in Birmingham about 4 months ago i think he 's got a regular job the last I heard.
Napalm's first demo "Hatred Surge" and the partcicipation on the Bullshit Detector comp. Feature a very different band, but those are also very valuable records that have been unavailable for some time. Would you be willing to re-release this songs (or maybe re-record them with the new Napalm Death sound?? Just an idea...)
It 's an idea but somehow I dont think it would happen ....but you never know.
Some old Napalm Death records and limited special editions have their price increased tremendously. This seems to be happening a lot within the hardcore scene, eps and records which were originally released at two pounds being sold by twenty (if not more!). Some people say that this goes against the whole philosophy of the underground. How do you see that?
I tend to agree. I myself have fell victim to the collector bug, it 's just one of those things I guess if you didnt get it when it was released you tend to suffer, but I think the way it is going with the internet those day 's might be over. There is always someone trying to make a penny somehow and people will pay it, what can you do ?
After Lee Dorrian and Bill left, who got in the band first? Did Barney, Jesse and Mitch all got into the band at the same time?
Barny then jesse we did a tour of England with Carcass, Morbid Angel and Bolt Thrower. Then just a tour of europe with Morbid then in early 1990 mitch joined and we started rehearsing for harmony.
Why did Lee and Bill decided to leave Napalm?
Many reasons, really some I dont want to get into but I know Lee personally got ripped off by Dig after Japan in 89, and there was some personal differences, that's all I can say.
Do you know what is Bill up to nowadays?
Last I heard Bill was living in London playing in a band that sort of sounded like Thin Lizzy. (for more info on Bill's whereabout's read the news page)
I know Barney is into Aston Villa. Do the other members enjoy football too? Or any other sports?
I get into football around the world cup and stuff but generally I'm not that bothered. I guess the closest Jesse comes to sports is table football but we all like playing pool.
Finally, what is the purpose of Napalm Death? (Besides making wonderfull music!)
For us it has become a big part of our life, but I think it is good for Napalm fans to know that we go through a lot of the same shit as they do and for us a big part of this band is aimed at release, and we just want to continue to grow and move on and hopefully the fans do to.We like to think that we are on the same level as the people who are into what we are doing, I cant imagine life without Napalm. I know it cant go on forever but at least we are doing what we alway's wanted to do.
Ok, I know this got a little bit too long. But both me and some fans wanted to ask ND this questions for a long time, some even for YEARS, so this is golden opportunity which we could not let go.
Thank you very much for your attention and care. Know that we will always support NAPALM DEATH for what you are. Thanks for giving us and sharing with us your great music and art. You are very important to us.
Cheers,
Joaquim Ghirotti, Twisting the Knife webpage.
http://www.geocities.com/area51/zone/2453/main.htm
