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Jun 23, 20234 min read

Napalm Death — Utopia Banished

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟  𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…


31 years ago today, this release found the band going back to the “Grind”… Grindcore, that is!



On June 23, 1992, Napalm Death released their fourth full-length studio album, “Utopia Banished” via Earache Records.



It is the first album featuring Danny Herrera on drums following the departure of Mick Harris.



Background:

Drummer Mick Harris - the only remaining member of the “Scum” lineup - eventually left Napalm Death due to conflicts with the rest of the group over changes in its stylistic direction. Danny Herrera, a close friend of Jesse Pintado, was brought in as the new drummer.



Herrera's drumming style has been noted for its uniqueness; being described as "Euroblast", a variant of blast beat in which simultaneous eighth notes are played on the ride cymbal and kick drum, with alternate eighth notes added on the snare drum. The addition of Herrera would be the last major line-up change of the band, save for Jesse Pintado's future absence, which has yet to be filled (and vocalist Phil Vane never recorded with the band).



Napalm Death then released “Utopia Banished”, which was produced by Colin Richardson. Many saw the release as a kind of return to their “Grindcore roots".



Noteworthy:

Napalm Death make use of samples in some songs on “Utopia Banished”. The tracks "Discordance" and "Awake (To a Life of Misery)" sample snippets from 1988 science fiction film “They Live” while the track "Contemptuous" takes a line from 1987 war film Full Metal Jacket.



Release Information:

A limited edition of this album included a 3" bonus CD; the vinyl release included a bonus 7" containing the same material.


The 2007 re-release came as part of Earache's Classic Metal series with The DVD as bonus disc.


In 2012, Earache Records released a remastered edition on limited edition coloured vinyl and CD digipak.


The EP "The World Keeps Turning" was released in July 1992 on vinyl and CD and contains two non-album tracks, "A Means to an End" and "Insanity Excursion".


Critical Reception:

Metal Hammer ranked “Utopia Banished” on their list of the 20 best Metal albums of 1992.


In his review for AllMusic, Jason Birchmeier writes;

“Napalm Death's evolution continues with “Utopia Banished”, another change of direction for the band. Here Napalm Death stylistically veer somewhere between the grindcore noise assaults of their early, seminal albums (“Scum” [1987], “From Enslavement to Obliteration” [1988]) and the straightforward death metal of their more recent releases (“Harmony Corruption” [1990], “Mass Appeal Madness” [1991]).
However, they also incorporate quite a bit of experimentalism into the synthesis, resulting in a curious album that doesn't fall into any preconceived category (if you need a tag, consider it an expansive death metal approach to savage grindcore aesthetics). Napalm Death thus go back to their roots in a way. Few of the songs top three minutes, and they often break into frenzied breaks of whirlwind blasting (highlighting new drummer Danny Herrera). Then again, Colin Richardson gives the songs a lustrous production sheen, and the band crafts elaborate songs that twist and turn from section to section.”
“So, if Napalm Death do indeed go back to their roots here (i.e., “Scum”, “Enslavement”), they do so while retaining the professional production and full-fledged songwriting that had characterized their recent foray into Death Metal (“Harmony Corruption”). It's really the best of both worlds, except that there aren't too many noteworthy songs here. "I Abstain" and "The World Keeps Turning" stand out, but many of the others are generally interchangeable -- there's just nothing that fascinating about them beyond their actual sound. Yes, they're powerful, but no, they're not especially great songs. The greatest song here, in fact, is an anomaly: "Contemptuous." It closes the album, sounds quite digitally processed, and lumbers along at a slow, marching pace (think Godflesh circa “Streetcleaner”). It's a stunning finale and makes you wish Napalm Death had recorded a few more similar songs for “Utopia Banished”. Regardless, the album is a step in the right direction for the band after the straightforwardness of “Harmony Corruption”. Here they've found an interesting style to explore, a synthesis of their Grindcore past and their Death Metal present that they'd soon refine on subsequent albums, to much success. Consider “Utopia Banished”, like “Harmony Corruption” before it, to be a passingly engaging transition toward the fruitful harvest that is “Fear Emptiness Despair” (1994).”

Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour:

In support of Utopia Banished, Napalm Death embarked on the Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour. This tour was saw the band tour Europe, USA, Canada and more. For the European leg of the tour, Dismember and Obituary (and other bands like L7 and Bad Religion were at select dates) toured with ND.


(Obituary and Napalm Death on the Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour)


For the US leg of the tour, Carcass, Cathedral and Brutal Truth toured along side ND.



Later, ND played select European dates with Cathedral, Trouble, The Obsessed and Crowbar before heading to South Africa.


Then Napalm hit Canada with Brutal Truth for the latter part of the Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour.



Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to the “Utopia Banished” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/utopia-banished/42365129


Click this link to follow Napalm Death on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialnapalmdeath


Click this link to watch the official music video for “The World Keeps Turning”: https://youtu.be/DuSHgiZFVuI


Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells



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