It’s been almost four years since Napalm Death graced the soil of Canada. Since then the band has released a full length album “Order of the Leech”, and a covers album “Leaders not Followers 2”. The later was recently released through Century Media in October here in North America. So it’s brand new material to be played for the audiences in Canada, and the States. Also a week prior to this tour the band just finished up recording their up coming album “The Code is Red. . . Long Live the Code”. So with great anticipation, lot’s of new material was to be unleashed on this night.

As I walked into the venue the first of three bands was already on stage. A monstrous lead singer was belting out some glam-metal vocals. In Veigh was their name and I figured them to be a local band from Montreal or at least Canadian. A young band that had some cool riffs, but need experience. That’s all I have to say for them.

Next up, Misery Index. With only listening to “Retaliate” I don’t know this bands material too well. I figured that they’d put on a good show though. After seeing them perform I’d say they played a tight show, but not very inspired. I guess I expected more from them. By not knowing their songs very well, I wasn’t able to get into their death/grind groove too well. I recognized one song, and it ripped. The lead singer had the most presence on stage. They thrashed out some great death metal, but it was wasted on me. The drummer was too by-the-books, and didn’t seem to have much creative use with his kit. Overall, a perfect lead up to Napalm Death, but Napalm showed how much better of a band they are than Misery Index.

At this point people started to take the floor. With a couple hundred people packing the floor, the atmosphere’s energy began to grow. As a stool sat on stage, I wondered why the fuck it was there. After waiting twenty or so minutes . . .

Napalm Death finally took the stage, minus second guitarist Jesse Pintado. The crowd welcomed them with growls, roars and loud cheers. Almost instantly Napalm blasted out two early tracks, with pure aggression and speed. “Instinct of Survival” and “Unchallenged Hate” ripped through the crowd at an amazing pace. Once the dust settled a soft spoken “Barney” Greenway introduced the band from Birmingham England. At this time the stool was spoken for. Barney had fucked up his knee, and had the stool there for leaning purposes. He then led the set into an anti-war track “Continuing War on Stupidity”. It was awesome to hear some stuff from “Order of the Leech”, because the band didn’t make it to Canada for the touring of that album. As the night went on, Cryptic Slaughter’s cover “Low Life” was a definite highlight as Mitch’s backing vocals got to rip through on the songs chorus. Between songs Barney made light fun of himself with the stool, sitting down on it, and singing “dooby dooby doo”, the way a lounge singer would. With no doubt, Mark “Barney” Greenway had the most charisma, including the crowd by lending the mic, and throwing out smiles to the mass of Napalm Death fanatics. After “You Suffer”, Barney claimed that people weren’t paying attention. Although the song totals less than a second, everyone recognized the flash of sound with loud acceptance. John Peel would have been proud (R.I.P.).

As for the new material, which is due out in March, the band chose to introduce the crowd to two brutal tracks in “The Code is Red. . . . Long Live the Code”, and “Silence is Deafening“. After twenty years in the music industry, Napalm Death are unleashing some of their most aggressive, brutal music of their careers. With no sign of slowing down. The whole set had great energy, a wicked mix of old and new songs, and the pit was thrashing the whole time. The overall sound from the band was intense, even without Jesse Pintado. Mitch Harris is quite capable of taking on the guitar duty. You’d think that missing a guitarist, the volume of the band wouldn’t be as large, well, after witnessing them with and without Jesse, you can’t tell. It’s hard to think that four people could make such a massive noise. In fact, if you count the instruments, it really was a three piece, and a vocalist. Pretty damn impressive. After playing 24 songs, the band left the stage only to be called back for a three song encore. As the set hit the 80 minute or so mark the band left the crowd wanting even more. As Barney, Mitch, and Danny shook hands with Napalm fiends, you could tell that people were satisfied, and everyone knew that they just witnessed one of the greatest if not the greatest bands ever!! Napalm Death is a serious rock band. Larger than life itself.

Napalm Death set list in order:

Instinct of Survival
Unchallenged Hate
Continuing War on Stupidity
Narcoleptic
Lowlife (Cryptic Slaughter cover song)
Taste the Poison
Next on the List
Face down in the Dirt (The Offenders cover)
Dope Fiend (Attitude Adjustment cover)
Suffer the Children
Breed to Breathe
The Code is Red. . . . Long Live the Code
Can’t Play, Won’t Pay
Devastation (Devastation cover)
The World Keeps Turning
From Enslavement to Obliteration
To Lower Yourself (Blind Servitude)
Scum
Life?
The Kill
Deceiver
You Suffer
Blind Justice (Agnostic Front cover)
Silence is Deafening
Mass Appeal Madness
Nazi Punks Fuck off (Dead Kennedy’s cover)
Siege of Power