Napalm Death's 'Scum': All songs played at once

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ROeVGD7PWo

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What’s the connection between the Napalm Death of 2011 and the Napalm Death of 1981? Arguably, there is none. The membership has turned over multiple times, and the sound has drastically changed over time. Yet the band doesn’t get the same “hang it up” jeers that, say, Sepultura get. People still revere the Napalm Death discography (most of it, anyway), and they still go out to see the band. Some thread has remained from 1981. To me, that thread is a sociopolitical conscience with punk and metal roots. The world just needs a Napalm Death.

One thread hasn’t remained, though: sonic extremity. The band has settled into a semi-polished hybrid of grindcore and death metal with the occasional curveball. It’s enjoyable, but it’s not extreme. For a reminder of when Napalm Death was once considered extreme, check out the above mashup of every song from 1987’s Scum played together at once. To an extent, it confirms my theory that grindcore is one step removed from ambient music. The YouTube description credits Merzbow, but I haven’t been able to corroborate this. Regardless of authorship, the mashup has a strange beauty. You hear the record’s two lineups and recording sessions at once. 1986 and 1987 pile on top of each other, as angry voices try to fight their way through the fuzz. Gradually the din dies down, drums become intelligible, and the band becomes a band.

Or maybe it’s all just a pile of noise.

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