Almost all extreme metal fans are familiar with Napalm Death, the godfathers of grindcore. They’ve been at it for decades, sticking it to the man and writing some of the most brutal and ferocious stuff out there. Now, you can hear a bunch of limited-release and hard-to-find tracks all in one spot.
Coded Smears And More Uncommon Slurs offers 31 songs, which in grindcore language isn’t really that much, as some of the tracks are just over a minute. You can find everything here, from songs that were only released in Japan and bonus tracks to songs from split albums. Essentially, almost everything not readily available on their records is compiled in one place now.
This is fantastic for die-hard fans and those who can’t get enough Napalm. But for others, it may get a bit tedious, as there isn’t a ton of flow to the album. Grindcore is already choppy and fast-paced, and out of order, this seems even more stop-start than a usual record. I’ve noticed this is an issue with a lot of grind compilations; it’s more about getting all the music in one place than creating a listenable album.
This is definitely recommended for anyone who is a follower of the band. You can never have too much of a good thing, and this makes it a lot easier to listen to rare songs than flipping through to find obscure albums online. However, if you’re new to the band or a casual fan, I’d recommend some of their full albums instead.
