Napalm Death - Peel Sessions (CD)

All Music Guide

In a way, Napalm Death's Peel Sessions better represent the group's extreme classic sound than any of their '80s albums. Albums such as Scum and From Enslavement to Obliteration still stand as testaments to the group's innovative approach to prototypical grindcore on the fledging Earache label, but for as historically important as these albums are, they suffer from poor sound quality. The pristine clarity and live aggression of the group's sessions on John Peel's influential BBC radio show make for a better sample of exactly how amazing this storied group was during their fabled era with vocalist Lee Dorrian, guitarist Bill Steer, drummer Mick Harris, and drummer Shane Embury. The first session, recorded on September 13, 1987, features the group blasting through 12 songs in under six minutes. The CD features the songs in blocks of three with a brief pause between each song. Even with the blurry grinding sound of the group's instruments, one can actually make out the individual sounds: ...the repetitive yet powerful guitar riffs through the maelstrom of percussion, the enveloping bass tones through the detuned guitar riffs, and the juxtaposing growls and screams of the group members. The second session, recorded on March 8, 1988, finds the group moving through yet more of their early canon, including some of their more noteworthy compositions such as "The Walls" and a trio of Japanese hardcore cover songs. The third session featured on this CD, from August 12, 1990, features the band's shuffled '90s lineup playing many of the group's most respected classics such as "Unchallenged Hate" and "Social Sterility" while also moving through some of the early-'90s material such as "Suffer the Children." Overall, Napalm Death's Peel Sessions serve as an excellent overview of the continually evolving grindcore band and surpasses the group's '80s albums in terms of sound quality. One should keep in mind, though, that this album has since been repackaged as The Complete Radio One Sessions and features a later session from 1996, making that a more comprehensive choice. - Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide Read more Less