Enemy of the Music Business

The Best Napalm Death Album ?

     

Napalm Death's ninth full length studio album Enemy Of The Music Business was released back in 2000 and is still arguably the best and most vital sounding album of their career. After a series of more melodic, groove influenced and experimental albums in the mid-to-late nineties, the band decided to just release the harshest, angriest and most energetic material they could create.

The material is all fairly short, direct but arguably perfect. The energy on the record is almost unparalleled in their already excellent career. Tracks burst out of the speakers; full of double kick patterns, barking vocals and occasional blasting. They push things as hard and heavy as possible without becoming boring and fill in the blanks with interesting riffs, some of the best vocal patterns in their career and all around creative modern extreme-metal.

Although the album is incredibly solid throughout and never really dips in quality, the record does split almost in half, with the harshest tracks at the beginning of the record and the catchier more accessible songs on the second half. Highlights include the absolutely ferocious, near-title-track 'Can't Play Won't Play,' as well as 'Necessary Evil,' 'Mechanics Of Deceit,' and the snarling 'Thanks For Nothing.'

The album was so strong that the band still keep a lot of material from it on rotation in live shows (also making up a large portion of the Punishment In Capitals live release) and importantly, its direction informed the direction of all the band's albums to date which would follow it.

Overall; Enemy Of The Music Business is an absolutely monstrous album that no Napalm Death fan should even consider overlooking, it really is one of, if not the best in their entire career. Anyone with even the mildest interest in Napalm Death should pick up a copy without hesitation.