NAPALM DEATH Frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway - "People That Follow The Band, We Totally Respect Their Opinions"
February 25, 2012, 12 years ago
Ultimate-Guitar.com recently caught up with NAPALM DEATH frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway to discuss his career with the outfit and the band's new album, Utilitarian. An excerpt is available below:
UG: Can you talk about what drew you to death metal and grindcore?
Barney: "My heavy metal days were sort of fading away into the distance at that point. We were looking for the faster, heavier kind of things and so we sort of veered towards the more punkier end of the scene because that’s really where the chaotic, off-the-rails stuff was coming from. Me and Shane (Embury) the bass player were quite similar in that respect. We were looking for the fast stuff, the more crazier thing all the time. I mean at one point obviously bands like SLAYER were kind of really the ones that were doing the ultimate thing. But then there were other bands after that where to us kind of left Slayer in the dust a little bit. There was always that consistent search for faster, crazier music. I wanted bands that kind of spoke to me I guess in an ethical kind of way."
UG: Does it make you crazy when you hear all the things people say about the band?
Barney: "I’m so thick-skinned at this point. I do respect people’s opinions of course even if they were to really rag on the band. I do certainly respect people’s opinions but I don’t lose sleep if people get overly negative about stuff. Because maybe not in the mid-‘90s but now I’m pretty certain that what I’m doing people like. I’m confident enough in myself to sort of know we’re doing what’s right for us as a band. People that follow the band, we totally respect their opinions and we’re always open to criticism."
UG: At the end of the day if you want to bring in an operatic singer, then that’s what you have to do.
Barney: "You also have a certain responsibility to yourself to put your neck on the line and do what you have to do and what is the right thing at the right time. If for whatever reason that then brings the ceiling down on you then so be it—you live and die by your own decisions. It took me a while to think in that direction. In the mid-‘90s I definitely wasn’t that confident but now I’m pretty confident about that really."
Go to this location for the complete in-depth interview.
As previously reported, Century Media Distro Europe is now streaming Napalm Death's new album, Utilitarian. Head over to this location, where you can hear the album and get 10% off the entire Napalm Death catalogue until February 28th.
Utilitarian tracklisting:
'Circumspect'
'Errors In The Signals'
'Everyday Pox'
'Protection Racket'
'The Wolf I Feed'
'Quarantined'
'Fall On Their Swords'
'Collision Course'
'Orders Of Magnitude'
'Think Tank Trials'
'Blank Look About Face'
'Leper Colony'
'Nom De Guerre'
'Analysis Paralysis'
'Opposite Repellent'
'A Gag Reflex'
'Aim Without An Aim' (Bonus track)
'Everything In Mono' (Bonus track)
In anticipation of the release of their 14th studio album, Utilitarian, on February 27th in Europe and February 28th in North America, Mark “Barney” Greenway guides you through the final four songs on the album in the fourth and final track-by-track video.
The songs in this episode are 'Nom De Guerre', 'Analysis Paralysis', 'Opposites Repellent' and 'A Gag Reflex'.
Check out all four track-by-track videos below:
In the recently posted footage below, Mark "Barney" Greenway discusses secret band facts:
Upon Utilitarian’s release, Napalm Death's limited-edition 'Analysis Paralysis' 7" single is also be available for purchase at CM Distro in black and clear vinyl. Its B-Side includes the exclusive track 'Youth Offender', making this 7" a very collectable piece for any diehard Napalm Death fan.