Interview Barney Greenway Napalm Death

Band Members: Barney Greenway - Vocals Mitch Harris - Guitar Shane Embury - Bass Danny Herrera - Drums

Monsters of Mayhem Hatebreed The Black Dahlia Murder Exodus Napalm Death First Blood 8/17/06 Interviewer: Josh Thorne Live Photos: Erika Kristen Watt

"You have complete control over your own destiny, and you don't need to be ruled or dictated by something that is merely mythology! You have the right as you walk this earth to make your own decisions and not be blackmailed by religion!"

Napalm Death are pioneers in the world of extreme music. This is the band that, for all intents and purposes, invented the grind genre and broke the boundaries of what bands could do in terms of speed, aggression, and the message of their music.  Nearly twenty years later, the band continues to deliver pummeling grindcore as only they can and while most bands are content to slow down with age, Napalm Death only continues to become more ferocious than before.

Their new album, Smear Campaign, is proof of this and easily stands as the band's most violent release to date.  I had the pleasure to speak with Napalm Death's ever-outspoken frontman, Barney Greenway, about his band, the state of the world, and their most recent tour [Monsters of Mayhem] with the likes of Exodus and The Black Dahlia Murder.

Barney: How are you doing, Josh?

Josh: All fine, man.  Yourself?

Barney: Good, thank you.

Josh: So, you guys are coming back over here very shortly with Hatebreed, Exodus, Black Dahlia Murder, First Blood, and Despised Icon.  This tour, for any metal fan in general, is probably the biggest tour of the year.  How long have you gentlemen been planning this?

Barney: Well, in terms of planning, it was Hatebreed that planned most of it.  They're the headliners on the tour, and basically we just hopped along for the ride.  Napalm Death was actually on the Persistence Tour in Europe last year, which was a lot of fun.  We spoke to Jamey about possibly doing a Persistence Tour in the U.S. with us, Agnostic Front, and several other veteran bands and basically just left it at that.  So, when the idea of this tour came about, we were really excited about the prospect of doing it and Jamey allowed us to be a part of this package.  I'm definitely looking forward to it.  It's going to be very interesting because, on this tour, we're basically just gonna fucking go for it! (Laughter)

Josh: I would expect nothing less, man!  What kind of set list do you have planned for these shows?

Barney: Well, we've only got half an hour every night, so we'll probably do three or four old ones and then a bunch of new ones.  We're gonna try to squeeze as much as we can into 30 minutes...which arguably, for us, could be about twenty two songs.

Josh: (Laughter)

Barney: (Laughter) I'm joking, though I do think we actually could do that.  Like I said, it will probably be about three or four old ones and a lot of new ones.

Josh: As far as touring goes, it seems as though the touring front isn't quite as hard on you financially and logistically since you've been with Century Media.  I can't help but remember how difficult it was during the latter years on Earache and even the entire time you were with Spitfire Records to get Napalm Death to the States properly. 

Barney: Well, especially with Earache, I really don't want to remember how horrific those days were for us!  Century has been very good to us, but we've also got a completely new structure as to how we handle ourselves as a band.  That's made things a lot better in general. We've obviously had some very public issues with the dismissal of ex-band members in the last two years or so, but it's only made us stronger as a band, I think.  I mean, obviously we're always going to be Napalm Death, but now we're able to do things on record and on the touring front that we weren't able to do several years ago.  So, yes, things definitely run smoothly these days.

Josh: On the recorded front, I have to congratulate you on Smear Campaign.  Barney, this is honestly the most violent album I have ever heard from you guys.

Barney: (Amazed) WOW! Really?!

Josh: I'm serious, man!  I've definitely noticed that a lot of bands, as their careers progress, mellow out and stop writing brutal music.  Napalm Death, however...I mean, it just seems like you guys get heavier as time goes on!

Barney: (Laughing) Yeah, so just go ahead and expect for the next one to be the craziest thing ever!

Josh: (Laughter)

Barney: To a point, that could actually relate back to the last question.  During the Earache years, especially the final years, it was almost like we were fucking invisible.  If you're confident, enthusiastic, and have good people working with you, the odds are that you'll be more creative as artists.  With the last few albums, we've hit a certain sweet spot that we haven't hit in a long time.  Once you've got that drive and that will to continue testing where your music can go, which would also explain why we've been using a lot of experimental elements on the last two albums especially, it's simply a matter of consequence.  We're almost guaranteed to write material that is not only energetic, but also abrasive as fuck.

Josh: So, it's not just because Bush is back in the White House?

Barney: (Laughter) I think he's part of it, but obviously, he's not our main inspiration.  There is a common consensus that you're going to get the same kind of reactions that you got when Reagan was president as well.  So yeah, you're right to some extent, but I still think we'd have made the last few albums even without Bush.  I mean, even if the other party had won, there would have still been someone there to fuck things up.

Josh: No question about it.

Barney: But George...you know, he really takes the biscuit as far as that goes.  Even without his policies, there's still that arrogance he continually displays even with his public speeches.  I mean...I almost love him, you know?  He's just so ridiculous!  If he wasn't so dangerous, he'd be the greatest comedy actor on earth!

Josh and Barney: (Hysterical Laughter)

Josh: Switching gears for just a second, this is the second time you've worked with Russ Russel at Foel Studios, correct?

Barney: Yes, and I'll go ahead and say that this is the best sound we've ever had.  As far as producers go, we've basically come to the conclusion that we don't need anyone else other than Russ.  You just don't know how difficult it is to find someone that can capture that sound from a band, and it somehow just comes natural for Russ!  At this point, I would never even consider using anyone else.

Josh: I agree totally.  It's the best sound for you guys.

Barney: Absolutely.

Josh: Now, as far as songwriting goes, it really seems like religion is the main lyrical focus with Smear Campaign.

Barney: Yes, that was the definite intention.  Religion is an age-old thing, but it's very topical at the moment.  Not only are we seeing numerous religious conflicts around the world, but we're also dealing with this concept of Intelligent Design being taught in schools.  Have you heard about this?

Josh: I actually think I have.

Barney: Well, it basically discounts the theory of evolution and teaches that all of the organisms were actually created by some divine inspiration, like the hand of God.  This is just ridiculous, because they're trying to push religion as a part of the school curriculum!  I just don't understand how they're trying to infiltrate a place of learning and get rid of a scientific theory that has been proven time and again for so long!  They're going to get rid of that, and base it on stories in religious mythology?  What the fuck, man?

Josh: I can't believe that, bro.

Barney: It's quite puzzling to me, because there is a new secondary school in England called a Capital School.  They are partly funded by the state and partly funded by private investors.  The groups and representatives of these schools are very much steeped in Christian backgrounds.  They're trying to enforce these beliefs in these schools that are being converted to Capital Schools and unfortunately, one of those schools happens to be my old school.  So now, I'm actually involved in an action group of sorts to try and stop this.  It's really frightening to see the extent of these people's desire to exert their power and control over the human race.  As the opposition, it's very difficult to make headway against these people.

Not only will the fundamentalist Christians change the curriculum, but they'll also change the way the school is run as well.  I greatly fear they will turn it into this, sort of totalitarian institution even down to the admissions policies.  This is quite personal to me, as you can obviously see.

Josh: It reminds me a lot of the song on "The Code Is Red" in which you discussed this very issue called "Pledge Yourself To You".

Barney: Yes!

Josh: That really made an impact with me, because here in America it seems like it's becoming a very frightening trend among teenagers to have those pledge cards with them.  It's almost like just by signing that card, they believe it's an automatic gateway to salvation.

Barney: Right, that's exactly right!

Josh: That's very disturbing, man.

Barney: This all started ages ago.  If you did anything that was considered sacrilegious, you could be excommunicated, tortured, or even killed by the church.  If you look around, things aren't really much different now than they were back then, just in a different way.  The ultimate belief is that we can't be good people or even be worthy of existence unless we subscribe to their moral code.  You'd be surprised how many people fall for that, and it's a very ridiculous belief.

I would tell every single one of those people to take a really good look at themselves in the mirror.  You are an incredibly complex evolutionary piece of material.  You have complete control over your own destiny, and you don't need to be ruled or dictated by something that is merely mythology!  You have the right as you walk this earth to make your own decisions and not be blackmailed by religion!  We have characteristics as human beings to decide what is right for us, and branch out and do the things that make us happy.  My hats off to biology and science teachers, whom I feel are the most courageous people on the planet for standing up for their beliefs and standing by their scientific convictions.

Josh: It's obvious to anyone that you really, truly care about the state of the world and that social issues mean a lot to you.  I recently saw that you're doing a promotional campaign for PETA called "Save 99" and I've got to tell you, this is another thing that hit very close to home for me.

Barney: Oh, really?

Josh: I really believe that animal abuse and testing is one of the single most horrendous acts going on today.

Barney: No question about it.

Josh: How did you get involved in this campaign?

Barney: Well, a lot of it has to do with my earlier connections with PETA because I've actually been a member of PETA since it's inception.  They called Century Media and asked if they could use the photo in their campaign, and of course, I was happy to let them use it.  On another note, I guess you know that I'm nominated as being one of PETA's sexiest vegetarians?

Josh: (Hysterical Laughter) You're right up there with Morrissey, right?

Barney: (Laughing heartily) I think so!  I could care less either way, but I get their point and I don't mind.  I think you're absolutely right when you say that it's absolutely wrong on every imaginable level.  It's archaic and outdated and there's no need for it.  Human results cannot be compared to the animal results, even with the evolutionary process.  I'm a vegetarian, and have been for many years.  I could never see myself going back to eating meat, just because I'm so used to it now.  I think the best way to make people consider vegetarianism is just to present them with the facts.  Ultimately, my goal is just for animals to have a much better existence than the one they have now, but I'm not the type of person that will give some girl in a restaurant grief because she's eating chicken.  That will solve nothing, and it won't help the cause in the long run.

Josh: That makes sense, actually.

Barney: Like I said, I just want animals to have a better existence and it's not going to help to try and shove it down people's throats.  The best way if just to present the facts in a logical setting and hope that they actually take notice of them.

Josh: Have you ever considered going into social and political activism full time, brother?

Barney: The thought has actually crossed my mind, and it's possible.  I used to be a member of the Labor Party here in the England when the party actually stood for something.  As far as being a politician, I'd never do that because politics is really all about being full of hot air.  There's not really any politicians I actually like, to be honest with you.  The one guy I have a lot of respect for is Ralph Nader.  I don't know why, but there's something I like about that guy.

Josh: And you know, even the title of your album Smear Campaign is very proper considering the way that the political system works.  I mean, none of these politicians ever talk about what they're going to do for the people, just why their opponent shouldn't be the one elected.  I mean, that's all it is!

Barney: That's the whole point, man!  You're exactly right, because politics doesn't matter.  Human beings matter, and a lot of people have lost sight of that.  If we want to live in a civilized world, we have to make steps to do that and right now, no one is making those steps.  I've always heard about how wonderful the Democrats are in America, but after visiting America, I'm not so sure about that.  I mean, of course, they're a nice alternative to the Republicans but that's not really something to base your entire party's existence upon.  I was in Florida before the last election down there, and the issue came up about gay rights.  There was a gay man in the audience that basically said, "I'm a gay man and I'm not looking for special privileges, I just want to be treated equally.  I want to be able to marry my partner, and I shouldn't have to justify that.  What would you do to help me?" and the Republican wrote him off, as expected.

I expected the Democrat to offer a different perspective, but he didn't.  He really tried to shy away from the issue and change the subject.  I was watching this and just saying, you know, "Shut the fuck up."  I mean, why are we worrying about this stupid fucking bullshit?  Why do politicians feel that they have a right to interfere in this sort of thing?  It's bullshit, man.

Josh: I agree, man.  This is what I've been saying all along.

Barney: But you know, I didn't mean to kind of stray away from your questions about the album or anything like that...

Josh: It's no problem, dude!  This whole conversation has really been very informative.

Barney: Well, as I stated earlier, this is something I care a lot about.

Josh: That also comes through in the music as well.

Barney: Definitely, it always does.

Josh: You experimented with a lot of different things recently in your music that really raised a lot of eyebrows, such as the collaboration with Anneke of The Gathering.  It almost reminds me of the elements of Godflesh and The Swans that you guys were incorporating on "The Code Is Red".

Barney: Well, I wouldn't say Godflesh directly but yes, we were definitely influenced by The Swans.  In fact, a lot of people don't realize that the majority of our albums have included Swans elements in them, but just in much more subtle ways than the new one.  It's always been there, and they've always influenced us.  We are experimenting, yes, but we won't put it in there just for the sake of doing it.  It has to work with our sound and what we're trying to do, or else we absolutely will not use it. 

Josh: Now, last year you had to endure the passing of one of your close friends and a legend in grindcore, Mieszko from Nasum.

Barney: (Sadly) Yeah.

Josh: A lot of people have wandered about the split between Napalm Death that was supposed to surface many years ago.  Do you ever see it being released?

Barney: You know what?  It could be released.  Everything is ready to go, but the major problem is getting permission to use our songs from other labels that we were on during the recordings.  Now, if we used those songs without their permission that would give them the right to fuck us in a very bad way.  Hopefully, we'll be able to get this out as soon as possible because we really do want to get this released, but as I said, this is a very complicated process all things considered.

Josh: Now, as stated before, you guys have been doing this for so many years.  What goals do you have left to complete with Napalm Death?

Barney: Our goal is still the same as it always was. We want to continue writing good songs and putting out great albums.  That, to us, is really what matters.  I mean, we always want to move forward and progress musically, but we will always keep that original feeling that we've had from the very beginning.  There aren't many bands that can say that about themselves, and I'm truly hoping that we will be one of the exceptions.  I would also love to be credited with helping people see beyond what is told to them and finding the answers for themselves.  That's what I want.

Josh: Any last words for our site?

Barney: As always, I just really appreciate the support that we receive from people like yourselves in America.  I don't think you realize just how much we appreciate it, and it keeps us going every day.  So, once again, thank you very much for the support and for the continued interest in Napalm Death.


I would love to personally thank Barney for one of the most pleasant, informative, and engaging interviews I've ever conducted.  This man is the real deal and Napalm Death will always be the gods of grind.  For more info, check the site: www.enemyofthemusicbusiness.com