5) “Call That An Option?” – Smear Campaign [JAPANESE VERSION]
[youtube]https://youtu.be/70T9yiuJRS4[/youtube]
Again an awesome track sacrificed at the altar of enticing Japanese buyers. Man… hope y’all know how good you’ve got it. “Call That An Option?” would’ve been one of the more up-tempo inclusions on Smear Campaign, which is, on the whole, a very tonal record with a lot of nuance. This track, however, is less finesse and more jackhammer. It’s very much in the vein of the heavier matter from Time Waits For No Slave, and contains some of the most memorable riffs from this recording session. Definitely worth tracking down, and also worth noting where it’s included on the track list. With a number of their import/alternate versions, Napalm Death opt against the standard practice of tacking songs onto the end of the disc, instead dropping them into the record’s sequence and effectively altering the sonic landscape of the entire outing. For the Japanese version of Smear Campaign, there’s an extra peak in what was otherwise a bit of a valley.
6. “Losers” – The Code Is Red…Long Live The Code [DIGIPAK]
[youtube]https://youtu.be/DZkzp6x5tgg[/youtube]
This album rotates in my top three Napalm Death releases, and has for years. While Order of the Leech and Enemy of The Music Business were high-intensity efforts, I think The Code Is Red was the record that really brought the band out of what some considered their late 90’s slump. “Losers” is a blast of traditional grindcore angst with some killer heartburn thrown in via drummer Danny Herrera. As always, Herrera’s blasting is on-point, but “Losers” contains some total ear-candy fills and transitions. This one would also make a killer finale for a live set… just wait for the shift right past that three-minute mark. Break that neck, son.
7) “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” – Leaders Not Followers or Noise For Music’s Sake
[youtube]https://youtu.be/uGR6H3fSm8I[/youtube]
Napalm Death’s been covering this Dead Kennedys classic forever. It’s still got just as much kick as it ever has, and it still ends pretty much every live set the band plays. The easiest places to find this track are on the compilations listed above, but if you have to choose, I’d go with the version from Noise For Music’s Sake. The version on Leaders Not Followers features a bunch of extra time on the end, as well as a fan talking about the band. These little outros also occur on Enemy of The Music Business and Order of The Leech. The song itself is, like, a minute and a half long. So if you’re budgeting for time/space, it’s prudent to go with the truncated version.
8) “Food Chains” – In Tongues We Speak Split w/ Coalesce or Noise For Music’s Sake
[youtube]https://youtu.be/4-KfprN707U[/youtube]
“Food Chains” feels like it was maybe a bit too aggressive or angular for the stuff Napalm was releasing on LP’s in the mid- to late-’90’s. It’s a meatier number than Inside The Torn Apart would’ve readily accommodated, and in the presence of a band like Coalesce, it’s best to err on the side of being too heavy than to have your material pale in comparison. Again, the easiest place to hunt this one down is on Noise For Music’s Sake. Groovy track.
9) “Bled Dry” – Breed To Breathe EP
[youtube]https://youtu.be/pCK70uNvGe8[/youtube]
This release is composed of the lead single from Inside The Torn Apart, as well as some outtakes from that album’s recording sessions. “Bled Dry” is one of the shorter, catchier songs included here. It’s faster and more traditionally grind-styled than most of what ended up on the LP, and I think it’s one of late guitarist Jesse Pintado’s best songs. There are two different versions of this EP, one for America, and one for the UK and Europe. Incidentally, the only difference is the inclusion of cover songs by unsigned bands that won a contest Earache held. Honestly, neither of them are at all memorable. So get whichever version you can. Or, if you’re an obsessive completist (like me), snag ’em both.
