Disco de Napalm Death: “Utopia Banished”

I got into Napalm Death when I got the "Harmony Corruption" cd.This Limited Edition of "Utopia Banished"is indeed a Earache Classic.Sounds digitaly remasterd but no bonus tracks.The DVD is killer with all their videos and Live Performances inculding rare TV clips with guitarist Bill Steer(Before joining Carcass) and then Vocalist Lee Dorian(Later formed his band Cathedral).I had not gotten a chance to get the DVD.This is a cool Napalm Death Limited Edition.

1992's Utopia Banished from Napalm Death was the band's fourth full length studio album and is a very strong and fondly remembered record that contains a lot of the band's well loved material. Utopia Banished was the second album to incorporate two guitar players and use a lot of Death Metal influences within the songwriting, following up their classic but initially maligned 1990 record Harmony Corruption which some fans criticized for its shifting from grindcore to Death Metal. Utopia Banished remedied this by mixing the two styles into a harsh and furious yet intelligent style that retained the sophistication of their third album but also tried to recreate the raw punk fury of their first two studio albums.

In addition, it was their first album to feature the complete definitive (and most common) Napalm Death line-up that (with the exception of Jesse Pintado's tragic death) remained constant on every single Napalm Death album ever since; with Mitch Harris and Jesse Pintado on Guitars, Shane Embury on Bass, as well as Vocals from Mark `Barney' Greenway and for the first time, Danny Herrera on the drums.

Everything about the album is good; the lyrics are the most developed and intelligent they have ever been up to this point, the songs mix Death and Grind well, creatively mixing groovier and thrashier moments with raw furious grinding and blast beats for heavy and fast songs that can still be memorable and catchy. Even The production is good for what it is, while not recorded at Morrisound Studios with Scott Burns like their previous effort, it is ably handled by Colin Richardson who does a great job for the time.

Album highlights include the catchy `I Abstain,' as well as the famous single `The World Keeps Turning,' and `Idiosyncratic.'

Overall; If you like the band then Utopia Banished is certainly something you should consider picking up, it has a fair amount of classic material and is definitely worth your time. It may not be the go-to album for Napalm Death beginners but anyone who is serious about the band will have positive things to say about the record, which is a fairly great recommendation in itself.

NAPALM'S SECOND BEST ALBUM--F.E.T.O. BEING THE FIRST.ALL TRACKS ARE AMAZING AND BLISTERINGLY CRAZY, BUT THE BEST TRACK HAS TO BE CHRISTENING OF THE BLIND.IF YOU WANT INSANELY HEAVY GRIND,BY THE ALBUM!!!!!ND ARE SIMILAR TO CEPHALIC CARNAGE AND NASUM.

To be honest, I was surprised at how much better this version sounds. The original version had a really good sound to it so when I heard they remastered it I was a little shocked. After hearing it I must say that the sound really comes out. The songs sound some what cleaner and the songs sound a whole lot meaner.

I will admit that the sound is much louder which I'm sure some of you will not like. Personnally, I don't mind louder; however, I do wish Earache would have done this in the Full Dynamic Range which they did on the first two. Oh well.

As for the album itself I will say this. If you are a grindcore fan and/or a Napalm Death fan and you have not heard this album then you should be ashamed of yourself. This is by far one of the best heavy metal albums of all time as far as I'm concerned.

Buy It!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utopia Banished has been what I've thought of for years as my favorite Napalm Death album. They've put out one powerful album after another, but this one has always sounded to me to have just a little bit extra of everything; fire, intensity, brutality, and even catchiness. It represented a shift back towards a more raw grindcore sound, but not a total one. The previous album, Harmony Corruption, had ten standard-length death metal songs, a marked difference from their earlier output. Utopia Banished boasts fifteen tracks, eleven of which are under three minutes long. The style is influenced more by hardcore than Harmony Corruption's was, with most of the songs having more of a swinging energy to them. Trying to mention individual highlights is somewhat pointless because each song is formidable and memorable. Amazing riffs, thundering rhythm section, and one of Barney's outstanding performances make Utopia Banished an absolute must-have for a fan of the band, and a good place to start for anyone interested in checking them out for the first time.