Disco de Napalm Death: “Punishment in Capitals [Digipak]”

I have the older ND DVD issued by Earache as well as this one. Both are excellent, and I would recommend all fans to get both. The difference with this new release -- besides the change in drummer and the newer material -- is that it was filmed with a widescreen DVD presentation in mind, at least the concert footage.

In terms of direction, I still prefer the 1990 concert included on the Earache disc, but this is an incredible concert, with lots of energy. Barney in particular seems to have a new lease of life in the recent concert. Compare his performance with those of the Chile and Japan gigs (included here as bonus materials) and you'll see what I mean -- his lifestyle changes have obviously been beneficial. The quality of the footage on the extras is quite rough, as is the sound, but they are nice to have included on the disc, even if you only watch them through once. The main concert and the accompanying documentary, on the other hand, you'll be watching many times. There are some classic moments with Shane, Jesse and the others in the band room, and some interesting insights into the politics of the band members as well. It is clear that Barney saw it as his responsibility as replacement for Lee Dorrian to continue the lyrical quality and political edge established by his predecessor. The band, especially the guitarists, give an exceptional performance, and the cover and original material come across equally well. Danny Herrera, while he has a very different personality compared to former drummer Mick 'The Human Tornado' Harris (now Scorn/Quoit/Lull), gives an absolutely blistering performance that will not fail to impress.

There are two versions of this DVD. Both are 'region free' but one is in NTSC and the other in PAL. International buyers in countries where the native format is PAL should try the British or German Amazon[.com] sites for the PAL version. In terms of content they would appear to be identical.

An excellent release from this legendary band!

Punishment In Capitals is a 2002 live DVD (also available on CD) by British extreme metal icons Napalm Death, released after their triumphant Enemy Of The Music Business album won back the praise of fans and critics after their experimental string of records in the nineties.

The band play a mixture of every era in their career up to that point, the catchy nineties singles 'Breed To Breathe,' and 'Greed Killing,' sit side by side with mid era death inspired fare such as 'Suffer The Children,' and 'World Keeps Turning,' which blends against the band's early grindcore material era like 'Scum,' 'Lucid Fairy Tale,' and the famous 'You Suffer,' in a set list which also leans heavily on the band's then newest, and still arguably best album Enemy Of The Music Business.

Standout tracks include an energetic version of 'Hung,' as well as 'Can't Play Won't Play,' and 'Narcoleptic,' which was as yet unreleased at the time of recording. With a set-list of this caliber, Punishment In Capitals should be a rewarding viewing experience for most Napalm Death fans and would serve well as an introduction to the band for potential fans as well.

Interestingly, the DVD recording retains all the dead air, waiting out-of-breathe and other non-musical moments in between tracks, presenting you the gig as it actually happened and not inter-cutting the show with outside material to create some false sense of professionalism or excitement. This is a double edged sword as it is commendable but may still irritate viewers raised on slicker, fast paced major label DVD releases.

The production is fairly good in terms of audio recording quality and mix, with simple camera work and editing covering the visual side of things. Although not the most impressive looking DVD ever released, it serves well for Napalm Death to deliver an energetic a sweaty performance. My only major gripe is that for the first half of the show shots of drummer Danny Herrera are very few and far between, but this is remedied later on.

In addition to the 28 track, hour-long main feature there are a fair amount of extras too; including two bootleg quality recordings in Tokyo from 1996, a six track selection from a Chilean gig in 1997 as well as a hidden Easter Egg (a live-in-a-TV-studio version of 'If The Truth Be Known,' accessible by making the image's eyes glow red my navigating the menu.) In addition to the musical extras there is also a documentary, which while not masterfully crafted is worth at least one watch, covering topics such as Barney's haircut, the effect of foreign food on the bowels and the charity for which this gig was in aide of.

Overall, Punishment In Capitals is a worthwhile DVD purchase that will give you a good selection of Napalm Death material, both in the concert itself and with a nice selection of extras. Definitely recommended viewing for fans of the band.

the good points... its a raw, brutal, blitzkrieg of Napalm fury. its N.D. in their true element - live and in your face. sonically, these performances are like a sledgehammer to your skull. the set list spans their whole career, so its cool to hear the 90's era Napalm Death do the classics from the earlier albums. the bad points... it just sucks that it took them this long to release a proper live album. it'll probably be another decade before they put out another one. not only that, but I just wish it was longer. a 2-disc set would've been nice.

This may just be the best live album ever recorded! Napalm blast through 28 songs in their patented pummeling fashion and amazingly, come off sounding better than some of their studio albums! This may be the only place to hear the true power in songs off their poorly produced Harmony Corruption album. Pick this up with no fear of a crappy live sound. Then pick up the accompanying dvd if you can find it. They both are fantastic representations of what Napalm Death are like in their natural element, live on stage.

The Good: It's ND, for chrissakes! Loads of great numbers. Everyone looks totally into it. Some cool audience silliness...

The Bad and The Ugly: The filming of the main concert is an annoying joke. Much too much movement, thus no really clean/clear full shots of the band, except Barney. Personally, I would rather have the full shows of bonus features, less Arty Farty not Down and Dirty!