Live Photos + Review: Napalm Death, Wormrot, Dole Bludger - Meow, Wellington

Full disclosure, my familiarity with Napalm Death's extensive discography is partial at best. However, the resonance of their debut Scum, which I first encountered in 1987, certainly made me sit up and take notice. Revisiting it in preparation for tonight's performance, its freshness and boundary-pushing essence remain unscathed.

That's the enduring allure of Napalm Death — their unwavering, unfiltered potency that transcends time. Scum serves as an evergreen testament to their audacious origins. As they prepared to unleash their unrelenting assault on Wellington, I found myself at the beloved Meow, one of my favourite Wellington venues, eagerly awaiting Napalm Death to launch their Campaign For Musical Destruction. That same spirit of defiance and musical anarchy found on their debut album hung palpably in the air.

Singapore's Wormrot had already delivered a blistering set. Their drummer, positioned front and centre, operated like a relentless machine. His speed and precision held me captive. For grindcore enthusiasts yet to explore Wormrot, consider this your urgent call to do so.

Napalm Death, no strangers to unwavering intensity, dove headfirst into a cacophony of aggressive and unrelenting sound upon taking the stage. Their performance was an embodiment of raw emotion — disgust, hatred and aggression distilled into pure sonic form. While their lyrics eluded my untrained ear, the music proved intoxicating. But make no mistake; this was no easy listening. Their songs, as is the grindcore tradition they pioneered, were short and unapologetically intense. None shorter than 'You Suffer,' clocking in at under two seconds and earning them a place in the Guinness Book of Records. To my fortune, I managed not to blink and miss it.

Despite the UK group' crusty punk aesthetics, lead vocalist Barney Greenway appeared surprisingly unassuming in jeans and a T-shirt, sporting a sensible haircut. Napalm Death are celebrated not only for their aggressive musical style but also their unwavering stance on social issues. In between songs, Greenway took a moment to share his views on refugees, emphasising that no human being can be illegal. His conversational voice, with its lovely Brummie lilt, felt worlds apart from his screaming vocals, prompting a double take.

The majority of the evening blurred by in tandem with their blistering tracks. I found myself caught in a mosh as they relentlessly delivered one loud, furious wall of sound after another. When it concluded, I found myself nursing bruises up both arms, a small price to pay for feeling truly alive at a gig for the first time in years. Perhaps it's time to explore their remaining sixteen albums; the allure of Napalm Death shows no signs of waning.

Peruse Bruce Mackay's photos from Napalm Death's Friday Te Whanganui-a-Tara event with Wormrot and Dole Bludger by clicking through the thumbnails below + check out his killer live footage of 'Mass Appeal Madness'...