The third EP release (not counting that one split vinyl) from Oulu, Finland based grindcore unit Napalm Ted was released a couple of months ago. Its physical copy comes on cassette, but as you've probably noticed, there's this thing called "digital music", so you're saved! Halle-fucking-berryh!!!

Six songs in 11 minutes. The songs are getting shorter on every release. The band's release rate is rather fast. Is the song quality deteriorating? No. Fucking. Way!!! This tight band is getting tighter. They sound angrier than before on here, even though there are some Macabre-moments, which means sounding loony like those Chicago maniacs (try 'Hunter' for that brain spraining effect).

In a way, this is very familiar Napalm Ted that comes to say "hello!" We get grindcore with death metal or more punky leanings. It's old school death metal that is on menu, nothing modern or very technical (even though these guys can play for sure). Growled, crunchy voice is one of the death metal bits, just like blast beats. Damn, some parts stink of "murder", and 'Head on' is darkest piece of NT ever. Punk traits come in vein of D-beats, simpler Neanderthal riffing and shouted, deranged vocals. So prepare to get your forehead bashed in, generally. Some guitar solos and tapped playing bring in a hint of technicality. In a grindcore fashion, the lyrics deal with real-life stuff.

The sound is both booming and open, transparent. It's a nice mixture of good sound quality and demo-style atmosphere. They also use various tones, so it does not get monotonous. Production is a bit different on every release, but that keeps the game refreshing, too.

Napalm Ted as name might be a tad silly, but then again, isn't life so? As mentioned, the band's silliness factor is much smaller than Macabre's, so look beyond the name. With 'Fleshbox', the band offers definite energy bomb once again, and one of their best release.

Rating: 7 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
04/25/2017 18:17