Fear, Emptiness, Despair Explained

Fear, Emptiness, Despair
Type:studio
Artist:Napalm Death
Cover:Fear, Emptiness, Despair.jpg
Recorded:October–December 1993
Studio:Parr St. Studios, Liverpool, England
Jacob Studios, Surrey, England
Genre:Death metal
Prev Title:Utopia Banished
Prev Year:1992
Next Title:Greed Killing
Next Year:1995

Fear, Emptiness, Despair is the fifth studio album by British grindcore band Napalm Death, released on 9 May 1994. Napalm Death's inclusion on the Mortal Kombat soundtrack brought significant exposure to the band and this album, alongside the fact that the band's label Earache had formed a partnership with Columbia Records which allowed the album to disseminate to a wider audience.[1] RAW magazine listed Fear, Emptiness, Despair as one of the essential album of the 1990s.

In a 2017 interview, bassist Shane Embury listed the album as his least favourite of Napalm Death's discography, citing the division between the vocalist Barney Greenway and the remainder of the band, and the high corporate influence over the band during the album's production as factors that undermined the final result.[1]

Musical style

Originally titled Under Rule,[2] the album represented a stylistic transition for Napalm Death.[3] Fear, Emptiness, Despair maintained the complex music structures of their previous albums Utopia Banished and Harmony Corruption,[4] but there was a greater emphasis placed on incorporating elements of groove into the band's style, resulting in a wider use of mid-paced music. The group experimented a new compositional style: they started off with the drum beats and then layered the guitar riffs atop of the drum patterns.[5] Bassist Shane Embury claims that Helmet and their album Strap It On influenced the band's style on this album. Other alternative rock groups that shaped Napalm Death's music during this transitional period were Soundgarden, Jane's Addiction and Sonic Youth, plus old favorites such as Discharge and Death.[3]

Reception

In its first week of release Fear, Emptiness, Despair reached No. 22 in Billboards Heatseekers chart.[6] The inclusion of "Twist the Knife (Slowly)" in the Mortal Kombat soundtrack brought the band further acclaim.[7] The soundtrack scored a Top 10 position on the Billboard 200 chart,[8] and went platinum in less than a year.[9] In 1995, RAW featured the album in its list of the 90 essential albums of the 1990s. In 2011, it was included in Kerrang! list of the "666 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die!".

Personnel

Napalm Death

Production personnel

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rank and Defile: Shane Embury Orders Napalm Death’s Albums from Worst to Best. 13 December 2017. Decibel Magazine. 23 December 2021.
  2. Web site: NAPALM DEATH. Earache Records. 13 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927000049/http://www.earache.com/bands/napalm_death/napalm_death.html. 27 September 2011. dead.
  3. Web site: Decibrity Playlist: Shane Embury (Napalm Death). 23 February 2012. Decibel Magazine. 24 June 2017.
  4. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r204477|pure_url=yes}} (((Fear Emptiness Despair > Overview)))]. Birchmeier. Jason. AllMusic. 13 October 2008.
  5. Web site: RK . May 1994 . Interview with Napalm Death . 2024-01-22 . karsmakers.nl.
  6. Billboard's Heatseekers Album Chart. Billboard, 18 June 1994. Page 20.
  7. Web site: Artists :: NAPALM DEATH. https://web.archive.org/web/20091124023920/http://www.musicmight.com/artist/united+kingdom/west+midlands/birmingham/napalm+death. dead. 24 November 2009. MusicMight. 14 October 2008.
  8. Web site: Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales . . 14 October 2008.
  9. Web site: Search Results for Mortal Kombat. Recording Industry Association of America. 12 April 2017.