Napalm Death release song for Nepal earthquake relief

How classy can a metal band get? How about the legends Napalm Death donating an unreleased song for earthquake relief in Nepal? That’s right – the godfathers of grindcore have chosen to put up a song called Earthwire on their website and make it available for purchase. All the proceeds get handed over to earthquake relief efforts in Nepal.

Barney even posted the following message on the Napalm Death website:

“Having been fortunate to be invited to Kathmandu just over three years ago to play a gig, I remember fondly the unique, enriching experience that it gave us as a band.

When you’re bouncing from continent to continent in short spaces of time, it might be very easy to become complacent to where you process all those continents through the same perceptive filter. I think you owe it those who receive you — and to yourself — to have a deeper sense of understanding.

Nepal, therefore, seemed not only a place of striking beauty, but also a tougher place for things that you would normally take for granted, e.g. a stage to play on and a place for a concert festival. A wider viewing revealed such grim inequalities — in comparison to the wider world — as people living in holes at the side of the road, which then actually became one of the reference points for our current album, ‘Apex Predator – Easy Meat’.

When the earthquake struck on the 25th April 2015, I recalled the general frailty of the buildings in Kathmandu (something which you see on several continents where deprivation makes everyday habitation a very hazardous experience) and could already imagine the consequences — I didn’t necessarily need to view the inevitable volume of TV / internet footage.

Shane [Embury], our bass player, was already thinking of what NAPALM DEATH could do to alleviate things in our own small way and knowing that Bill Gould from FAITH NO MORE had been involved in the region, Shane was kindly directed by him to the DZI. We like the fact that the community has an overriding hand in deciding how to best use resources, and the spirit of independence that the DZI encourages is something that runs in parallel with the ethos of NAPALM DEATH.

We therefore present an exclusive track from the aforementioned album session written by our guitarist, Mitch Harris — to raise funds for the work and resources required through the DZI. The lyrics can be interpreted in several different ways, but to me they signify acknowledging and embracing humanity beyond the relentless march of technology. Perhaps somewhat apt here.

Please give what you can to aid the rebuilding of people’s lives — and bathe in the sonic extremity.”

Now that you’re wiping your eyes – head over to Napalm Death’s website to download the song:

http://napalmdeath.org/scum/store-download-page/

It’s a 3 minute stomper of a track with hints of melodic metal thrown in to add to the emotional punch that this is! Download it and check out the lyrics…