Time Waits for No Slave [PA] (CD - 2009)

Napalm Death got all of their innovation out of the way in the early '80s. Since the release of their landmark, SCUM, it's been all about refining their devastating formula. And while there's only so much wiggle room with grindcore, Napalm continues to find places to take it further. The endless permutations of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and post-punk that initially contributed to their sound continue on their fourteenth album, TIME WAITS FOR NO SLAVE. Singer Barney Greenway remains in fine screaming form, and the band keeps up with their reputation on blitzkrieg blasts like "Diktat" and the lightning-fast "Work to Rule." The title track is a winding road of nimble guitars and surprising melodies, and "Procrastination of the Empty Vessel" hews closer to the pounding post-punk of English bands like Killing Joke. There have been many who picked up Napalm Death's style over the years, but few have equaled them. minimize