It is near impossible to be in the metal world to any degree and not have come across NAPALM DEATH. The Grindcore giants have dominated their genre for 4 decades and have stayed on top with consistent releases of relentless carnage. "Resentment is Always Seismic" is a follow up to their previous 2020 release "Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism". Despite its status as a companion album, and the preconceptions this may cast of it being material not good enough to make it originally, "Resentment is Always Seismic" is a solid delve into the extreme with enough merit to stand tall on its own.

The album opens with some crunchy, heavily distorted guitar as "Narcissus" begins to unfold. A crescendo of cymbals is the cue for the main body to begin and track slams you into ferocity with its stabbing drums ad growling screams. Entering into double time, with increased pace of screaming the Hardcore influence is very clear here, but the blast beats are here as a friendly reminder that this is a NAPALM DEATH record. The mix retains a sense of DIY despite these guys being big time for a long while, which makes for a much more real, raw and present experience that is lost with a lot of the modern Grindcore bands and the Djent levels of production. The tracks sudden ending leaves a moment of quiet reflection before the next onslaught begins.

Track 3 kicks off in full throttle, a non-stop assault of blasts, screams, grating guitar work, all following a hair-raising drum intro. Concise chaos is key to good Grindcore and something NAPALM have honed over 40 years and eligibility in mayhem is on full display here, the track following a clear structure making it easy to follow and groove along to without losing any of the disarray. Followed by "People Pie," this track takes a more meditative approach. Starting with a fantastic bass sound, and a really nice drumbeat. The vocals are laid back, giving more of a Nu Metal vibe to the track. There are dashes of gospel type vocal lines which work very well to my surprise. The whole final half the song is a groovy, soulful jam, the slow double bass sounds amazing and the guitar work at the end is top notch, the songs experimental and despite being way more laid back and I'll go as far to say chill, than the rest of the album, one of the strongest tracks in term of showing off the mix and the raw punk sound, certainly my favourite track.

A highly prolific band throughout their career, NAPALM DEATH demonstrate no signs of slowing down with "Resentment is Always Seismic", delivering once again an album of seismic punches full of energy, with solid instrumental work and ferocious vocals.