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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Gods of Grind keep getting better. , April 24, 2005
Napalm Death is the only band around who is writing some of their very best material after almost 20 years in the scene. All of ND's stuff is good, but since they left earache the material has been phenomenal. This is no exception. "The Code is Red...Long Live the Code" is one of the best napalm albums yet. I can't see any fan being disappointed by this.
The departure of Jesse Pintado makes this the first album since "Harmony Corruption" to feature a different line up. Thankfully, ND have not let it slow them down one bit. Mitch Harris carries the guitar duties just fine without the aide of Jesse. Barney's vocals are as vicious as ever, with some of the best and most intelligent lyrics yet. Danny Herrera's drumming is terrific with plenty of variety but also plenty of blasting! The drums also sound much better than they did on "Order of the Leech". I'm not sure if they are triggered or not, and that's a good thing. the drums on OOTL were triggered to the point of sounding mechanical. On TCIR...LLTC the drums sound much more natural and blend well with the music. And what can be said for Shane Embury? He is a grindcore legend.
The songwriting on this album is much more varied than OOTL. As one previous reviewer said, we are seeing an integration here of the many styles of ND. This album has a greater variety of song lengths, with 3 songs clocking in over 4 minutes and 3 under 2 minutes. One of these actually speeds by in under a minute, a real treat for old school grind fans! There are a number of lightning fast grind songs but this time we also have a couple slow tracks ("Morale," "Our Pain is their Power") in a style that has not been heard since the diatribes era. A couple songs also feature guitar riffs that sound reminiscent of "Words from the Exit Wound's" more melodic style of playing. The guest vocals from Jamey Jasta (hatebreed), Jello Biafra, and Jeff Walker (ex-CARCASS, of course!) also add character to a few of the songs.
Also noteworthy are some of the background vocals. Mitch Harris adds some ear shattering highs to a few of the tracks which make a great contrast to Barney's gruff vocals. Some of the tracks (if I'm not mistaken) also feature barney's funny high screams that he first performed on "Leaders Not Followers: part 1". A nice addition.
All in all, this is one of the BEST napalm albums and an essential grind record. The music is brutal and the songwriting is top notch. Napalm Death are truly the kings of this genre and they have proven themsleves yet again.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Now for England, The Code is Red..., July 23, 2005
Coming on the heels of one of the best cover albums of all time, The Code is Red...Long Live the Code does not disappoint. Napalm Death is back minus one. Jesse Pintado left the group after the LNF 2 album for a variety of drug/alcohol related issues. He is missed on The Code is Red, but Mitch Harris carries the load admirably. Barney is in top form (as always) and his voice dominates tracks like Instruments of Persuasion (w/Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed). Instruments works well vocally with the call and response between Jasta and Greenway. Musically this album is just as brutal as Order of the Leech and Enemy of the Music Industry. Harris, Embury and Herrera meld their madness perfectly. Danny Herrera's drumming is evolving into legendary status with his breakneck speed and blast beats, this album is a large step forward for him. What makes this album stand out from the other Napalm Death offerings is the guest vocal appearances. Jello Biafra pops up on The Great and The Good but his vox are severely overpowered by Barney, still it is one of the stronger tracks. Some of the other standouts here are Silence is Deafening, The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code, Striding Purposefully Backwards, Vegetative State and Climate Controllers. Overall, this is another must-own album from Birmingham's finest. Highly Recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Napalm Death raise threat level to Code Red, August 4, 2005
Napalm Death play harder than bands half their age. These guys have to be pushing 40, but "The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code" is lean, mean, and easily one of the best metal albums this year. The raw but huge production perfectly captures the band's fiery performance. The drum sound is natural, in contrast to the sterile sound of some of the band's past albums. Danny Herrera plays like a man possessed; his drums practically double this album's intensity. Long-time guitarist Jesse Pintado isn't around this time, but Mitch Harris more than picks up the slack, adding dissonant, abstract chords to detuned and tremolo-picked riffs. The guitar tones are crushing, and singer Barney Greenaway sounds as ferocious as ever.
Best of all, the band has picked up the pace. After seemingly setting into death metal in the latter half of its career, the band returns to its grindcore roots (it invented the genre, after all) with the jackhammering blastbeats of "Right You Are" and "Diplomatic Immunity." At the same time, the album mixes up death metal, thrash, and hardcore punk for a varied, brutal listen. "Climate Controllers" stands out with its mosh-inducing odd meters, while "Morale" is a doomy industrial stomp with eerie guitars. Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed), and Jeff Walker (Carcass) contribute guest vocals. There's not a single weak moment in this album; to quote Phil Anselmo, "It's goddamn electric."
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