“Earthwire”: New Napalm Death Song Will Benefit Nepalese Earthquake Victims

Napalm Death continue to be not just a great band, but great dudes, too. The socially-conscious grind legends have released “Earthwire,” a b-side from the Apex Predator – Easy Meat sessions, to help raise funds for the victims of this spring’s tragic earthquakes in Nepal.

A statement from the band explains:

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, 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.

With thanks and in solidarity
Mark “Barney” Greenway for and on behalf of Napalm Death

And here are the Mitch Harris-penned lyrics for the track:

Vital organs of substance
Unified in social silence
Through mayhem and malice
Find the point of least resistance
The fracture is unquestionable
Disabling the sphere
Technology in its own infancy
Specifically adhered
And as the Earthwire centres in
Between the aftermath and second skin
Outside interference that stimulates our incoherence
Distinct frames of reference
To narrow down a choice of preference
The fracture is unquestionable
Inevitably steered
Technology in its own infancy to emphasize the fear
And as the Earthwire centres in
Between the aftermath and second skin
Nerve ending gateways to the grand design
Earthwire integrates the new lifeline

There’s no way to listen to the song before purchasing it, but who cares? Even if it’s lousy, your money goes to a good cause, and it’s Napalm Death, so the chances of it being lousy are slimmer than the chances of Kerry King becoming a Hair Club for Men spokesperson. Buy it here.

[via The PRP]