Scum

Felt like I had a seizure

Meh. Not bad. Not really my taste though. I do like short it was though

Just noise

what the fuck do yall even use this website for

1.5 cool instrumentals at least

So crazy, I actually saw Napalm Death live. Love that their singer looks like an elementary school math teacher. Not an everyday listen. Has to catch you in the right mood, but oh, it caught me. Refreshing to get out of all the super popular rock/-adjacent albums on here. Grindcore was not on my bingo card for this project.

I’ve seen them a couple of times and there’s something to them live, but there’s no reason to ever listen to a Napalm Death album.

Nope.

Horrible.

Hate

Seemed fine, it all sounds pretty much the same, which is shouty, fast loud chords, and drums.

Awww shit. It's Napalm Death time. First up, let's acknowledge the Dresden review. Easily one of the funniest reviews on this whole website. After getting that out of the way, it's time to admit that I actually liked this album a good deal. Look, it's not the greatest thing in the world, but there are things that I get out of this album that appeal to me. For one, I think the riffs are actually quite good. Songs like "Instinct of Survival," the title track, and "Siege of Power" are actually really cool. I also like this album's general anti-establishment attitude. Between the album cover, the unconventionality of the music itself, and the "lyrics," you can tell that these guys were pissed off at the establishment, and I can't blame them. However, there's a reason why "lyrics" is in quotes. I can't understand a damn word they're saying. It all kinda sounds like a mix of cookie monster and a rabid dog. It's funny. You know what else is funny? Just how short these songs are. Seriously. This album manages to fit 28 songs into just 33 minutes and it does that by having most songs hover around the 1-minute mark. I mean, at least none of the songs get old! This is taken to the absolute extreme in what is arguably this album's most infamous song, "You Suffer," which lasts for all of 1 second, making it the Guiness World Record holder for the shortest song. That's hilarious and I kinda love it. Good song. Uhh, I guess another interesting thing is that the 2 sides of this album have completely different lineups! That's neat. I strongly prefer the first half, which has all of the songs I've mentioned so far. The second half is okay, but it's the first half that really appeals to me. Well, I wouldn't say it appeals to me a ton, but I had some good fun with it. I certainly wouldn't call it the 5th worst album on this entire list. Come on guys, it's not that bad. Dare I say, Scum is actually a solid album, and a pioneering record in extreme metal. Light 3/5.

I expected to hate this, but I didn’t. I found it oddly captivating. The anti-MNC/TNC stuff was ahead of the game. Maybe this was the genesis of the riots that used to happen when the WTO used to have an annual high-five fest at different cities around the world? Granted, I needed to have the lyrics alongside me so I could at least read what was in the minds eye of the vocalist rather than his output. Would I listen to it again? Absolutely not. It seemed longer than 33 minutes and I don’t think I have the mental resilience to subject myself to it again. Did I hate it? No.

I'm going for two stars because of the audacity. Great drums. Even though Spotify had the lyrics I still failed to distinguish a single word, the singers sound like Animal from the Muppets except less coherent, I refuse to believe it's in English.

No

this was an album that i probably would have never heard unless i did this not a huge metal girly but i do appreciate the absolute in angst in this i see why it's included and understand its place in music history happy this exists but it's probably not one i'll come back to mosh pit, gargle music

Not my cup of tea, or at least a little heavier than I cared for yesterday morning. Not that it was bad, just I prefer more melodic or progressive styles of metal.

Ears are still bleeding. Would I listen to again? Only if I were deaf.

Second time around for these and still the same routine. Thud thud thud (drums), crunch crunch crunch (guitar/bass - unable to distinguish), grunt grunt grunt (vocals) and the occasional wailing lead guitar. And put on repeat. Fortunately this album only comes in at around 30 mins

The instrumentals are honestly really good but then when he starts singing or whatever the hell you call that I feel like I’m in a horror movie like I’m chained up in some sinister ass house in the basement bruh

If I could create music targeted at 13 year old angsty boys, this would be it.

28 songs in 33 minutes that sound just as much like one 33 minute song. The music isn't my thing, but it isn't terrible. This also features what I assume is a human man vocalizing his displeasure with society, but it comes across as a rabid junkyard dog barking at rust. I genuinely enjoyed how truly hilarious it is. It sounds like Strong Mad from Homestarrunner and the Tasmanian Devil struggling through constipated toilet sessions. Honestly this is a 2, but the amount of actual enjoyment and laughter I got out of it get it a 3.

This record both is and sounds like a constipated poo from a butt. Favourite Track(s): You Suffer (I was already suffering) Least Favourite Track(s): This entire record.

Not my taste

Nope

Almost listenable in spots…

The dreaded day has arrived. "Scum" by Napalm Death is actual ear-rape.

Comical. Scum sounds like a thrash band hammering away at a chaotic jam session in a school gym while the illegitimate spawn of Cookie Monster and Animal from the Muppets screams muffled, high-speed lyrics through the locked door.

#750. This could be vastly improved by the vocalist just kind of yelling instead of doing vocal fry screams. Because he is not good at it, it sounds like shit, and drags the whole thing down. Or alternatively he could just get better at it, I guess. But as it is, it's not a good look. 2/5: meh

Oh what complete crap 0/5

More hilarious than anything.

Nei, dette ble bare bråk. Funker nok bra for de som liker det.

0,9/5

Solid. Not my style but glad I gave it a listen.

There are a lot of precious people on this site, handing out one star reviews of this beautiful package of gentle ditties. Sure I prefer my metal to be somewhat more melodic, but there's no doubting the ferocity and impact of this one, and where the vocals may be meme worthy these days, the riffs make up for it.

no thank you

This album has precisely all the elements I don't like in the Death Metal genre - unintelligible vocals, speed for the sake of it, barely any melody, and to top it off a somewhat mushy mixing. I wanted to find a compliment but didn't find anything to hang to. Oh wait, found one: it could have been a longer album.

I am a fan of metal in general, but this is barely listenable. The members barely stay in rhythm with each other and everyone plays so loud you're not even sure what you're listening to. As the album progresses, the sound gets a bit better however. I learned this is because the two sides of the album weren't produced by the same folks. Like the Ramones, I feel like this is the kind of music that is meant to be experienced live, where a lot of noise drowns everything else and you create a massive moshpit. That being said, this is undoubtedly an album that had an immense influence on death metal and the other types of metals that I use to listen to all the time as a teenager.

This is someone’s jam. It is certainly not my jam, but I get it. This is way more deserving of a spot than handfuls of psychedelic records on this list. At least this has some teeth to it. 2/5, the album cover tells all. The horrors persist

1.5 stars. 28 short (primarily 30-90s) intense grindcore metal tracks. Moments of melody and build that quickly get cut short by repetitive bars. Painful vocals, otherwise musically not bad meta. Impressively fast drumming, guitar that sounds a bit like Metallica or Motorhead at times.

2.8

Le pongo dos estrellas porque varias veces me provocó buenas risas. Esto sería genial si solo fuera la música metalerísima, pero la voz de alguien que no supe jamás si estaba cantando o ladrando, me pareció muy divertida. Nunca lo volvería a escuchar y a la fecha no entendí una sola palabra de lo que cantaron y gruñeron.

If that had been longer, my eardrums would have exploded.

2/10

This is my internal spirit animal whenever I get behind terrible drivers. Also, this album is straight trash.

I have to be honest this is not my style of music but I tried, I give it a chance, the songs were very small and it was an insteresting experience although I dont liked the songs

No me gusta el metal. Me resulta demasiado intenso

Yeah no

production is very raw and guitars are muddy, dont like how short some songs are (constant fading in and out was annoying, why was there 13 tracks under a minute and one 4 second track???), but pretty solid overall and i like it

5 Napalm Death according to “all music” invented “grind corp”, a brutal assault on your ears but also calming. The kind of calming you might get when you put your head into a riverbank, or swim a brisk mile avoiding demon alligators ready to chomp on you. But it’s calming, yes it is especially good for that morning rush.

grindcore isnt for everyone and that's okay

wtf

I am right and you are wrong

Sem comentários!

you know what? after reading the wikipedia article, i can't protest this album's inclusion at all. it seems like it was pretty foundational for grindcore and speed metal and a whole host of other micro-genres. i may not have liked it but i can respect it!

hot on the heels of the drive like jehu album, we finally get the fabled napalm death album. it's definitely loud and aggressive, but there's a lot more depth to it than the other reviews would have you believe, all in a half-hour package. i definitely preferred the a side of hardcore punk and the political message is unmistakably clear throughout, despite the singer's unintelligible lyrics. the heavy metal b side really foreshadows upcoming developments in the world of metal subgenres i can't tell apart, but grindcore is pretty low on my list. still, a good addition to this list, even though i probably won't listen to it often (other than you suffer, a classic that really gives you time to savor each moment and let the song wash over you). also at one point my robot vacuum was loudly struggling to suck something up and i just assumed it was the vocal part being especially incomprehensible. favorites: instinct of survival, scum, you suffer, success?

Varmasti klassikko ja jonkinlainen genren uudistaja/aloittaja. Mutta ei enää nykypäivänä uusilla korvilla iske. 2,5/5.

Bad

Quite abrasive stuff. Got to appreciate the influence they had but otherwise this is not a great listen. Production is bleak and flat, vocals are very hard to follow, even with the lyrics at hand. It’s the embodiment of anger and for that it deserves an extra point!

Twenty eight short songs featuring Brian from family guy barking at things. 2/10

Obnoxious, loud and played as fast as possible. 28 furious songs in 33 minutes. Side A and side B are essentially two different bands (only the drummer is the same), recorded a year apart and with very different sounds. I love it! You might not, but I bet it’ll make you feel something. 5/5

Crazy that this is too short and too monotonous, I much the same way Dopesmoker is not too long or too monotonous. It's cool and awesome but after a few songs it just loses me. I like my metal with either some more craziness or more melody I think. I think in '86 I'd be a Reign in Blood guy. Highlight: M.A.D.

A couple of good grooves tried to peek through the clouds but the terrible vocals made sure the sun never shined. Awful

I like it, though it becomes a bit repetitive

Beautiful music for a wedding. OK obviously its not beautiful. It is hard to listen to and represents the edge of what is an acceptable expression of human emotion in the form of recorded music. Enduring an album like this can be enjoyable if you choose to find beauty in it.

It's about time we got some proper death metal. They call this "Grindcore" or "Crust Punk". Whatever you call it. It's good stuff. "You Suffer" has to be the best song I've heard in the last 15 years. Truly a masterpiece of writing and accompaniment. "You suffer, but why?", indeed. That song will be making the best of the 1001 albums playlist.

A single song just changed my life. "You Suffer" will take you on an epic journey you were not prepared for. It will tear out all your emotions and leave them bare on the floor for you to reconsider in their entirety. You won't know what hit you and you'll wonder if any of it was even real. A true classic for our times. You suffer... but why?

This has to be a bit Every time the guy “sings” it feels like it’s coming out of Randy Marsh’s mouth

Started off like “hell no” but by the end I was like “hell yeah”. Didn’t understand a single word but I think I was just in the right mood for the genre tonight!

As soon as the vocals hit in the first song I started laughter! Soon after, I was imagining the singer as being a dog, which also made me laugh. It's terrible, lyrics are completely indecipherable. However, it was more enjoyable than some other music I've come across on this list. The energy of nihilism and anger are here in full force. And I could imagine their shows being a blast.

The worst on the list and then some. Sounds like someone violently retching. Go away and don’t ever come back.

Crappy vocals

Nope

it was better when they weren’t “singing”

4 out of 5. Great album to listen to of you need to get some work done.

2/5. Unfortunate that I was provided lyrics to different songs through my music streaming app. I was following along with the lyrics of "The greed of the corporate world will destroy mankind with its money and power" when the actual lyric was "bleeeehuuggghh" which I feel like is a little off. Granted, the musicianship was great and the influence of this album is crazy with what it inspired today. Like a critic said, it is actually pretty tame with what we have today. Also, it doesn't really hold up in my opinion in regards. It's not great but the punk aspect of it keeps it from being terrible. First half was better than the second half. I guess I would have liked some more intelligent lyrics than what we got and hopefully my streaming app gets that fixed, so much misleading information nowadays (sarcasm). Best Song: Scum, Instinct of Survival, Human Garbage

10/10/2025 What a terrible album 🤣, the only saving grace was that it was over quickly. Spotify listeners: 175.7k

I don't like screamo/death metal.

This is really not my thing but I love that it exists. I'll give it a 2 because it reminds me of FH.

Only because I can't rate it a zero

It was short. Top track: "Instinct of Survival"

Nope.

Final thoughts: I liked 'Siege of Power' but that might be the only "complete" song on here. Other tracks dabble in interesting ideas and sounds but in the end this wasn't for me. ******************************************************************************* --Scum...interesting --Siege of Power...pretty cool --Human Garbage...almost sounds like a pop song --Success?...Love that guitar chug --C.S....cool guitars on this one. sick drumming --Moral Crusade...heavy af --M.A.D....again, like those guitars

Like the message, the music, but the "singing" is just noise to me.

Ok

This plays so much better in the context of this list than on its own. In the context of this list, it's something different and interesting. On its own, it's a parody of anger and hardcore music.

Can't help but laugh at this. The only positive here is that it broke a streak of mushy lame brit pop

The best thing about this is how short it is. Titular song isn't terrible, but the album has its place on the worst rated albums list for a good good reason!

idk... 2

Grindcore, Hardcore Punk, 1987 -> 1

Not my style of music, I don't really enjoy heavy metal.

Furious frenetic grind excellence. Home of the shortest song ever, and a bunch of others that aren't much longer. Favorite track: You Suffer (kidding!). Real favorite track: Born on Your Knees

Must have listened to this at the right time in my life cause I loved it. Just wish the songs were a tad longer. Like, I’ll be headbanging away and the song will abruptly end. Happened a few too many times to piss me off. Actually you know what, it added to the rage. 5 stars.

TBH it feels unfair to rate this, it’s just utterly miles from anything I’d choose to listen to, but it’s unfair to say it’s bad. I just absolutely hated it. But you know, I’ve heard all the British Invasion albums a million times and never heard anything like this before. So, mission accomplished 1001 Albums project. Still gonna give it one star though. Sorry not sorry

Wow i didnt hate it as much as i expected to

An odd listen. It’s disorienting and I honestly have no clue what I listened to. Every song sounds pretty much the same to me, and there are more tracks than a lot of triple albums, despite the record only being 33 minutes. There is some cool heavy stuff happening here and there and there is some clear talent present, I just don’t quite get the appeal. It wasn’t ear splitting, though, which is nice. 2/5

I would have loved to be in the pit watching this stuff live. A bunch of 1 and 2 stars from people who would never survive in the pit.

You can't judge a book by its cover. I would have thought this was a 1 Star album that was completely unlistenable. But actually, it's a 1.5 Star album that is ALMOST completely unlistenable. There is actually some impressive speed metal skill, if only you could remove the vocals — garbled mutterings intended to be heavy or dark but are actually just silly and gimmicky. Still, I can’t bring myself to round up to 2. So maybe you really CAN judge a book by its cover…

"Scum is the debut studio album by English grind core band Napalm Death, released on 1 July by Earache Records." This is the opening sentence describing this album from Wikipedia. I have to say that between "Scum," "grindcore," and "Earache," I felt that this was more of a warning label than straight information. I listened to this album like a prospector sifts through silt and debris hoping to find something to enjoy, and like many of them, I ended up artistically discouraged and broke.

I'm genuinely intrigued as to the creative process behind this album, I can't envisage the band sitting round a table in the pub over a pint and one chips in with "I've got this great idea for a track!". Especially when it's a 28 track album lasting little more than 30 mins, there's a 4 second track for goodness' sake. There were ocassional moments of musicality but they were quickly barked out of recognition by the vocalist.

Grrrrhhhh. Deeeggggg hhhdddd fffrreee. Pretty much the only lyrics I could understand. Also way to fucking heavy for me

Its not my style, but they have a political vein.

yeah it sucks but those cymbals save it from being a 1

It is noisy and hard to understand the lyrics. From what I could tell from checking the lyrics, I'm on board with what this band is selling. The music is energetic and would probably be really fun to see in person. I honestly couldn't say what makes this a good example of this type of music because I know nothing about other bands. Not bad, not going to return to it.

Now I know where hardcore came from.

This album is a series of 1-minute long songs filled with fast drums, a blaring guitar, and grunting. The guitar work probably could've been cool somewhere else, but the sound of this band all together is very abrasive, heavy, and unpleasant. Whatever the singer (grunter?) is saying is completely unintelligible. On a positive note, listening to this album expanded my musical horizons, because I never would've listened to it on my own. And isn't that what this website is all about? Also I like the cover art. This is still a 1/5 album though.

Super anarchist group, would never be able to tell you that from the lyrics.

Okay okay okay okay. This rules but I’m trying to be rational about it. There’s something extremely admirable and that I appreciate when a band has a 30 great thirty second idea and they don’t force it into being a 2-4 minute song when it should just be that one riff and you can call it a day. This album does that like 20 times. 28 songs in 33 minutes might be my ideal track list to time ratio. Could I tell you the difference between any of these songs off the name alone? Absolutely not. But the attitude of this thing rules even if the vocals are pretty monotonous. Really the vocals are the only thing on this record that I don’t love but he does change it up every once in a while which is appreciated. Feeling a very light 5 here.

Whoa!!! Too much energy and anger for an early morning! Gets your blood up, though!

I have no idea if this is good or bad. I have no frame of reference... Actually, after reading all the 1 star reviews on here, I kinda appreciate it more. Still, it's not as good as Madvillainy.

Very listenable, but isn't my type of music. Probably give it a 2.5 which is okay.

Finally some heavy shit, brother

OUCH!!!!!!! Though oddly it does presage by almost 40 years the sounds coming from Washington DC these days!

I was dreading this...

sounds too thin

Well, friends. Welcome to grindcore.

Riotous and very noisy. Sometimes that works for me.

At the first song I thought that I'd not like it as its like a musical car crash -- but i listened to the whole album. The one thing that doesn't work for me is the vocals - but they meld with the whole and it may be that no other vocal style would work, just that i can't understand a single word (but maybe that's the point). On my -100 to + 100 scale if in a foreign country a mistress takes you to her dungeon and the same words for "more" and "yes" in her language are "no" and "stop" in yours - but at the end you kinda liked it - is a +50, Scum is a +30.

Boy I do not like this. Least favorite thus far. The lowest of 1s

There is some decent playing, but most of it seemed to be focused on being loud and fast instead of being cohesive. I was never into grunting either. A little bit of grunting is alright, though. You Suffer cracked me up, to be fair.

A classic Peel band. Not as in a classic band, but as in a classic case of 'does he really like this? Is he playing it because it's good for us to hear it? ' They got through a Peel session in under seven minutes, which leaves plenty of time for the pub.

Good Songs: Instinct of Survival, Scum, Caught In A Dream, Polluted Minds, Siege of Power, Control, Born On Your Knees, Human Garbage, You Suffer, Prison Without Walls, Point of No Return, Negative Approach, Success, Deceiver, CS, Parasites, Pseudo Youth, Divine Death, As The Machine Rolls On, Moral Crusade, MAD, Dragnet Mid Songs: Multinational Corporations, The Kill, Sacrificed, Life, Common Enemy, Stigmatized Bad Songs:

I like to walk down the street whistling these catchy tunes, get into my car and drive 100 mph straight into a wall.

Ikke min kopp te, godt hardcore har utviklet seg litt de siste 40 årene.

J'ai réussi à me faire profondément chier en 33mn, bien joué

the second half is better

Yeah, not a fan.

That was some really really angry jazz

My ears not happy

Not for me

Boring. Predictable. Sounds exactly like I thought it would sound. Chugga chugga chugga guitars. Drumming as an endurance sport. Growly muppet vocals. Tempo and rhythm changes. Maybe that means they made the blueprint that everyone else followed. Or maybe that means they’re just a bunch of metal cliches stacked on top of one another.

I just don’t understand the appeal with this genre! Im really trying but this shit just sounds like unnecessary loud noise to me. I’m still holding out hope for a metal album that moves me but it damn sure ain’t this one. Upon further listening, the instruments kick ass but this mfer sound like he got the mic stuck in his god damn throat…

Moro moro :D On kyllä ihan paskaa tämä, livenä vielä paskempi, silloinkin kuunteleminen jätettiin kesken kuten nyt tätä kuunnellessa. Ei nappaa vaikka raskaampaa musaa kuuntelenkin.

Aika paskaa alusta loppuun. Onneks oli lyhyt albumi, ei ois kauaa enempää jaksanutkaan.

Napalm Death on melkein kulttimaineeseen noussut ja löi hyvin alkutahdit tän genren musiikille. Kovin hyvin levy ei välttämättä oo aikaa kestänyt ja suurin osa biiseistä tasapaksua höttöä. Albumille 1 ja kulttimaineesta 1

Hahaha

To the author of this list, Fuck You. Nothing with pig vocals ever needs to be listened to. The instrumentation is mostly good but the vocals are absolute trash and make this unlistenable.

Hülfe -4/10

Not my genre

Not for me!

This was pretty aggressive for the late 80s. Enjoyed it.

Olihan tämä nyt aivan hirveää paskaa. Tuntui, että kuunteli samaa biisiä kokoajan. Jos tämä albumi tehtäisiin vuonna 2025, niin viihdemuotona tämä olisi youtube-video otsikolla "This is how heavy metal sounds like to pop-listeners". Levyä voin toki suositella, jos haluat tuntea, miltä kuulostaa kun joku huutaa sinulle samaa asiaa eri äänensävyillä puolen tunnin ajan. Siihen tämä on täydellinen albumi.

Nojuu! Oli kyllä yks vaikeimpia albumeita kuunnella. Oikein alko vituttamaan jo ennen puolta väliä. Harvoin musiikki ylistimuloi, mutta tässä oli paljon asioita ja räminää , mutta silti niin tasapaksua... Taito kai sekin, mutta ei millään tapaa arvostettava. Välillä piti tarkistaa, että onko kuulokkeissa vikaa, kun oli niin äsryttävää klippailua biiseissä ja välillä piti oikeen tarkistaa, että lähtikö Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät soimaan. Ei kyllä millään mittarilla hyvää musiikkia. Laumalle eläimiä annettu intrumentit ja laulajallakin jokin kohtaus joka biisissä. Tykkään raskaasta musiikista, mutta tästä puuttui se musiikki... Tämä oli vain raskasta. Ter. Markus

Lol I actually didn't mind this album, though it is quite grating overall. I have to say, the micro songs are fun and provide lots of variety. Plus they give the opportunity for so many more edgy song names. I got a kick out of the spooky, unintelligible vocals and some of the more consonant instrumentals. A lot of the songs actually made me laugh because of the grunting and higher-pitched, goblin-like screeching. I'll give this 4/10.

Не знаю, в каком надо быть настроении, чтобы захотеть слушать подобное шумовое агрессивное безумие… Я послушал для галочки и не уверен, что захочу включить когда-то ещё. 2 из 10.

Isn’t my bag. But. I quietly enjoyed it don’t tell Anyone.

Hard to draw a conclusion

Tän albumin kuuntelu kävi työstä. Levyn signaturebiisi Scum taisi olla ainoa, jossa oli vähän jotain eri osioitakin. Levyn parhaan biisin You Suffer jälkeen taisi loput kipaleet olla samaa biisiä eri tempolla ja eri äänellä öristynä. Erityismaininta Parasitesin kitarasoolosta. Hauskana kuriositeettina Parasitesillä on 1500 kuuntelukertaa kun Scumilla taas 6,5 miljoonaa. Legendaarisuudesta extra tähti, tästä bändistä puhuttiin jo 90-luvulla ala-asteella, mutta henkisesti erittäin raskas kokemus.

I am shocked that I dont hate this! It's nonsensical and repetitive, but it definitely lifts your energy. I found myself laughing at it a lot in a "wtf am I listening too way" Overall- not bad

an amphetamine fueled piece of garbage from some Dead Kennedy wannabes. The lyrics are completely unintelligible. It's fitting that this shite was released on Earache Records. The guitarist is ok and the drummer is well, fast. At least most of the 28 tracks are short (the album is just over 30 minutes long)

Can't get past the nonsense screaming.

Ihan ei kaikkien kappaleiden tarinat auenneet, mutta plussaa siitä että ne olivat lyhyitä. Ironisesti vähiten joutui kärsimään You Sufferissa.

Takuuvarmaa räimettä alusta loppuun.

“Scum” by Napalm Death is THE benchmark for grindcore and the tipping point from crust punk to grindcore. So, if you're interested in extreme metal in any way, this is a must-have. However, as my interest has been rather sporadic so far, I didn't really know the album yet. It's obvious that this kind of music is difficult to assess using classic evaluation criteria, but I can at least say that “Scum” is surprisingly accessible. It's definitely worth listening to - if only out of interest in music history!

Rajuu tykittelyy. Levyllistä ei jaksa, jos ei oo tarve vetää puolen tunnin spinningii maksimisykkeellä. Bonusta pioneerityöstä.

Aika paahtoa. Musiikillisesti varmaan 1/5 mutta pioneeristatuksesta ylimääräinen tähti

Melko monotoninen levykokonaisuus.

Chujowe w chuj

Starts ok, enjoyed the guitar work and energy, but the vocals aren't my thing, and I just found I lost focus too much with the short songs.

First time for Napalm Death. Not much of a grindcore fan personally. Cool that this album was one of the first for the genre.

"metal screams"

I get it. I get why it's here and I get why people hate it. Do I like it? Not really. Do I hate it? Not really. And how am I ever going to beat *that* review. Best Tracks: Multinational Corporations; Instinct of Survival; Scum

First time listening to a Napalm Death album. I am disappointed with the adoration this website's users have for boring classic rock (cough cough Led Zep) and the disdain for more extreme/experimental stuff so I'm bumping up my ranking of this album slightly. I usually listen to "calmer" metal but I still think this album is pretty cool 3/5

This was meant to be enjoyed caught in a mosh, in a cacaphony of flying hair, sweat and teeth - not on a dawnlit commute into work. I prefer my metal to have more hairspray and leather but game recognises game. This fuckin shreds.

I can see why people would like it but not my cup of tea.

I get it was one of the first of its kind. But not real listenable for me at my current age. Maybe younger me.

Hmm. Needs more extended roars to be worthy of Aggretsuko's karaoke. ⟨ꐦ৲`⌂´⟩⁋

One of the "top 10 metal album of 1987?" WOW! I could see having fun seeing this band live, really leaning into the absurdity, and not giving a fuck that the band isn't tight. I'd be satisfied buying the record if it was a buddies' band, but not in the context of best albums of all time.

i blasted this in my headphones till around 1:30am while I was working and my god what a way to experience this. Its loud and insane and also weirdly funny. The Kill is 23 seconds of everything the album represents, loud, unintelligible and rock as fuck. This sucks but I still enjoyed it, odd as it is to say.

The funniest album we’ve gotten on this list. Absolutely unlistenable but I loved every second of it. This band seems to consist of a werewolf on vocals, Goro on drums and an anthropomorphic guitar being tortured. The only lyric I understood was “You’re gonna die” and I was like… well duh dude. No notes. Awful!

I only had to listen to the first few songs to get an idea of what this was. Not for me.

There is a line where music becomes noise and they thread it

Ist das Kunst oder kann das weg?

To my great surprise (as I know I don't enjoy grindcore), I really liked the first half of the album. By itself, I would have given it 4 or maybe even 5 stars. It's actually interesting and well-done! Way better than all of the grindcore following in Napalm Death's footsteps at least, is what I thought. But it turns out, grindcore simply follows the mold of the second half of this album, which sounded like 1 or 2 stars at most. Oh well, it's an experience at least.

36/100. Intense, rough, and loud, but ultimately a messy listen. The tracks are too short to leave a real impression, and the sound ends up feeling too similar throughout.

Nah, just over speedy death metal

Совершенно не моё

Oh my god shut the fuck up

damn

The only thing more chaotic and disjointed than this album is the lineup for Napalm Death post 1986.

Absolute crap. I would rate it 0 if I could

An almbum that i didnt expect to have fun with 4/10

Although not a perfect album, it does ultimately capture the way many feel about computers, current politics, and kimchi that has gone bad. I can truthfully say that through musical inception, this album fully captures everything I feel about it while I am listening to it! Superb!

Too hard for me to

just not really in the mood for metal :(

Ok, lets break this down. Drums: good fast and angry Guitars: well done with power and precision and occasional flashes of tune Vocal: i dont see the point, apart from willfully being aggressively primal they are just awful.

Never thought I would listen to this album ever again since my teenage years, and although I never really liked it, apart from the noise and punk attitude of the songs, I took great pleasure in horrifying my parents ears, playing this as loud as possible over my first stereo equipment. Even so, giving it a relisten after 35 years or so, I can't say I really dislike it, but now my kids are coming into my man cave , asking if I please can play something else or at least, not that loud....

holy hell, what a listen. this is what heavy metal music sounded like to me when i was like... 8 years old. downright evil sounding guitar riffs, drums going absolutely nuts and smashing cymbals at untrackable bpms, and growling, hooting vocals that are mostly unintelligible. this album is... i'm sorry, it's just goofy to me. it sounds like a parody of the genre. it sounds like something that uncle jobel would make as a bit, but no, this album was made genuinely. a lot of the tracks are only a minute or so long and it's all just... wow. i'm giving it a two-star rating if only because this album makes me laugh when i listen to it. BAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMCRASHCRASHCRASH. JJIJUGGABUGGADUBBADOHHRRAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGHMMRRRUGHHHHUH. RAAAAAAAAAAUUHHHUHUBALLLLFFF!! HUBUUH!! HRRJJ JJJHUT!!

Minute long songs are ideal in the world of streaming, but this isn't my jam.

The best thing about this album is that when it was over, my apple music played other heavy/death metal albums that were actually good. Not a single intelligible word on both sides of the album. Great drumming and guitar hammering tho. Vocals are horrible and serves no purpose for the anti-establishment point they are going for.

If your work starts an entire subgenre, credit needs to be given for that. I can imagine people giving this harsh reviews, but in the world of extreme metal, this album is just so significant.

How is this one of the best and most influential albums of all time?

I don't remember any of the songs. I never at any point knew what a single track was about. The band was actually pretty good, but it's hard to realize that when your ears are being assaulted by some guy basically barking into the mic over and over again for 2 minutes straight. Vocals were terrible. Every song is the same. What else? I guess one nice thing to say about it is thank goodness it was short.

Hot dumpster fire

Not for me

Some real trailblazers but sorta unlistenable

How this made the list is mind blowing. Can’t give it a zero. Sorry!

makes me want to go to Dresden for some reason

This album is great. I need to run to this asap.

cool but i dont want demons to scream while im listening

like lowkey not really my thing! the guitar absolutely rips but overall a bit overstimulating.

Did I enjoy it absolutely not, 2 stars for recognizing their influence and it least it was pushing boundaries and challenging, unlike some other generics on the list

Not my vibes man, too shouty

I can understand from the get go that grindcore isn't for everyone. However, I will say that despite the influence, it certainly shows that it's very early, and is very rough around the edges. Will I say that it's truly awful? No, but I will say that there is indeed some room for improvement. I will say for the positives though that some of the instrumentation is great, real headbanging stuff even on a first listen. It's the rest of it that irks me. The fast sections just seem like a "let's see how fast we can go" with no room for melody or sense of timing. And thr vocals, despite having 2 different people, sound like a south park interpretation of death metal. If the record as a whole was a bit slower and more melodic, I would say it's a must listen regardless of genre. Other than that though, it's really only a recommendation for those that are brave enough to expand horizons, or for those who are already into the grindcore scene, and looking to see where it started.

This isn't my favorite album. But I had added multiple tracks from this album to my liked playlist before today. Added one more this time. It's awful in the best way.

This is simultaneously the very first grindcore album and the epitome of the genre. It's pretty much exclusively fueled by raw anger towards god knows what half the time. They really let their rage guide the album, too. Nobody else was making half-second songs where they just shout "YEEEUUUGGGHH" and then move on. It doesn't take a PhD in data analytics to tell that this album is generally hated on this site, but I'd call it one of the rare examples of a genre-founding album also being really good.

The vocals sound like when you're fighting a big dumb monster and it's mad that you're trying to choke him but you're hanging from its neck so it can't reach back and grab you and it's really annoyed so it's just trying to shake you off really hard

What if the drummer was the band? Well...

Right now, this really fits my mood, so yeah, 5 stars... But one the other hand, it sounds like shit and most "songs" do not deserve that label ... Bass sounds like shit, drums sound like shit... But, when it grooves, it grooves... To rare, but those moments save it... Do I want to listen to it again? No.

1/5

Maybe I was having streaming problems, but the recording came off muddy and indistinct. That's not a stylistic criticism; this is in my wheelhouse. This may simply be a good example of how far the recording techniques around very heavy music have come in the past almost-forty years. The whole thing sounds like I'm listening to it from the end of a long, dark tunnel, possibly with my head shoved inside my winter coat. It's not cool, it makes it seem less present, less heavy. Also not a fan of the vocals. Now, this is pure transgression: the point is to put off the mainstream, casual listener but we've certainly reached a point where distorted vocals are moderately familiar to most casual music fans (he wrote from the middle of 2025) and I listen to my share of heavy music; these just aren't compelling, anymore. They sound like a parody. That's just a matter of age -- this is a good album to listen to for a peek at one of the early touchstones of that style. Riffs are good. Drums suit well. Both sound tinny and shit, certainly not the fault of the players. Bass is a little indistinct. Overall, the blend of hardcore punk, old-school metal and thrash is compelling. The songs are also insanely short ('You Suffer' is famously only four seconds long) -- there are 28 crammed into 33 minutes. You really probably should listen to this album. This will not be everyone's cup of tea but this type of heavy music persists to this day, whether in modern grindcore bands or throughout other genres (High On Fire sounds a heck of a lot like Napalm Death, for example).

First, it's horrendous. Second, wouldn't it be hilarious if a band called "Napalm Death" was actually, like, smooth jazz?

sopiva albumi tähän hätään.. impossible indestructable unmovable pain of living rn... mahdotonta elää tällä hetkellä... sietämätön kärsimys ja kamaluus koetus meneillään rn. vitutus ja mahdottomuus käsi kädessä vetää turpaan kulleja, vatsaa sekä naamaa.. lisää alkoholia lisää lisää lisää juomaa vereen aaaaah huumehörhöt pitäis tappaa mut ei mua heh kaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisääkaljaa kaljaa kaljaa lisää lisää scum

okayy

I totally dnf’d this album halfway through even though it was only 33 minutes long I just couldn’t do it. I can see why some people like this album but it is just not for me personally. This is an album that I do not see myself revisiting anytime soon.

I gave it a try, but not my piece of cake.

Interesting

Its a gimmick, but a fun one.

Track 12, You Suffer: Running time is listed at 0:04, but I think the actual song is shorter. Spotify says the lyrics are “You suffer, but why?” All I can hear is “urrrgagahhah” so if he’s really saying all that in that brief strangled growl then I’m impressed. I had a headache when I put this on, so the odds were stacked against me enjoying this album. I did actually have a laugh, though. The comically short songs, the deadly earnest political lyrics with zero nuance, the guttural screaming. I don’t think this is supposed to be funny but I just can’t take it seriously. I get wanting to channel your late-stage capitalist rage into this form. I get wanting to jump around in a crowded room while a man screams onstage. 1 star because as music, I don’t want to listen to it. But thank you for the laugh.

This was a strange experience. It was almost like consuming a noise project. Or an ambient piece made up of field recordings of beehives writhing and raging. It was... weirdly sooth? The buzz of the guitars, the blast beats, the constant screaming. It melds into this strange, comforting white noise. I know it's supposed to be scary and abrasive and like looking into the darkest part of humanity's soul, but my mind sorta glossed over all that and enjoyed the sonic texture. It filled the silence while still allowing my mind to wander. And that is a treat in these times of never-ending content and constant stimulation. I listened to both versions, the original mix and the full dynamic range version. The original works better as white noise because it's much harder to pick out the details in the shitty mix. In the updated mix you can definitely pick out more for of the guitar, the high frequency instruments. It's still noise in a good way but just at different frequency. But it's definitely more musical. This is a hard one to score. I'm not sure that i'm consuming this album as it's meant to be consumed. It all blends together in a good way. But i can't really pick out individual tracks that I liked. I don't think i'd want to listen to individual tracks. I think you only get the soothing effect by listening to 30 tracks in a row. I think it's probably a 2.5 for me... but I will round down because i'm not really appreciating it as music. It's more like one of those white noise 10 hour youtube videos people toss on to fall asleep to.

As with Sepultura and the like, I just can't get past the vocals here. Side one had some minor redeeming musical qualities, but side two was much worse. You can't really tell where one song stops and another starts.

I did not like this.

I believe this is a foundational album for the genre, for that I give it credit. However, this is not totally what I want to listen to most days - great thing is that these songs do not tire you because they are 30 secs long on average. Anyway, this definitely is an energizing experience.

I am like Gilfoyle in Silicon Valley, I use "You Suffer" as an alert tone on my phone. Other than that, this album is awful. I'm a big metal head but this is just unintelligible garbage. Maybe that's the point? 1/5

I'm just so overjoyed that this isn't more britpop or angsty 80s-90s grunge. As a metalhead, I like a lot of this. Proto-grindcore is a real standout on this list. Like others have pointed out, the author of this list seems to focus very heavily on the pioneers of a genre rather than the genre's actual best refinement. This is no exception. This album has clearly influenced a ton of artists that I love today but it's just an alright grindcore album that I'd put on for a workout. The drummer is very talented. In no way needed to hear this before I die. Fave tracks: Scum, Control, Dragnet

It's a fairly nonstop assault, with pummeling drums and super heavy riffs grinding everything beneath it to dust. The bass is so distorted it's more feedback than notes at times. The vocals, demonic. But when we get riffs, this really works... It's easy to hear much of the future of extreme metal in these 33 minutes. They even coined the term blastbeats apparently. This won't be part of my regular rotation and I try not to give points for influence, but when they get going it's still surprisingly listenable* in 2025. Must've melted people's faces in 1987 (*if you're a metalhead, otherwise approach with caution!)

I get why this has a generally low score. You prefer the 'medical' grindcore of CARCASS or the horror influence that REPULSION had... but just because NAPALM DEATH is political you don't have to write them off. This album is the epitome of youth or atleast what it should be. Relentless, non conformist, concerned and angry about the world's problems, loud and abrassive. Very much as punk as they are metal. Nothing gave me as much joy as having a reason to pluck this one out of my collection and trying to keep up with the lyrics.

I loved the pace of the album (28 songs, 33 minutes) but the actual music, ehhhhhhhh not my thing.

Favorite track: “You Suffer” You know what they say about things that are subjective (art, music, theater): You either get it or you don’t. I don’t.

1/5 This is a true stinker. Very hard to listen to with the drums way too heavy in the mix and the incessant and incomprehensible screaming. I'm glad this was short. Best Song: You Suffer (because it was only 4 seconds long) Hopefully I never have to listen to this again

Seriously what is this nonsense noise.

Aah, it's time to relax and you know what that means: A glass of wine, your favorite easy chair and of course, this album playing on your home stereo. So go on, and indulge yourself... that's right! Kick off your shoes, put your feet up! Lean back and just enjoy the melodies After all, music soothes even the savage beast

Imagining Cookie Monster fronting a grindcore band was entertaining. Unlikely that I'll return to this, but still grateful to hear something truly different on the list.

Nope.

Honestly thought this would be a lot worse. Extremely intense drumming for short songs with often unintelligible lyrics drowned out by the drumming. It's intense, abrasive and surprisingly punk. Not necessarily what I would listen to myself, but I didn't hate it at all

Noise with only minor redeeming value

I have no words. I certainly know after listening to this album that I am not a fan of this style of music.

33 minutes, 0 words understood. I'm no metalhead but this is just sorta boring, but at least the guitar was kinda cool. Still better than Korn though.

I fear I'm not clever enough for this.

Scum (the album) = Yum yum yum. How does that one song go? 🎵Yummy, yummy, yummy, I’ve not Napalm Death in my tummy🎵 This was my first time hearing this album, but I’m a fan of one of the band members (Justin Broadrick) on the first half of the album. I enjoy two of his later bands: Godflesh, Jesu.

Pretty much not my thing. Much like the other death metal albums on this list, I can respect that these guys do what they do well, but it’s not for me.

Well, my complaints about being fed so many low rated albums resulted in us getting the fourth lowest rated album in the generator. Sorry, folks. Not a fan. I was between a 1 and 2 on this. The guitar playing is OK, but I think it’s just more distorted than impressive? I was thinking about the other albums I’ve given 1s, and then, when I started considering not listening to the whole thing, I knew this one needed that rating too. I did, however, listen to it all.

The title and cover art alone made me not want to listen

I enjoy death metal and grindcore as much of the next person. This album deserves respect for what it started. However, there's other better recorded, groovier, heavier stuff out there now.

Unlistenable garbage. Sounds like parody. There are grindcore bands fronted by literal dogs who sound better than this.

1.5

If I could pay to give this album a negative scoring I would

Reminds me of the gang bang in a disabled toilet. Very disappointing and would not recommend.

Still better than Kanye West

I love heavy metal and I love short ass albums, so this was already a winner before I hit play. And thankfully, it only earned more points as I listened. It's wild to hear the differences between the two halves: the first half is more rooted in punk, with an almost cheeky swing in the step of some of the tracks. But then you hit the second half and it's just pummellingly heavy. To me the biggest difference is in the drumming, especially apparent since it was the same drummer for both halves. Mick Harris is almost playfully laid back in some of the first half passages, sticking to more traditional rhythms. Even the blast beats are straightforward. On half two however, there's an intricacy and technicality in the mix, which serves the overall heavier-ness (lol) much better. Killer record.

33 minutes of caveman screaming.

I can see where dethklok got its satire from, but not for me

Hideous

I find this to be a bit of a grating listen. Not because I don't like grindcore or other types of hard music like this, but because the album hasn't aged all that well. The entire thing just feels kind like random slamming and screaming and drumming, there's no real theme and the recording sessions were even seperate. Still, it's nice to have music like this on the list and the influence it had and novelty of it bumps the enjoyment up a notch. There is nothing on here that is anything like these 33 minutes.

Honestly, this just sounds silly. I kept picturing Animal from The Muppets while listening. It's not actually all that bad, it's just waaaaaay over the top. I'll keep this album in mind the next time I need to make myself laugh. edit 10/28/25: it's grown on me, it really has. I've added Scum to my library and bumped up my star rating accordingly.

Nonstop grind. Cool but static.

Honestly, this is just noise to me. Not a fan.

Grindcore apparently music bereft of melodies and vocals you can't understand.

Couldn't finish it. Too much for me.

Ugh

1.5

0.5

1.5

New bottom of the heap. (1.00/10) ½★😒 Quite honestly, at times I wanted to give them a slightly higher rating, especially when they were throwing out some Metallica like riffs. But ultimately between the growling singing, if you want to call it that, and that every time he sang, all they did was bashing drum rolls and fast nonsense guitar. It was not only gawd awful, it was undeniably unlistenable. The fact that that makes up a majority of the album, especially on the latter half, I ended up just pissed off and ready to f'king shoot my speakers

Has comedic value, but I mostly hate it. 1 star

So, despite having 28 songs on this album, I've learned that Napalm Death really has two types of songs. The first type of song sounds like you threw a group of hyperactive kids in a room without their Ritalin and gave them some instruments. Then you invited a guy who appears to be the child of the Cookie Monster and the girl from The Exorcist and had him growl over it. The second type of song starts with a fairly cool thrash metal riff, and you think to yourself, "Hey, cool, an actual song." But after ten seconds it just turns into the first type. I almost want to rate this higher for the comedy of it all, but I cannot. 0.5 stars.

1.5

It’s probably because 50% of this album is scuzzily recorded blast beats but this album is an absolute blast. 10 years after Never Mind The Bollocks, this feels like the one anti-establishment album to successfully carry the baton from it. Awesome album artwork to boot. Vocals are mainly of the thudding Cookie Monster or shrieking demon variety but there’s enough mixing between intense blast beats and slower classic metal riffing to keep it at least two note. It’s not as if the band don’t have talent because Justin Broadrick playing guitars on the first side went on to form industrial stalwarts Godflesh and Shoegaze/Slowcore sleeping giants Jesu. Ideal album version really is the first side ending with outstanding world record-breaking prog-epic You Suffer aka GNNNGHHHH!!!!.

weird and loud

There's no denying this is pure crap, but I still found it easier to listen to than Clapton.

Nope

...What the hell was that? No. Just no. How the hell did this album get into the list of 1,001 albums you must listen to before you die?! Pretty talented musicians I guess... then the singer just starts spouting gibberish. No. Absolutely not. I'd give it a 0 if I could, so I guess it's getting a 1. Thankfully it was a very short album.

This gives me anxiety but the song Suffer was super funny to me.

Interesting idea - didn't love it.

meh

super intense and no fun

The debut that launched a thousand migraines. Split between two lineups, Scum is less an album than a barrage—28 tracks of grindcore’s primal scream, all buzzsaw guitars, jackhammer drums, and vocals that alternate between retching, barking, and unintelligible growling (the latter delivered by two separate frontmen, though you'd be forgiven for thinking it's just one very angry drainpipe). Side one almost flirts with structure—“Scum” even rides a groove for a few seconds before imploding. Side two abandons all pretense, collapsing into a blur of 30-second tantrums. Political in theory, but good luck parsing any lyrics without a lyric sheet and a forensic linguist. If you think music should hurt a little, maybe this is your Kind of Blue. If not, consider it the sonic equivalent of an industrial accident.

Wtf? Someone’s pissed as hell about something, I just can’t quite make out what it is.

I love metal but you wouldn't know it from its ranking in my top genres here (17th at the time of this writing) or from how I'll rate Napalm Death, a band I admire for carving out a place in and for grindcore with many fans of extreme music. Props to Mick Harris for pushing things ahead. As a Justin Broadrick fan, this confession is difficult, I prefer the latter half of this slab of Scum. I'm not sure what it is, just feels rawer. Ultimately, I think I'm particular with my metal picks and this list hasn't served up enough to provide me with the opportunity to elevate the genre in the rankings. Not to get too meta about the metal in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, I just sometimes wonder if the albums on this list were picked by a genre tourist or someone who has listened to a lot of metal. It's like they know some of these records are important landmarks but they don't know why.

Voces guturales, buenas guitarras, sonidos diferentes. NO es la música que más me gusta, ni mucho menos. Además están Bad Brains o todo lo que hiciera Ian MacKeye, por no hablar de Hüsker Dü...

Rubbish

Ummm....No. Only got a few tracks in, and I recognise the attraction of brevity....but .... God No.

ниче не поняла, 28 песен быстро пролетели и все ни о чем 🫤

I wasn't sure what to expect going in, and wasn't too sure what I listened to afterwards.

Won’t listen

"Scum" is the debut studio album by English grindcore band Napalm Death. Grindcore and crust punk are the Wiki-listed genres. A definition of grindcore is an extreme fusion of heavy metal and hardcore punk. Oh, yeah, that fits. The two sides of the album were recorded by two different line-ups a year apart with drummer Mick Harris being the only musician in both incarnations. The themes of the album were politically left-wing diatribes ( capitalism, environment, Britain's ruling elite). The other musicians for Side A included Nicholas "Nik Napalm" Bullen (vocals, bass) and Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals) and for Side B included Lee Dorian (vocals), Jim Whitely (bass) and Bill Steer (guitars). Commercially, the album reached #4 on the UK indie charts and, critically, it is considered a formative release in the grindcore genre. The adventure begins with "Multinational Corporations." Cymbals, a grinding guitar and guttural yells and talking repeating the song's name. We're off to an interesting start. "Instinct of Survival" has thrash guitar riffs and start-stop drums. This kicks in fast. I have no idea what he's singing about, if you want to call it that. Hey, the self-titled "Scum" starts out slower with a sludgy/grungy guitar, a la Black Sabbath. That's short-lived as the speed cranks up. The longest song "Siege of Power" clocks in at an amazing 3:59. This gives the band time to change speeds and we get an actual guitar solo. Yes, a guitar solo. I didn't think that was actually possible. I liked this song. The last song on Side A, "Suffer," is the world's shortest song at 1.3 seconds and is a scream of "You suffer, but why?" Side B opens even faster with the guitar and drums. And, lead singer Lee Dorian is also harsher than Nicholas Bullen. Dorian adds an animal-sound that takes this guttural singing to the next level. The animal element to Dorian's vocals peak on "Pseudo Youth" where he sounds like a trapped animal. This is super fast. A driving guitar trying desperately for a melody highlights "Divine Death." Ah, guitarist Bill Steer gave up and the speed takes over. He's saved by Death. More of the grinding guitar appears in "M.a.d." That's an acronym for mutually assured destruction which describes when two countries wipe each other out. The name of this music is fast, faster and even more faster. This is all about speed. 28 songs in 33 minutes. Don't look too hard for a melody. Singer Bullen was hard to understand but Dorian takes it next level adding the animal element on Side B. There are semblances of Black Sabbath and Motörhead in the guitar riffs on Side A. Those are gone on Side B in favor of speed. I liked this album to an extant probably since I knew what to expect and I've heard similar extreme metal before. So, if you're into thrash heavy metal, hardcore punk, extreme music or just speed, look no further.

Första jag inte orkat lyssna klart på. Funkar bara som live act! Etta!

## In-Depth Review of *Scum* by Napalm Death Napalm Death’s *Scum*, released in 1987, is a landmark album that didn’t just birth the grindcore genre—it detonated it into existence. The record’s rawness, brevity, and uncompromising political rage have made it both a cult classic and a divisive listen. This review will dissect the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, and will conclude with a balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## Lyrics **Political Ferocity and Social Critique** *Scum* is lyrically driven by a deep sense of political and social outrage. The words are direct, confrontational, and often bleak, targeting issues such as corporate greed, government oppression, social inequality, and the dehumanizing effects of modern society. Tracks like "Multinational Corporations," "Control," and the title track "Scum" exemplify this ethos, railing against the exploitation of the poor and the destruction of the Earth by powerful elites[1]. The lyrics are not poetic in the traditional sense; instead, they are blunt, sometimes bordering on sloganistic, but always sincere. The band’s peace-punk roots are evident in their literate political lyrics, which set them apart from many of their metal contemporaries[2]. The brevity of the songs—often under a minute—means the lyrics are delivered in short, explosive bursts, making every word count. However, the second side of the album, recorded with a different lineup, is sometimes criticized for being less sophisticated lyrically, with tracks like "Conservative Shithead" and "Stigmatized" seen as more juvenile or tribal than the unifying critiques of the first half[1]. --- ## Music **A Collision of Hardcore Punk and Extreme Metal** Musically, *Scum* is a ferocious blend of hardcore punk’s speed and aggression with the heaviness and brutality of early extreme metal. The first side, recorded in 1986, leans more towards punk, with primal structures and a certain melodic foundation beneath the chaos[2][3]. The influence of bands like Discharge, Siege, and early Celtic Frost is palpable, with gravelly guitar textures, atonal leads, and a relentless, pounding rhythm section[2]. The second side, recorded in 1987 with a mostly new lineup, shifts toward a lower, more grinding tone. The guitars become more guttural, the bass more subterranean, and the vocals morph from a hardcore bark to a proto-death metal growl, making the lyrics even less intelligible[1]. The music becomes more chaotic, with less structure and more emphasis on sheer speed and brutality. The album’s most infamous track, "You Suffer," is a one-second blast that has become iconic for its absurd brevity and intensity[3]. Longer tracks like "Siege of Power" provide rare moments of structure and breathing room, but the overwhelming majority of the album is a blur of blast beats, distorted riffs, and guttural shouts. --- ## Production **Raw, Unpolished, and Divisive** The production of *Scum* is as raw and uncompromising as the music itself. The sound is rough-hewn, with a muddy, low-end-heavy mix that often buries the guitars beneath overpowering drums and bass[1][4]. The vocals can be difficult to distinguish, and the overall effect is one of overwhelming sonic assault. Some listeners and critics see this as a flaw, arguing that the poor mixing makes it hard to appreciate the musicianship or even differentiate between songs[1][4]. The drums, in particular, can dominate the mix to the detriment of other instruments. However, others argue that this rawness is essential to the album’s power, capturing the energy and aggression of a band pushing the limits of speed and heaviness[3]. Remastered editions, such as the 2012 Full Dynamic Range release, have attempted to clarify the sound without sacrificing its intensity, but the original’s ragged, almost live-in-the-practice-room feel remains a defining characteristic[3]. --- ## Themes **Rebellion, Nihilism, and Anti-Establishment Rage** Thematically, *Scum* is a howl of rage against the injustices of the world. The album’s cover art—businessmen in suits atop a pile of skulls—visually encapsulates its anti-corporate, anti-authoritarian message[5]. The songs attack the dehumanizing forces of capitalism, war, and social conformity, advocating for individual freedom and ethical living[3]. Nihilism and despair run through the album, but so does a sense of urgency and a call to action. The lyrics and music together create a sense of claustrophobia and desperation, as if the band is trying to shake the listener awake with sheer force. --- ## Influence **The Birth of Grindcore and Beyond** *Scum* is widely regarded as the foundational document of grindcore. Its fusion of punk speed and metal heaviness, combined with its political lyrics and ultra-short songs, set the template for countless bands to follow[2][1]. The album’s influence extends beyond grindcore into death metal, hardcore, and even experimental music, inspiring artists to push the boundaries of extremity and aggression. The record’s DIY ethos and willingness to challenge musical conventions have made it a touchstone for underground musicians and fans alike. Even its flaws—its raw production, its inconsistency—have become part of its legend, embodying the spirit of rebellion and experimentation that defines the genre[2][1][3]. --- ## Pros and Cons **Pros** - **Pioneering Sound:** *Scum* is the blueprint for grindcore, combining the best elements of punk and metal into something entirely new and ferocious[2][1]. - **Political Lyrical Content:** The album’s direct, literate political lyrics set it apart from many of its contemporaries, offering genuine social critique[2][1]. - **Raw Energy:** The unpolished production and aggressive performances capture a sense of urgency and authenticity that is often missing from more polished records[3]. - **Iconic Tracks:** Songs like "You Suffer," "Scum," and "Siege of Power" have become legendary, influencing generations of extreme musicians[3][4]. - **Historical Importance:** Regardless of personal taste, the album’s role in shaping extreme music is undeniable[2][1]. **Cons** - **Inconsistent Sound:** The two sides of the album, recorded with different lineups, can feel disjointed, with noticeable differences in style, production, and quality[1]. - **Poor Production Quality:** The muddy mix and overpowering drums can obscure the guitar work and make the songs blend together, reducing their individual impact[1][4]. - **Lack of Musical Sophistication:** Some critics argue that the album’s simplicity and chaotic approach limit its musical depth, especially compared to later grindcore and death metal releases[1]. - **Repetitive Structure:** Many of the songs are extremely short and similar in structure, which can make the album feel monotonous to some listeners[4]. - **Lyric Clarity:** The guttural, shouted vocals often make the lyrics difficult to discern without a lyric sheet, reducing their impact for casual listeners[1][4]. --- ## Conclusion *Scum* by Napalm Death is not just an album—it’s a manifesto, a sonic Molotov cocktail thrown at the complacency of the mainstream. Its flaws are inseparable from its strengths: the rawness, the inconsistency, the overwhelming aggression all contribute to its enduring power and influence. For fans of extreme music, it is essential listening, a touchstone that continues to inspire and provoke nearly four decades after its release. The album’s uncompromising stance, both musically and lyrically, ensures that it remains as vital and challenging today as it was in 1987. Whether you see it as a chaotic mess or a work of genius, *Scum* is a testament to the power of music to confront, to challenge, and to change.

Groupe apprécié et album connu. Un album fondateur ! Mais il est très (trop) chaotique à mon gout. Je lui préfère nettement les albums suivants, en particulier 'Diatribes' sorti en 1996. 'Scum' ne fait pas partie de ma collection, mais j'ai apprécié de l'écouter une nouvelle fois. =>3/5

Vocals are impressive. Band that started it all.

they were still tuning in the sound. flashes of thrash and punk throughout

Giving this album a low rating feels unfair. Such a pivotal artist and album to form what the present of heavy metal looks like. At times you could hear the sound that would come but I couldn't get past the ultra short songs that am mounted to nothing more than angry white noise.

wtf man

Artig, men ikkje for meg

Oh no. No no no. Still better than Drake though.

One of my favorite metal-adjacent albums of all time, this was just an excuse to revisit. I think a 5 is a little too generous but 4 doesn't do it justice. Purchased the vinyl before it even finished. Absolutely rips.

Yeah I hated this.

Pretty good album, enjoyed it.

Terrible

I give so many of these albums 3-4 stars that it’s almost refreshing to get something like this that reminds me that there are albums I really dislike. Felt like a very long 33 minutes. No decipherable lyrics and a lot of Cookie Monster screams.