Life...? And Napalm Death

by Shane Embury

Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury has been a major figure in grindcore for more than four decades, and his story is closely tied to the history of that scene. Life?… And Napalm Death takes the reader on a front seat, white-knuckle ride through the sights, sounds, places, and people who’ve been central to the music and the life. Told in his own, inimitable style, this is not just the life story of Shane, but also a history of Napalm Death and their part in the development of grindcore from the beginning to the present.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

239 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Gareth Houghtonio]

This book should be called Life...? And Napalm Death And My Other 10,000 Bands. Very honest and interesting biography. He speaks about the ups and downs of Napalm Death, juggling his countless side projects, his love of music, and the highs and lows of his personal life.

If you're a grindcore fan, you obviously know who Shane Embury is, so you may as well read this. You won't be disappointed.

Since reading his book, I've gone on a Napalm Death marathon and rediscovered some of those old albums I haven't listened to for a while, as well as some of his side projects, the ones I knew about plus some I didn't.

Anyway... excellent book.

[Benoit Lelièvre]

I love pretty much everything Shane Embury has ever been involved with. I will also say that he’s a much better storyteller with sound than he is with words. His jagged, loopy recollections are simultaneously the best and worst thing about this autobiography. Sometimes that feels revealing. Sometimes it just feels like you’ve lost him somewhere backstage.

But the entire reason to read about Shane Embury’s life is to understand what kind of person spends decades trying to engineer some of the most extreme music imaginable.

Turns out anger and violence are almost secondary. The real engines are chaos, curiosity and the eternal pursuit of adrenaline. Had Embury been born in 1987, the same year Napalm Death released Scum, there’s a decent chance he could’ve ended up in Jackass instead. The impulse feels fundamentally similar: keep pushing until something breaks, preferably while everybody else is wondering why you thought this was a good idea.

Extreme music, in that sense, becomes the sublimation of primordial nervous energy. You take whatever makes a person want to jump off a roof, destroy a hotel room or play bass at a velocity that seems medically inadvisable, and you turn it into sound. That’s what makes Embury fascinating. The impulse isn’t good or evil, smart or stupid. It exists somewhere underneath those distinctions.

[Ryan Danley]

Napalm Death is one of my favorite bands of all time. And Shane is a larger life member of the heavy music scene. I absolutely loved this book. Hearing the honest behind the scenes stories of how the band has moved forward through line up changes and internal strife is a must for any fan. I also think Shane's ability to say 'other people may have seen this differently ' is a welcome addition to any biography. It really feels like you're sitting in the room letting him tell you the story. Also in pure Napalm fashion...it's a quick read. Which I love. You leave knowing exactly what you need to know. Good job man. Keep killing it.

[AJRXII]

Really enjoyable and takes me back to a great time in the 80s tape trading. Personally I was a fan of the early stuff and the time around that era. But great to see an understanding why ND carried on and yeah Shane is right about the often narrow mindedness on the likes of sell outs, etc but we grow up eh. I know how hard it is to be in a band so a band that's been around this long in some form or another deserves credit.

[Barry]

Super enjoyable read. Always love hearing about how albums are made and the personalities behind bands you love. Great read.

[Alexander Bakhia]

Shane Embury is a good person — there's no question about it. You don't play in a band like Napalm Death for almost 40 years without being genuinely connected to your audience, and this book confirms exactly that. However, it is precisely because Shane is such a decent, measured human being that this autobiography falls flat.

If you're looking for a book that dives deep into the history of Napalm Death, and more importantly, what it was like to be part of the band during the 1980s as the extreme metal and grindcore scene was taking shape, then this is not the book for you. It reads as a very surface-level summary of Shane's life. His only commentary on pivotal moments, such as Lee Dorrian and Bill Steer's departures or Napalm Death's exit from Earache Records, amounts to little more than: "I understand why it happened, and that's all I want to say about it." And I'm not exaggerating, as that is essentially how he addresses EVERY CONFLICT in the book.

Even significant milestones, such as joining Napalm Death and recording the classic albums, are dealt with in a remarkably brief manner, with no real exploration of the motivations or creative thinking behind each record. I genuinely commend Shane for his maturity and for the peace he has clearly found in his life. But his unwillingness to elaborate on anything does leave one wondering: why write the autobiography at all?

Is it an enjoyable read? Absolutely. But will it give the reader anything new? No.

[Diogenes Grief]

Published by Rocket 88 Books out of London (https://us.rocket88books.com//product...), Embury’s biography was a welcomed surprise this year, me having been a fan of Napalm Death since 1990, when I took a wild stab at new music and grabbed a cassette tape of “Harmony Corruption” at a local mom & pop music store (Hegewisch Discount Records and Tapes in Merrillville, Indiana, now torn down) and blasted it all the way home in my 1974 Ford Bronco. It took me a couple of months to track down a big Napalm Death logo to sew onto the back of my Judas Priest-like leather jacket, overshadowing the Nuclear Assault “Handle With Care” back-patch. I had no idea how prolific Embury’s been over the past 40-some years (this far), and this was a wondrous read taking us through his life, rubbing elbows with so many others we life-long metalheads idolize (his meeting with Ronnie James Dio being the pinnacle, to me). The book is plain-spoken and completely calm in demeanor, short chapters ticking off the years of his life (and ours) as he explores the globe and the legions of metal fans world-wide.

This book even comes with a red ribbon for marking your place (I love that).


Playlist:
Everything Napalm Death \m/

[Miguel Sánchez]

Super cool biography or shane embury, written in a really close and direct approach. What I like the most is how clear he is when talking about his feelings, his weaknesess, the relationship with other ND members etc. I'd have liked the book to talk more about the Unseen Terror album which is one of my favourites. But besides that, this was a really enjoyable book.

[Andy]

There are some good stories in this and I've come away with a few new bands to try out. It did get a little repetitive and I was hoping to hear more about what the band stands for (which Shane mentions in passing as something he's less interested in than some of the other band members).

Enjoyed it though.

[Jack]

An entertaining history lesson that recounts the story of grindcore pioneers Napalm Death from their inception in the 1980s through the present day (2023 at the time of writing). Shane Embury walks readers through the recording of each of the band’s 15 albums, the tours that supported them, and a lifetime spent in the grindcore scene.

[Christopher Owens]

https://www.thepensivequill.com/2023/...

[Steef]

Very interesting read, and the best thing about it is that it makes me listen to all the albums again, sometimes in a new light.

[Miles Hamer]

A no-frills yet fascinating career rundown from the always likeable grindcore bassist and musician. Fascinating for fans of the scene. Can’t help but fall in love with Shane just a little.

[Sophie Ingley]

Listens to the audio book of this. Great stuff, and a cool insight into a talented musician and nice human being!
He also likes horror and Cardiacs. 🖤
Liked this very.