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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Diogenes Grief · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Christopher Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Steef · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.