Napalm Death return with new album Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism

Napalm Death
Napalm Death (Image credit: Century Media Records)

Napalm Death have announced that their new studio album will be released later this year.

The follow-up to 2015’s Apex Predator – Easy Meat is titled Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism and it’ll launch through Century Media Records on September 18.

Speaking about the album title, Napalm Death frontman Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway says: “The phrase sticking in my mind when I started thinking about the lyrical direction for this album was ‘the other’. 

“You could recognise at the time that there was a rapidly growing fear and paranoia being generated about everybody – from migrating people to people with fluid sexuality and this was starting to manifest itself in very antagonistic reactions that you felt were almost verging on violence. 

“Not everybody resorts to such reactions of course, but even the basic lack of understanding can become toxic over time. I’m not saying that this is an entirely new phenomenon, but it has been stoked in recent history by some particularly attack-minded people in more political circles and, as ever, I felt that it would be the natural antidote to endorse basic humanity and solidarity with all.”

Greenway adds: “The artwork specifically uses a white dove as a centrepiece, which of course is a commonly recognised symbol of peace and cooperation. The dove has been mauled very violently by a sterilising hand and in death appears particularly broken and bloodied. 

“However, through the violence you can see an equality symbol in blood on the chest of the dove, which perhaps demonstrates – visually at least – that equality cuts through in the end. 

“A positive amidst many negatives then, much like the album title itself being a bit of an oxymoron – the celebration of humanity even in the mangling jaws of negativity.”

The first single from the album will be revealed on July 24 – the same day that album pre-orders will get under way.

Napalm Death: Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism
1. Fuck The Factoid
2. Backlash Just Because
3. That Curse Of Being In Thrall
4. Contagion
5. Joie De Ne Pas Vivre
6. Invigorating Clutch
7. Zero Gravitas Chamber
8. Fluxing Of The Muscle
9. Amoral
10. Throes Of Joy In the Jaws Of Defeatism
11. Acting In Gouged Faith
12. A Bellyful Of Salt And Spleen

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.