NAPALM DEATH Frontman Says Religion Is Cause Of All Grief In The World

Dave Lavender of The Herald-Dispatch recently conducted an interview with NAPALM DEATH frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On religion:

"Going back thousands of years, religion has been a widely used means of controling the population. Our world is governed in the highest echelons by religion, and that is what I wanted to say was that it is causing all of this grief in the world. There has to be a better way forward where we think for ourselves as human beings. We should not look through an ethereal third party that is unsubstantiated. Why not trust ourselves?"

On the band's new CD, "Smear Campaign":

"There's a couple of places where I felt like dynamics and texture were needed. In the early days, I was kind of afraid to do that. I was always wondering what people thought. Then I came to realize that, of course, to be creative you have to please yourself first. The singing is just in parts that are required. It's still NAPALM always, like the SWANS and MY BLOODY VALENTINE. I am a screamer and a shouter in the first place."

On not indulging in alcohol:

"More than anything it affects the throat and makes me feel foggy the next day. There's nothing worse than shouting if you have a hangover. I am here to play gigs and the kids paid to see the best of me and the band and what we can do."

On taking their show on the road to the war-torn corners of the Earth in promotion of music and people and peace, including shows in Tsunami-torn Malaysia and Indonesia, apartheid-era South Africa, Russia, and Serbia and Croatia during the Balkans war:

"We don't believe the hype. Go and experience it for yourself. Nine times out of 10, a country is completely different from what your news sources told you. Go get a slice of it yourself and think for yourself."