NAPALM DEATH's MARK 'BARNEY' GREENWAY: 'The Thing About Politics Is It's Meaningless Unless You Put Human Beings First'

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "One Life One Chance With Toby Morse" podcast, Mark "Barney" Greenway spoke about the fact that NAPALM DEATH is often classified as a political band. He said in part (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Ultimately, the thing about politics is it's meaningless unless you put human beings first. That's the point. It doesn't matter where you position yourself. The ultimate thing, for me at least, is to be a human being. That transcends everything. So, although I'm sort of set on the fence a little bit in some ways because even though my upbringing was kind of, sort of — I hate to say this; it sounds a bit contrived — but I kind of came from a left-wing background. My dad and my brothers were union people, which in the U.K. was traditionally quite left-wing. Also in the U.S., but less so now, I think. In the U.K. it was always — if you are a union person, generally you were kind of, sort of a left-leaning person. So, that's the house I grew up in. And I also was a union rep for some time. So, yeah, that was my background. But above and beyond that, in my formative years — 14, 15, 16, when you start to think about things — I was, like, 'Well, yeah, you know what? It's gonna benefit me in this world if I always try and advocate for world peace and dignity for everybody.' So we're striving for that — still now striving for that, in our own ways, to whatever capacity that we have."

Greenway went on to say that polarization is not necessarily a new phenomenon but is more noticeable now because of social media.

"The thing is it's very easy to look at what's going on now and go, 'Well, it's worse than it's ever been,' but there always was quite a significant amount of that stuff going on throughout the world," he said.

Greenway previously spoke about the perception that NAPALM DEATH is a political band in a 2022 interview with RAMzine. He said at the time: "Well, the thing is is this: I would say we're equally apolitical because the ideas that we actually espouse are human ideas, and human ideas surely, and should, transcend politics. But, yeah, for sure, I'm a person — I come from the left; that's how I grew up; that was where my ideas kind of came from. So, yeah, it's that. That's what we are — we are a 'human ideas' band."

Asked if he ever encounters fans who begrudge him for his opinions and how he feels and what he represents, Greenway said: "From time to time, you get people that are in opposition to what you say, but you know what? That's fine, man. I'm not here to beat people with a stick; that's not the point. 'Cause that's kind of entrapment in a way. And I'm not there. But I am here to say there is a better way; there are better ways. It doesn't mean I'm here to say, 'You must do what I say and do what I do.' The whole essence of where NAPALM takes ideas was about actually true freedom, anarchy in a way — peaceful anarchy. So that's where I continue to… that's where my path goes."

More than a decade ago, Greenway told Washington Post Express that he wasn't a fan of "mainstream" politics. "The power structures really bug me," he said. "I won't go into this too deeply because we'll be at this forever, but I think the structures that are in place at the moment give the people in power more rights than you and me have, and how can that be right? Systems evolve and systems change, and maybe there's an argument that the whole worldwide system really needs to change so the people at the bottom of the scale right now really get more input, because it's just not happening and it needs to at some point if we want to maintain a peaceful, tolerant world — it's just got to. So, in that sense, NAPALM's not really — I'm probably playing cat among the pigeons right here — but is it really a political band at the end of the day? I don't know. I see it as an extension of the things I believe in, and the band does: humanitarianism and peace and tolerance. Is that politics? Maybe it is and maybe it isn't; I don't know. But would I still be involved [in social issues] if the band were to go on pause? Well, yeah, because I was of that nature before I joined the band. It wasn't like I flipped a coin overnight and decided this was how I was gonna direct myself; I was that way, to be honest, since I was 6 or 7 years old. My dad was involved with trade unions, and I understand what I believe to be injustice. So, I will always be involved with something, because I can't really see me working for someone in a suit, making money for them, and getting really bored. [Laughs]"

NAPALM DEATH are credited as pioneers of the grindcore genre by incorporating elements of crust punk and death metal, using a noise-filled sound that uses heavily distorted, down-tuned guitars, grinding overdrive bass, high-speed tempos, blast beats, and vocals that consist of incomprehensible growls or high-pitched shrieks. Their music features extremely short songs, fast tempos, and sociopolitical lyrics. Even after exerting an indelible influence on the entire world of heavy music for nearly 40 years, there is still no band on Earth that sounds like NAPALM DEATH. Not just pioneers, but an enduring benchmark for invention and fearlessness in heavy and experimental music of all kinds, the Birmingham legends are still hurtling forward at full pelt.