It may be 25 years since the release of  'Scum', Napalm Death's legendary debut album, but still to this day the musicians in the band, all in their 40's now, show no signs of getting tired or bored with being one of the most extreme bands on the planet.

However, they definitely have absorbed various ideas that would enrich their sonic attack upon the listener. It is exactly that the band demonstrates in 'Utilitarian', their brand new album which expands their spectrum of influences to the max without abandoning the band's grindcore roots.

Besides showing a will to experiment that they haven't demonstrated since their mid-90's 'lost' period, Napalm Death have given way to the punk side of their sound.

Almost every song in 'Utilitarian' has some distinctive part influenced by a musical style outside the boundaries of extreme metal, setting it apart from the rest and making more memorable.

For example – the Sawns-esque ghostly choirs in the middle of  'Fall on Their Swords' or the short saxophone solo in 'Everyday Pox' (played by the American avant-grade composer John Zorn).

Another two of the album's key tracks – 'The Wolf I Feed' and 'Orders of Magnitude' – feature lead vocals by Mitch Harris in the verses and his high pitched screams add an extra layer in the band's sound that is usually dominated by Barney Greenway's guttural growls.

Despite being quite diverse, 'Utilitarian' is no rapid left turn in the direction of post-punk like Amebix' last album for example.

No – Napalm Death still sound like a nuclear war. Even with all the unextreme – and sometimes outright melodic – elements added to the music the songs are still the same insanely fast, short, spontaneously chaotic, and willing to take unexpected musical turns sonic monsters that you've come to expect from this band.

Napalm Death somehow manage to sound fresh and interesting on their 15th consecutive studio album, without radically changing anything from the foundation of their music. And that's what's really impressive here.