Music has the power to change

Defenders of Metal concluded 'Metal Mayhem IV' with mayhem. The show however was put to a stop after locals complained of noise at 9:30 PM. In the concert, Pratik Rimal had the opportunity to interact with Mark Barney Greenway, lead singer of Napalm Death, a British band, for a few minutes before they geared up to rock the crowd.

TNP: Your musical journey of 32 years. How does it feel?
Mark: Well, to be honest, it was very uninteresting. There have been a lot of changes in the band line. It was a hurried start. We were young and had our spirits too high, it had resulted in differences.

TNP: It is easy to form a band, but harder to stick together. What keeps you going?
Mark: That is true. However, not everything is easy; everyone has his or her own differences. What matters is how you respond to that. I have been in the band for 20 years and as far as I know, there have been a lot of differences to sort out. To keep going, it is very important that everyone work together, have a common goal and a common way to achieve it.

TNP: People say music is free from all forms of religious and political messages. However, you address a variety of 'anarchist concerns' in tradition of ‘anarcho punk movement’ with themes like anti-racism, feminism, anti-militarism and anti-capitalism.
Mark: I would not like to call it 'anti' because I am speaking my mind, and everyone has the right to differ. What we sing is not against religion and other issues. It rather is about a country's failure to address issues like women empowerment, discrimination, social stigmas and oppression.

TNP: You were initially influenced by anarcho punk movement. Has the band's theme evolved over time, or do you still sing on the same theme?
Mark: Yeah, we still sing the same genre and our theme has not changed. See, the fact is music has the power to change. It helps you to understand religion and humanity which is often forgotten because of power, and men do anything for power. Music can change that, and that's what we sing for, and that’s why we sing.

TNP: Your song, 'You Suffer' holds a Guinness World Record for the shortest song (micro song) of 1.3 seconds. What actually is a micro song?
Mark: Yes we do, but it was not deliberate. We have always been spontaneous with what we do, be it lyrics or our music. The term, 'micro song' is just lame and there’s nothing called a micro song.

TNP: How do you see Napalm Death 30 years ago, and now?
Mark: There have been differences. When I look at the yesteryears, I see how we've improved with what we do, what we sing, and the music we bring to our audience. Right now, we feel great, but we make sure to take a day at a time. We have also matured by experience, and have gained better understanding of what a good music is.

TNP: Did you self-learn music or were you taught?
Mark: No one taught us what we play. We just learnt over time.

TNP: What has music taught you?
Mark: Well, music has taught me to be myself. In its journey of 30 years, band members have changed, but it has never changed me. It also has taught me that what one does in the long run counts, and it is important that one should not be corruptive. That's what matters at the end of the day.