Album · 20 years old this year
Smear Campaign
Smear Campaign is the twelfth studio album by Napalm Death, released on 15 September 2006 through Century Media. It followed The Code Is Red… Long Live the Code from 2005 and came before Time Waits for No Slave in 2009. The band recorded it with producer Russ Russell at Foel Studios in Wales, and it sits in their grindcore and deathgrind catalogue as a concept album that takes aim at religion in general.
The most unexpected detail is the guest spot from Anneke van Giersbergen, the former vocalist of Dutch rock band The Gathering. Barney Greenway was quick to reassure fans that her contribution suited the track and wasn't a lurch towards operatic rock. That makes it a curious entry for anyone tracing how far Napalm Death's furious sound could stretch. The album came as a standard CD and as a digipak with two bonus tracks and a cover art sticker, and the artwork turned up in several colours.
Smear Campaign: tracklist and credits
16 tracks · 45:10Tracklist
- 1WeltschmerzMitch Harris and Barney Greenway1:28
- 2Sink Fast, Let GoMitch Harris and Barney Greenway3:24
- 3FatalistShane Embury and Barney Greenway2:52
- 4Puritanical Punishment BeatingMitch Harris and Barney Greenway3:26
- 5When All Is Said and DoneShane Embury3:02
- 6Freedom Is the Wage of SinMitch Harris and Barney Greenway3:10
- 7In DeferenceMitch Harris and Barney Greenway3:14
- 8Short‐LivedShane Embury and Barney Greenway3:06
- 9Identity CrisisMitch Harris and Barney Greenway2:45
- 10Shattered ExistenceShane Embury3:11
- 11Eyes Right OutMitch Harris and Barney Greenway3:13
- 12Warped Beyond LogicShane Embury and Barney Greenway2:01
- 13Rabid Wolves (For Christ)Shane Embury and Barney Greenway1:25
- 14Deaf and Dumbstruck (Intelligent Design)Mitch Harris and Barney Greenway2:46
- 15Persona Non GrataShane Embury and Barney Greenway2:47
- 16Smear CampaignShane Embury and Barney Greenway3:21
- Produced by
- Russ Russell
- Recorded at
- Foel Studios, Llanfair Caereinion
- Recorded
- 18–27 May 2006 and 3–10 June 2006
- Label
- Century Media
- Length
- 45:10
Line-up
- Anneke van Giersbergen · vocals · guest
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
38.3
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
771
ListenBrainz listeners
11k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
1.6k
Deezer fans (all editions)
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Full discography →
Scum
1987
The Peel Sessions
1988
From Enslavement to Obliteration
1988
Napalm Death / S.O.B.
1989
Mentally Murdered
1989
Harmony Corruption
1990
Suffer the Children
1990
Live Corruption
1991
Mass Appeal Madness
1991
Death by Manipulation
1991
Utopia Banished
1992
The World Keeps Turning EP
1992
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
1993
Fear, Emptiness, Despair
1994
Greed Killing
1995
Diatribes
1996
In Tongues We Speak
1997
Inside the Torn Apart
1997
Breed to Breathe
1997
Bootlegged in Japan
1998
Words From the Exit Wound
1998
Leaders Not Followers
1999
The Complete Radio One Sessions
2000
Enemy of the Music Business
2000
Order of the Leech
2002
Punishment in Capitals
2002
Noise for Music’s Sake
2003
Leaders Not Followers: Part 2
2004
The Code Is Red… Long Live the Code
2005
Time Waits for No Slave
2009
Utilitarian
2012
Converge / Napalm Death
2012
Napalm Death / Insect Warfare
2013
Apex Predator – Easy Meat
2015
The Mission Creep
2015
Coded Smears and More Uncommon Slurs
2018
Stunt Your Growth
2018
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2020
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2020
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2020
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2022
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2025
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 2006-09-15; musicbrainz + wikidata 2006-09-18 (3 days apart, likely another territory)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 18 September 2006 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 15 September 2006 | |
| Wikidata | 18 September 2006 |
4 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2006 | DE | Century Media | 5051099768727 | original |
| 18 September 2006 | DE | Century Media | 5051099768789 | original |
| 27 September 2006 | JP | TOY’S FACTORY | 4988061874067 | other |
| 13 July 2012 | XW | Century Media | 886443683082 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×600 | upscaled |