Barney Greenway

Mark Andrew "Barney" Greenway (born 13 July 1969) is a British extreme metal vocalist who is the current lead singer of Napalm Death[1] and a former member of Extreme Noise Terror[2] and Benediction.[3]

Barney Greenway
Greenway performing with Napalm Death at Wacken Open Air festival in 2018
Background information
Birth nameMark Andrew Greenway
Born (1969-07-13) 13 July 1969
Great Barr, Birmingham, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1987–present
Labels
Associated acts

Greenway has stated his nickname "Barney" came from a time when he used to drink alcohol. He stated he would get so drunk that when he went anywhere, he would bump into everything. From this behaviour, he would be called "Rubble", which changed to "Barney Rubble" and then just "Barney".[4]

Career
Greenway performing with Napalm Death at Tampere, Finland, 2009

Greenway was initially the vocalist of death metal band Benediction from 1989 until he joined Napalm Death the following year, replacing the band's previous vocalist Lee Dorrian, who later founded doom metal band Cathedral. Prior to joining Napalm Death, Greenway had worked as an engineer within the motor industry in Birmingham.[5]

Greenway's first album with Napalm Death, Harmony Corruption represented a shift in the band's musical style, incorporating a more death metal-oriented sound. The albums that followed this, including Utopia Banished, Fear, Emptiness, Despair and Diatribes saw the band delve further into the aforementioned style whilst also incorporating elements of groove metal.

Greenway and Napalm Death parted ways in 1996, with bassist Shane Embury referring to the long unrest that had been present between Greenway and the remainder of the band.[6] Greenway later joined Extreme Noise Terror to record vocals on their album Damage 381,[7] with Extreme Noise Terror's vocalist Phil Vane joining Napalm Death to record vocals on their album Inside the Torn Apart. Vane and Napalm Death however were incompatible according to Embury, and after discussions between Greenway and the band, Greenway returned to record the vocals for the above album.[6]

Greenway has remained with Napalm Death since 1997 and have since released a number of critically acclaimed albums.

Personal life

Greenway is a progressive metal fan. He joined Dream Theater on stage at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and performed vocals on Metallica's "Damage, Inc." live.[8] He has reviewed progressive metal bands and albums for the British rock magazine Kerrang! though he no longer does so.[9] He has also stated his admiration for bands such as Motörhead and Throbbing Gristle, stating that the former's album, Ace of Spades, is his all-time favourite album.[10] Greenway is also a voracious reader.[10]

Greenway is a supporter of Aston Villa F.C..[11] He is a supporter of many animal rights organisations including PETA; he has been a vegetarian since he was 14, and vegan since 2012.[12][13] Greenway is recognisable for his strong Birmingham accent and for his distinctive gruff vocal style which many feel has become synonymous with Napalm Death. Greenway is an atheist.[14]

Discography
Greenway performing in 2015

With Napalm Death

With Benediction
  • The Dreams You Dread
  • Confess All Goodness (1990, Split-EP with Pungent Stench)
  • Subconscious Terror (1990)
  • Dark Is the Season (1992) (on the track "Forged in Fire")

With Extreme Noise Terror

Other appearances

References
  1. Strong, M J (1998). The great rock discography. Giunti. p. 564. ISBN 88-09-21522-2.
  2. "Metal". CMJ New Music Monthly. November 1997. ISSN 1074-6978.
  3. "Napalm Death". MTV.com.
  4. Martinelli, Roberto (December 2002). "Interview with Napalm Death" (11). Maelstrom magazine. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. "The Quietus - Features - A Quietus Interview - At The Extremities: Barney Greenway Of Napalm Death Interviewed". The Quietus.
  6. "Rank and Defile: Shane Embury Orders Napalm Death's Albums from Worst to Best". Decibel Magazine. 13 December 2017.
  7. "Extreme Noise Terror - Damage 381 - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". www.metal-archives.com.
  8. "CD review of Dream Theater". NewsAndEntertainment.com.
  9. Löfquist, Daniel (30 December 2008). "NAPALM DEATH – Barney Greenway tells it like it is". Critical Mass. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  10. Khazine TV. "INTERVIEWS TOP TEN - NAPALM DEATH ( Mark "Barney" Greenway)" – via YouTube.
  11. "Top Five celebrity fans". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 4 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012.
  12. "Heroes: Napalm Death". PETA.
  13. Callwood, Brett (20 April 2016). "Napalm Death Loves Watercourse: Barney Greenway on Veganism and Politics". Westword.
  14. "Mark Greenway - Napalm Death". MetalCovenant.com (published 22 April 2009). 13 April 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  15. "Mothercare - Breathing Instructions - Advance Tape Review - www.iwillbeheard.co.uk". www.downtuned.plus.com.
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