Dissonance Productions announces the release of Bridge To Resolution, the debut solo album by legendary Napalm Death bassist and songwriter Shane Embury, issued on CD and vinyl on 5 June.
Written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bridge To Resolution is a deeply personal work shaped by a period of reflection and upheaval in Embury’s life. With touring halted, the unexpected downtime forced the Napalm Death musician to confront questions about identity, family and creativity. Drawing inspiration from the psychological concept of “shadow integration” – the idea that self-discovery comes from confronting the darker parts of one’s personality – the album documents a journey from despair toward resolution.
The eight tracks that make up Bridge To Resolution reveal a very different side of Embury’s musical world. While best known for his work in extreme metal, the album draws on his long-standing love of atmospheric goth and post-punk, with influences including Cocteau Twins, Killing Joke and The Mission. The result is a contemplative and expansive set of songs built around Embury’s use of synthesizers, guitars, bass and layered vocals.
Joining Embury on the album is Carl Stokes (ex-Cancer, Groundhogs, Current 93) on drums, while production duties are handled by Simon Efemey, whose credits include work with Paradise Lost, Crowbar and Amorphis. Embury performs all guitar and bass parts himself, with the music reflecting the creative burst that emerged during a time of personal struggle and introspection.
Embury joined Napalm Death in 1987 and remains the band’s longest-serving member. Widely regarded as pioneers of grindcore, the Birmingham group helped define an extreme metal sub-genre characterised by short, intense songs propelled by the ‘blast beat’ drumming style and politically charged themes. Over the decades the band achieved global recognition, aided by early support from John Peel on BBC Radio 1, a front cover appearance on NME, and numerous television performances.
Napalm Death have continued to break new ground throughout their career, appearing on TFI Friday in 1999 and becoming the first extreme metal act to perform at Glastonbury Festival in 2017. Embury has featured on 15 of the band’s 16 studio albums, contributing heavily to the group’s songwriting and creative direction.
Outside of Napalm Death, Embury has been involved in numerous projects including Lock Up, Brujeria, Dark Sky Burial, Blood From The Soul, Meathook Seed, Absolute Power and Venomous Concept, and has collaborated with musicians such as Buzz Osborne (Melvins), Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest), Billy Gould (Faith No More), Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth) and Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys).
In 2023 Embury published his autobiography Life?…And Napalm Death, and many of the themes explored in that book – including his battles with addiction, mental health and personal identity – also inform the music on Bridge To Resolution.
The album’s artwork is by acclaimed illustrator Costin Chioreanu (At the Gates, Primordial, Sigh), whose imagery reflects the record’s themes of transformation, time and reflection.
Bridge To Resolution – Track Listing
1. Spasm Prayer
2. The Dreaming Abyss
3. The Bridge To Resolution
4. Thorns In Despair
5. How To Corrode Memories
6. Illusion Guillotine
7. Taurus
8. The Gift Of Shame Wrapped In Guilt
Shane will embark on a solo, spoken word tour in May:
15th May – Leicester Phoenix
19th May – Birkenhead Future Yard
21st May – Wolverhampton Arts Centre
26th May – York Crescent
27th May – Sheffield Sidney & Matilda
28th May – Birmingham Mockingbird Cinema
