NAPALM DEATH bassist and longest-serving member SHANE EMBURY has spoken candidly about a serious health struggle, revealing he has battled pancreatitis on three separate occasions.
Speaking on Paul McNamee's "The False Face" show, EMBURY said: "I've had what they call pancreatitis. I've had that, like, three times in my life at various stages, and I've been hospitalized three times." The grindcore pioneer linked the condition directly to alcohol. "I developed pancreatitis through drinking. You don't like to think that you're a, quote-unquote, alcoholic."
EMBURY, who joined NAPALM DEATH in 1987 and has anchored the band ever since, described how relentless touring contributed to his decline. "I was touring with four or five bands, just pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. And I think sometimes you get burned out," he said. The toll forced him to leave a MELVINS tour after three weeks.
The bassist has since sought help, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for the first time and finding unexpected recognition in the experience. "I recognize myself in these pages," he said of the AA literature.
Crucially, EMBURY reports he is now on a far better path. "I'm in a much better place now than I was this time last year, that's for sure — mentally, physically, everything."
As one of the architects of grindcore, EMBURY has spent nearly four decades at the heart of extreme metal; NAPALM DEATH's 1987 debut "Scum" helped define the genre. Beyond the main band, he stays busy with BRUJERIA, LOCK UP and VENOMOUS CONCEPT, and released his solo album "Bridge To Resolution" during the pandemic. His openness about addiction and recovery adds a candid voice to a metal community increasingly willing to discuss musicians' health and sobriety.