Napalm Death are an English
grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
band formed in 1981 in
Meriden, West Midlands
Meriden is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically, it is part of Warwickshire and lies between the ...
. None of the band's original members has been in the group since 1986. But since ''
Utopia Banished
''Utopia Banished'' is the fourth studio album by the British grindcore band Napalm Death. The album was released in 1992 by Earache Records. It is the first album featuring Danny Herrera on drums following the departure of Mick Harris.
Meta ...
'' (1992), the lineup of bassist
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
, guitarist
Mitch Harris
Mitch Harris (born October 31, 1969) is an American guitarist. He started his career in the grindcore band Righteous Pigs. He did a side project with Mick Harris – then the drummer of grindcore band Napalm Death – called Defecation. Shortl ...
, drummer Danny Herrera and lead vocalist
Mark "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 and a former member of Extreme Noise Terror and Benediction.
Greenway has stated his nickname "Barney" came ...
has remained consistent through most of the band's career. From 1989 to 2004, Napalm Death were a five-piece band after they added
Jesse Pintado
Jesus "Jesse" Ernesto Pintado Andrade (July 12, 1969 – August 27, 2006) was a Mexican-American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for the British grindcore band Napalm Death. He started in the grindcore band Terrorizer where he reco ...
as the replacement of one-time guitarist
Bill Steer. Following Pintado's departure, the band reverted to a four-piece.
The band is credited as pioneers of the grindcore genre by incorporating elements of
crust punk
Crust punk (also known as crust or stenchcore) is a form of music influenced by English punk rock and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the early 1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on politic ...
and
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
, using a noise-filled sound that uses
distorted,
down-tuned guitars
Guitar tunings are the assignment of pitches to the open strings of guitars, including acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and classical guitars. Tunings are described by the particular pitches that are made by notes in Western music. B ...
, grinding
overdrive bass, high-speed
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
,
blast beat
A blast beat is a type of drum beat that originated in hardcore punk and grindcore, and is often associated with certain styles of extreme metal, namely black metal and death metal,Adam MacGregor, ''PCP Torpedo'' by Agoraphobic Nosebleed rev ...
s, vocals that consist of incomprehensible
growls or high-pitched shrieks, extremely short songs, and sociopolitical lyrics. The band's debut album ''
Scum'', released in 1987 by
Earache Records
Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...
, proved substantially influential throughout the global metal community. According to the ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'', their song "
You Suffer
"You Suffer" is a song by English grindcore band Napalm Death from the band's debut studio album, '' Scum'' (1987). The song is precisely 1.316 seconds long. The song was written by Nicholas Bullen, Justin Broadrick, and Mick Harris during the M ...
" is the shortest song ever recorded, at 1.316 seconds long.
Napalm Death have released sixteen studio albums, and are listed by
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
as the seventh-best-selling death metal band in the United States.
History
Early history (1981–1986)
Napalm Death were formed in the village of
Meriden near
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
, in the United Kingdom, in May 1981 by
Nic Bullen and Miles Ratledge while the duo were still in their early teenage years. The duo had been playing in amateur bands since 1980 as an extension of their fanzine writing, and went through a number of names (including "Civil Defence", "The Mess", "Evasion", "Undead Hatred" and "Sonic Noise") before choosing Napalm Death in mid 1981. The band were initially inspired by the early wave of punk bands, particularly the
anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcor ...
movement (a subgenre of
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
music focused on
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...
politics), and associated groups such as
Crass
Crass were an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977, who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a lifestylism, way of life, and a resistance movement. Crass popularised the anarcho-punk movement of the ...
.
The first stable line-up of the group consisted of Nicholas Bullen on bass and lead vocals, Simon Oppenheimer on guitars, and Miles Ratledge on drums, and lasted from December 1981 to January 1982. Graham Robertson joined on bass in January 1982. Simon Oppenheimer left the group in August 1982 and was replaced by Darryl Fedeski who left the group in October 1982: at this point, Graham Robertson began to play guitar and Finbarr Quinn (ex-Curfew) joined on bass and backing vocals.
The group played concerts throughout 1982 (playing their first concert on 25 July 1982 at Atherstone Miners Club) and 1983 (sharing billing with anarcho-punk groups such as
Amebix
Amebix were an English crust punk band. Formed as the Band with No Name, the band's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released two EPs and three albums. The group reunited in 2008, released another full-length album ...
,
The Apostles and
Antisect), and made four demo recordings in 1982 and 1983, one of which contributed their first released recording to the ''
Bullshit Detector
''Bullshit Detector'' was the name of a series of compilation LPs put together by the anarcho-punk band Crass and released on their Crass Records label. Three editions were released between 1980 and 1984, consisting of demo tapes, rough recordin ...
Volume 3'' compilation released by
Crass Records in 1984.
The band entered a period of hiatus from the end of 1983 onwards, playing only one concert in 1984 (a benefit for striking mine workers) with additional vocalist Marian Williams (ex-Relevant POS, and sister of the drummer of the group Human Cabbages from Coventry, UK). During this period, Nic Bullen met
Justin Broadrick
Justin Karl Michael Broadrick (born 15 August 1969) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and i ...
, a guitarist from Birmingham with whom he shared an interest in the music of bands such as
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass).
Their first album, ''Ki ...
,
Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in 1975 in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, and Chris Carter (British musician), Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pi ...
, Crass, Amebix,
Swans
Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Someti ...
, and the developing
power electronics
Power electronics is the application of electronics to the control and conversion of electric power.
The first high-power electronic devices were made using mercury-arc valves. In modern systems, the conversion is performed with semiconducto ...
scene. Bullen joined Broadrick's
Final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
project for a period in 1983.
In July 1985, Napalm Death briefly reformed in order to appear at a concert at the Mermaid in Birmingham which was also notable as the last concert by Final. The group consisted of a four-piece line-up of Miles Ratledge on drums; Bullen - performing vocals, bass and guitar; Graham Robertson on guitar and bass, and Damien Errington on guitar. After this concert, Miles Ratledge and Bullen asked Broadrick to join Napalm Death as guitarist, with Bullen as vocalist and bass player. The band began to develop a musical style which blended elements of
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
(particularly Killing Joke and Amebix), heavy hardcore punk in the vein of
Discharge, and
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
(with particular reference to
Possessed
Possessed may refer to:
Possession
* Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else
** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body
*** ...
and extreme metal group
Celtic Frost).
The group played their first concert as a trio on 31 August 1985 (playing two concerts on the same day: Telford with
Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enou ...
and
Blyth Power
Blyth Power are a British rock band formed in 1983 by singer and drummer Joseph Porter, formerly of anarcho-punk bands Zounds and The Mob. The band's music shows strong influences from punk rock and folk music and Porter's lyrics often centr ...
, and Birmingham with
We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It
We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It!!, often shortened to Fuzzbox, are a British alternative rock group. Formed in Birmingham in 1985, the all-female then quartet originally consisted of Vix (Vickie Perks), Magz (Maggie Dunne), Jo Dunne ...
), and began to play regularly in the Birmingham area (particularly at The Mermaid public house in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham) with a wide range of musicians including
Icons of Filth,
Concrete Sox,
The Varukers
The Varukers are a British punk rock band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin. They produced their most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band play in D-beat, the musical style of Discharge. Also like Discharge, the ...
, Indecent Assault, Decadence Within, and
The Groundhogs
Groundhogs are an English blues and rock band founded in late 1963, that toured extensively in the 1960s, achieved prominence in the early 1970s, and continued sporadically into the 21st century. Tony McPhee (guitar and vocals) is the sole c ...
.
In September 1985, Peter Shaw (ex-Autism) joined on bass. The four-piece line-up recorded ''Hatred Surge'' (the band's fifth demo recording) on 23 October 1985 which the band made available at their concerts and by mail. Following the recording of the demo, Bullen and Broadrick wished to extend their exploration of a more extreme musical style which created a split in the group with Ratledge: as a result, the group splintered and
Mick Harris
Michael John Harris (born 4 October 1967) is an English musician from Birmingham. He was the drummer for Napalm Death between 1985 and 1991, and is credited for coining the term "grindcore". After Napalm Death, Harris joined Painkiller with Jo ...
(a local fan) was asked to join as drummer in December 1985.
The trio – Bullen on vocals and bass, Broadrick on guitar and Harris on drums – made their first performance on 15 December 1985 and went on to play many concerts in 1986, predominantly in the Birmingham area, with musicians such as Amebix, Antisect, Chaos UK, Varukers,
Disorder
Disorder may refer to randomness, non-order, or no intelligible pattern.
Disorder may also refer to:
Healthcare
* Disorder (medicine), a functional abnormality or disturbance
* Mental disorder or psychological disorder, a psychological pattern a ...
and Dirge. The group recorded a sixth demo, ''From Enslavement to Obliteration'', on 15 March 1986, which the group made available at their concerts and through mail, before making a seventh recording later that year, ''
Scum'', which was provisionally intended to form part of a split LP with the English hardcore band Atavistic on Manic Ears Records. This recording later became the first side of the band's debut album ''Scum'' in 1987.
![Napalm Death - 2017215223133 2017-08-03 Wacken - Sven - 1D X MK II - 1438 - AK8I9104](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Napalm_Death_-_2017215223133_2017-08-03_Wacken_-_Sven_-_1D_X_MK_II_-_1438_-_AK8I9104.jpg)
The band then faced a number of line-up changes. Nic Bullen was becoming frustrated with the musical direction of the group, and began to lose interest as a whole: as a result, Jim Whiteley was asked to join as bass player. The band played a number of concerts as a four-piece before Justin Broadrick left the group to play drums for local band
Head of David
Head of David was a British heavy metal band that features vocalist Stephen R. Burroughs and ex-Napalm Death member Justin Broadrick (later of Godflesh and Jesu). The band's sound paved way to various music genres, including industrial metal ...
. The group attempted to find a new guitarist by asking
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
(ex-Unseen Terror and a fan of the group) to join and giving a trial period to
Frank Healy
Francis "Frank" Healy (born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England) is a former Napalm Death guitarist. Healy also was the bass player for Cerebral Fix. He also played bass in the first live Anaal Nathrakh session for the John Peel show. He was t ...
(ex-Annihilator, later of
Cerebral Fix
Cerebral Fix are an English thrash metal band formed in Birmingham in 1986. They became members of the UK thrash metal and death metal scenes through four albums, three of which were on major labels before finally disbanding in 1993. In 2006, ...
and
Sacrilege
Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person. This can take the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things. When the sacrilegious offence is verbal, it is called blasphemy, and when physica ...
). After Broadrick's departure, Nic Bullen's dissatisfaction with the musical direction of the group led him to leave the group in December 1986 (in order to focus on his studies in English Literature and Philosophy at university), leaving the group without any of its original members.
''Scum'' and ''From Enslavement to Obliteration'' (1987–1989)
With the departure of Broadrick and Bullen, the remaining members started looking for people who could fill in the roles. Guitarist
Bill Steer played in a death metal band based in Liverpool called
Carcass
Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to:
*Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc.
*Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being
*The str ...
, and given the affinity between the two, he joined Napalm Death while still playing an active role in the former. They had also asked another friend, Coventrian (
Lee Dorrian
Lee Dorrian (born 5 June 1968) is an English singer, best known as a former member of grindcore band Napalm Death and later frontman of doom metal band Cathedral.
Career
During his early teenage years, Dorrian was the editor of a local punk f ...
), to join as vocalist due to his good relationship with the group, even though he had never been in a band before. This line-up recorded the B side of the ''Scum'' LP at Rich Bitch studios in early May 1987, and the album was released through Earache Records.
The band promptly lost another member just after they undertook a short tour after the release of ''
Scum''. Jim Whiteley left the group (and subsequently joined Weston-Super-Mare based band Ripcord with whom the aforementioned tour had been shared) and
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
(former drummer of
Unseen Terror
Unseen Terror was a British extreme metal band formed by Mitch Dickinson (Heresy) and Shane Embury (later of Napalm Death), and played extreme metal with a technical edge along with elements of hardcore punk.Liner notes of Earache Records' ...
) moved to bass. The band then appeared on two compilation records ('North Atlantic Noise Attack' and the 'Pathological Compilation'), recorded two
Peel sessions and a split 7-inch with
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese band
S.O.B. They also returned to Rich Bitch studio once more and recorded their second album: ''
From Enslavement to Obliteration''.
A follow-up release to "Enslavement..." came in the form of the six song 12-inch EP "
Mentally Murdered
''Mentally Murdered'' is an Extended play, EP by the English grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1989. It was later included on the ''Harmony Corruption'' CD and the ''Death by Manipulation'' compilation album. On this EP the band's migrati ...
", which was to be the last recording with the Harris/Steer/Dorrian/Embury line-up. This EP was recorded at the Slaughterhouse Studios and took on a slightly different sound, blending
grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
with
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
. Following the release, Napalm Death were featured on national television in the United Kingdom in a heavy metal special by Arena (BBC 2).
![Napalm Death - 2017215223704 2017-08-03 Wacken - Sven - 1D X MK II - 1508 - AK8I9174](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Napalm_Death_-_2017215223704_2017-08-03_Wacken_-_Sven_-_1D_X_MK_II_-_1508_-_AK8I9174.jpg)
The band continued to tour, but as soon as they came back home from
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, in July 1989, Steer and Dorrian left the band: Steer decided to dedicate himself full-time to Carcass, while Dorrian formed the
doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
group
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
. The group recruited
Jesse Pintado
Jesus "Jesse" Ernesto Pintado Andrade (July 12, 1969 – August 27, 2006) was a Mexican-American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for the British grindcore band Napalm Death. He started in the grindcore band Terrorizer where he reco ...
(ex-
Terrorizer
Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm ...
) on guitar and
Mark "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 and a former member of Extreme Noise Terror and Benediction.
Greenway has stated his nickname "Barney" came ...
(ex-
Benediction
A benediction ( Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposit ...
) as vocalist. This line-up took part in the Grindcrusher tour organised by Earache Records and featuring fellow label-mates Carcass,
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower were an English death metal band from Coventry. They formed in 1986 and released their first album with Vinyl Solution in 1988. The band then shifted to a new record label, Earache Records, soon becoming one of the best selling b ...
and
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling ...
. The group recruited
Mitch Harris
Mitch Harris (born October 31, 1969) is an American guitarist. He started his career in the grindcore band Righteous Pigs. He did a side project with Mick Harris – then the drummer of grindcore band Napalm Death – called Defecation. Shortl ...
(ex-Righteous Pigs) as second guitarist after the tour.
Rise to success (1990–1994)
In Florida, the group began work on ''
Harmony Corruption
''Harmony Corruption'' is the third studio album by British grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1990 on Earache Records.
The style of the album is more death metal than grindcore, featuring extremely heavy riffs and deep low vocals. It ...
''. ''Corruption'' saw stylistic changes from the band, exhibiting
blast beat
A blast beat is a type of drum beat that originated in hardcore punk and grindcore, and is often associated with certain styles of extreme metal, namely black metal and death metal,Adam MacGregor, ''PCP Torpedo'' by Agoraphobic Nosebleed rev ...
s and slower tempos. Death metal was a greater influence on ''Corruption'' than previous records. Following the record's release, ''
Live Corruption'', a live recording of the band's 30 June 1990 performance at the Salisbury Arts Centre, was released in 1992.
Negative fan reactions to ''Corruption'' and accusations of selling out, compelled the band to reconsider its stylistic changes. The group entered Eddie Van Dale's Violent Noise Experience Club in March 1991 to record six new tracks. The songs produced by this session and released on the "
Mass Appeal Madness
''Mass Appeal Madness'' is an EP by Napalm Death. It was released in 1991 on Earache Records and is dedicated to the memory of Roger Patterson, a member of the death metal band Atheist who died in the same year.
Track listing
*The songs ...
" 12-inch LP exhibited a much more "raw" quality, again finding favour with fans. This recording, along with the "
Mentally Murdered
''Mentally Murdered'' is an Extended play, EP by the English grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1989. It was later included on the ''Harmony Corruption'' CD and the ''Death by Manipulation'' compilation album. On this EP the band's migrati ...
" 12-inch, the split 7-inch with S.O.B. and live tracks from ''Live Corruption'', were released on ''
Death by Manipulation
''Death by Manipulation'' is a compilation album of EPs by British band Napalm Death. It was released on 19 August 1991.
Track listing
Tracks 1–4 are from the ''Mass Appeal Madness'' EP. Tracks 5–7 are from the " Suffer the Children" s ...
''.
![Hellfest2018NapalmDeath 05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Hellfest2018NapalmDeath_05.jpg)
Drummer Mick Harris - the only remaining member of the ''
Scum'' lineup - eventually left Napalm Death due to conflicts with the rest of the group over changes in its stylistic direction. Danny Herrera, a close friend of Jesse Pintado, was brought in as the new drummer. Herrera's drumming style has been noted for its uniqueness; being described as "Euroblast", a variant of
blast beat
A blast beat is a type of drum beat that originated in hardcore punk and grindcore, and is often associated with certain styles of extreme metal, namely black metal and death metal,Adam MacGregor, ''PCP Torpedo'' by Agoraphobic Nosebleed rev ...
in which simultaneous eighth notes are played on the ride cymbal and kick drum, with alternate eighth notes added on the snare drum. The addition of Herrera would be the last major line-up change of the band, save for Jesse Pintado's future absence, which has yet to be filled (and vocalist Phil Vane never recorded with the band).
Napalm Death released the album ''
Utopia Banished
''Utopia Banished'' is the fourth studio album by the British grindcore band Napalm Death. The album was released in 1992 by Earache Records. It is the first album featuring Danny Herrera on drums following the departure of Mick Harris.
Meta ...
'' in 1992, produced by
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres.
Career
Some of the bands he has worked for include:
* 3 In ...
. This release was a kind of "return to the roots" - grindcore. After recording ''
The World Keeps Turning'' EP, the band toured Europe with
Dismember
Dismemberment is the act of cutting, ripping, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise disconnecting the limbs from a living or dead being. It has been practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, especially in connection with ...
and
Obituary
An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...
on the "Campaign for Musical Destruction" tour. They then toured the US with
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
,
Sacred Reich and
Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1986 in Queens, New York City. The band's lineup consists of brothers Lou and Pete Koller on lead vocals and guitars respectively, Armand Majidi on drums, and Craig Setari on bass. Sick ...
. The proceeds of Napalm Death's 1993 EP ''
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
"Nazi Punks Fuck Off" is the fifth single by Dead Kennedys. It was released in 1981 on Alternative Tentacles with "Moral Majority" as the B-side. Both are from the '' In God We Trust, Inc.'' EP, although the EP version is a different recordi ...
'' were donated to anti-fascist organisations.
Their EP, ''Nazi Punks Fuck Off'', was inspired by Napalm Death touring South Africa during 1993, which was particularly controversial given that the band faced a lot of opposition from many
white supremacists
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
following the
end of Apartheid
The apartheid system in South Africa was ended through a series of bilateral and multi-party negotiations between 1990 and 1993. The negotiations culminated in the passage of a new interim Constitution in 1993, a precursor to the Constitution ...
.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
The band remixed the track "Mind of a Razor" by London-based
hip hop crew
Gunshot
A gunshot is a single discharge of a gun, typically a man-portable firearm, producing a visible flash, a powerful and loud shockwave and often chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a ballistic wound caused by such a discharg ...
. The remixed version of the track appeared on the
EP of the same name in 1992.
Thereafter, they went to the studio and recorded ''
Fear, Emptiness, Despair'', which was released on 31 May 1994. The album represented a stylistic transition for Napalm Death.
''Fear, Emptiness, Despair'' maintained the complex music structures of their previous albums ''
Utopia Banished
''Utopia Banished'' is the fourth studio album by the British grindcore band Napalm Death. The album was released in 1992 by Earache Records. It is the first album featuring Danny Herrera on drums following the departure of Mick Harris.
Meta ...
'' and ''
Harmony Corruption
''Harmony Corruption'' is the third studio album by British grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1990 on Earache Records.
The style of the album is more death metal than grindcore, featuring extremely heavy riffs and deep low vocals. It ...
'',
but there was a greater emphasis placed on incorporating elements of groove into the band's style, resulting in a wider use of mid-paced music. Bassist
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
recounts that
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
and their album ''
Strap It On'' influenced the band's style at the time, as they did many other heavy metal bands during the 1990s.
Live concerts with
Entombed, Obituary and
Machine Head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
followed the album's release.
''Diatribes'', Greenway's departure and return (1995–1999)
![Napalm Death 08](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Napalm_Death_08.jpg)
Their EP ''
Greed Killing
''Greed Killing'' is an EP by the British band Napalm Death.
It was released in 1995 on Earache Records, containing two songs from the '' Diatribes'' album and four exclusive songs from the ''Diatribes'' recording sessions.
Track listing
...
'' was released through Earache in December 1995, followed by the album ''
Diatribes'' in January 1996. There was greater animosity between the band during this time, with a rift between Greenway and the remainder of the band, especially over the band's stylistic transition and the interference of background presences in the band, exemplifying the former when he stated that the band were "letting go of what made the band special".
Greenway was hence expelled from the band later in 1996, and went to record with fellow grindcore act
Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror (often abbreviated to ENT) are a British extreme metal band formed in Ipswich, England in 1985 and one of the earliest and most influential crust bands. Noted for one of the earliest uses of dual vocalists in hardcore,Bon ...
(ENT) on their release ''
Damage 381''. Greenway has stated that following his expulsion he was "devastated" and did not want to commit to ENT in fear of a repetition of the events that took place within Napalm Death.
ENT's vocalist Phil Vane replaced Greenway in Napalm Death. Alas, Shane Embury stated that Vane "couldn't pull off what was required. It was a hard day when I had to pull Phil aside and tell him it just wasn't working. We had been too much into doing our own thing to acknowledge all of the parts that made the Napalm machine tick. I quickly made the call and asked Barney if he would rejoin—time away certainly gave all of us the chance for reflection, regrets and hopes for the future. He was surprised by the material, as it was heavy and some of the songs were fast—I don't know what he really expected us to do!".
Following Vane's departure, Greenway returned and the band released the album ''
Inside the Torn Apart
''Inside the Torn Apart'' is the seventh studio album by British extreme metal band Napalm Death. It was released by Earache in June 1997 on double vinyl, regular CD, digipak CD and MC.
Track listing
Personnel Napalm Death
*Mark "Barney" G ...
'' on 3 June 1997. An
EP and music video were released for the album's track "Breed to Breathe" on 17 November 1997.
The album ''
Words from the Exit Wound
''Words from the Exit Wound'' is the eighth studio album by British extreme metal band Napalm Death, released in 1998 by Earache. It was issued only on CD. It is considered the final album of the band's "experimental" period, while simultaneou ...
'' followed this, being released on 26 October 1998. The album was their last to be produced by
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres.
Career
Some of the bands he has worked for include:
* 3 In ...
, who Embury believes hindered the album's creation, ultimately affecting the album's success.
Embury has stated that bands such as
Nasum
Nasum (pronounced 'nah-zumm') was a Swedish grindcore band from Örebro, formed in 1992. The band released four studio albums and developed into "one of that country's premier metal acts". They disbanded after the December 2004 tsunami killed ...
influenced the album, and in Embury's view, this album represented a turning point in the band's sound, stating "it was also a turning point in us moving towards rediscovering our roots."
Embury also mentioned that following the album's release, the band found it hard to tour due to restricted budgets from their record label, but
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
and
Nick Barker
Nicholas Paul Barker is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who formed a rock, power pop band, Nick Barker & the Reptiles, in March 1988. Their cover version of Cockney Rebel's "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" reached the top  ...
were able to alleviate this problem.
In 1999 the band made an appearance on
Chris Evans' TFI Friday
''TFI Friday'' is an entertainment show that was broadcast on Channel 4 television in the United Kingdom. It was produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker, and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first five series. The sixth series ...
, playing three songs on a set lasting 59 seconds.
Departure from Earache and the departure of Pintado (2000–2004)
The band acrimoniously departed from Earache Records following ''
Words from the Exit Wound
''Words from the Exit Wound'' is the eighth studio album by British extreme metal band Napalm Death, released in 1998 by Earache. It was issued only on CD. It is considered the final album of the band's "experimental" period, while simultaneou ...
'' and later released ''
Enemy of the Music Business
''Enemy of the Music Business'' is the ninth studio album by the British band Napalm Death, released in 2000. This album, along with '' Words from the Exit Wound'', are the only Napalm Death studio albums that were released only on CD until 2 ...
'' on the record label, Dream Catcher, on 25 September 2000; which showed the band's anger with the music industry and especially with Earache, whilst also incorporating a greater grindcore influence than on their previous few albums. The album was produced jointly by
Simon Efemey
Simon Efemey is an English record producer, most noted for his work with metal and hard rock groups, including Napalm Death, Paradise Lost, Obituary, Amorphis, Deceased and The Wildhearts. He has also provided live sound mixing with bands inclu ...
and
Russ Russell
Russ Russell is a British record producer, sound engineer, mixer, mastering engineer, musician and writer. He has worked all over the world and now is mostly based at Parlour Studios in the UK. He was also the guitarist in the psychedelic band ...
, the latter of whom has since been a long-time collaborator with Napalm Death.
''
Order of the Leech
''Order of the Leech'' is the tenth studio album by the United Kingdom, British grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 2002 through Spitfire Records, Spitfire. Although credited in the line-up, Jesse Pintado never performed. The second guitar ...
'' continued with the previous album's style, being released on 21 October 2002, also being produced jointly by Efemey and Russell. In 2003, Embury and Hererra formed the side-project
Venomous Concept
Venomous Concept is an American hardcore punk band formed by Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth and Shane Embury of Napalm Death in 2004. Sharp and Embury were joined by Danny Herrera and Buzz Osborne, who was later replaced by Danny Lilker. They have ...
with Kevin Sharp and
Buzz Osborne
Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept.
Biography
Born in Morton, ...
, and that group has since released four albums. In 2004, Napalm Death recorded a covers album called ''
Leaders Not Followers: Part 2'', the sequel to their earlier covers EP. It contains covers of old
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
and
heavy metal bands, including
Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter is an American crossover thrash band based in Santa Monica, California, and originally formed in 1984.
Biography
Cryptic Slaughter was formed in 1984 by Les Evans (age 17), Scott Peterson (age 14), and Adam Scott (age 15), wh ...
,
Massacre
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
,
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédér ...
,
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
,
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
and
Discharge. Due to personal problems,
Jesse Pintado
Jesus "Jesse" Ernesto Pintado Andrade (July 12, 1969 – August 27, 2006) was a Mexican-American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for the British grindcore band Napalm Death. He started in the grindcore band Terrorizer where he reco ...
did not play on either ''Order of the Leech'' or ''Leaders Not Followers: Part 2'', and left the band in early 2004. Nevertheless, Pintado stated that he left because he grew tired of Napalm Death and wanted to start something new. The two guitars that you hear is Mitch double-tracking.
''The Code Is Red...'' and ''Time Waits for No Slave'' (2005–2010)
![Nd1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Nd1.jpg)
In April 2005, their next album ''
The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code'' was released. It features guest appearances from
Jeffrey Walker (
Carcass
Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to:
*Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc.
*Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being
*The str ...
),
Jamey Jasta
James Shanahan (born August 7, 1977), known professionally as Jamey Jasta, is an American vocalist, best known as the lead singer of metalcore band Hatebreed and sludge metal band Kingdom of Sorrow. Jasta also fronts metalcore band Icepick. P ...
(
Hatebreed
Hatebreed is an American hardcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. The band released its debut album '' Satisfaction is the Death of Desire'' in 1997, which gave the band a cult following. The band signed to Universal Records ...
vocalist) and
Jello Biafra
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Initially ac ...
(formerly of
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...
, and Lard (band), Lard among many other bands). The album continued the band's progressive approach to their brutal brand of extreme metal, with their trademark grindcore sound retained. Also in 2005, Embury and Herrera joined the extreme metal band Anaal Nathrakh for one tour.
Napalm Death finished recording their follow-up album titled ''Smear Campaign (album), Smear Campaign'' in June 2006, and it was released on 15 September 2006 to strong reviews from fans and critics alike. The main lyrical focus is criticism of the United States Government and other governments who are strongly religious. The album features a guest appearance by Anneke van Giersbergen, vocalist for the Netherlands, Dutch rock band The Gathering (band), The Gathering. There is a limited edition digipak version of ''Smear Campaign'', which has two new songs, "Call That an Option?" and "Atheist Runt". They played a series of headline shows in support of the release including the Koko in Camden with Gutworm.
In early 2006 Napalm Death headlined a tour with
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédér ...
, A Perfect Murder (band), A Perfect Murder, and Undying. On 27 August 2006,
Jesse Pintado
Jesus "Jesse" Ernesto Pintado Andrade (July 12, 1969 – August 27, 2006) was a Mexican-American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for the British grindcore band Napalm Death. He started in the grindcore band Terrorizer where he reco ...
died in a hospital in the Netherlands due to liver failure, prompting Mitch Harris to express his sadness at the loss of someone he thought of as "a brother" on the band's official website. After the Smear Campaign tour, the band did a 2007 "World Domination Tour". Bassist
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
is currently working on a project with Mick Kenney of Anaal Nathrakh, their work together will be released on FETO Records at the end of 2007. In November 2008, Napalm Death's fourteenth studio album, entitled ''Time Waits for No Slave'', leaked onto the internet; it was officially released on 23 January 2009. Similar to ''Smear Campaign'', ''Time Waits For No Slave'' also had a digipak version containing two extra songs ("Suppressed Hunger" and "Omnipresent Knife in Your Back").
''Utilitarian'' and ''Apex Predator – Easy Meat'' (2011–2016)
![Napalm Death - 2017215223157 2017-08-03 Wacken - Sven - 1D X MK II - 1457 - AK8I9123](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Napalm_Death_-_2017215223157_2017-08-03_Wacken_-_Sven_-_1D_X_MK_II_-_1457_-_AK8I9123.jpg)
In February 2011, Napalm Death appeared in an episode of E4's ''Skins (TV series), Skins''. Napalm Death entered Parlour Studio in Kettering, with producer
Russ Russell
Russ Russell is a British record producer, sound engineer, mixer, mastering engineer, musician and writer. He has worked all over the world and now is mostly based at Parlour Studios in the UK. He was also the guitarist in the psychedelic band ...
to begin working on a new album. Also in 2011, they recorded the single "Legacy Was Yesterday". Napalm Death released their fifteenth studio album, ''Utilitarian (album), Utilitarian'', on 27 February 2012 in Europe and 28 February in North America via Century Media. In March 2012, Napalm Death headlined the Metal Mayhem IV festival organized by "Defenders of Metal" in Nepal. This was the first time Napalm Death played in Nepal.
Napalm Death were scheduled to play a special one-off show at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, on 22 March 2013. The show was eventually cancelled at the Victoria and Albert Museum, due to concerns that the noise levels could damage parts of the museum. The show was relocated to the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, and was performed on 29 November 2013.
The performance was a collaboration with ceramicist and Victoria and Albert Artist in Residence Keith Harrison. The show featured 10 large-scale wooden speakers filled with liquid clay that were left to solidify. When the band began to play, the clay inside the speakers was expected to vibrate, causing the speakers to crack and eventually explode.
The actual performance was considered anticlimactic, as the speakers withstood the sonic vibration.
In April 2014, the band released a cover of the Cardiacs' song "To Go Off and Things" via Bandcamp. All proceeds from the single went towards Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith (Cardiacs), Tim Smith's recovery from a simultaneous heart attack/stroke he suffered in 2008. The band announced on 5 November 2014, via Facebook that due to an illness in the family, Mitch Harris would be taking a hiatus from the band, to be replaced by various guitarists on their tour. Napalm Death's fifteenth studio album, ''Apex Predator – Easy Meat'', was released on 26 January 2015. On 4 July, a Nepal Charity Event track from the Apex Predator sessions called "Earth Wire" was released on their page.
''Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism'' (2017–present)
In August 2017, it was announced that Napalm Death entered the studio to begin recording their sixteenth studio album for an early 2018 release. In September, frontman
Mark "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 and a former member of Extreme Noise Terror and Benediction.
Greenway has stated his nickname "Barney" came ...
spoke to Australia's ''Sticks for Stones'' condemning the announcement and stated that no material was being worked on at the moment but was in the "preliminary stages". He then said that it would not be released until later next year. In an interview at Download Festival in June 2018, Greenway confirmed that guitarist
Mitch Harris
Mitch Harris (born October 31, 1969) is an American guitarist. He started his career in the grindcore band Righteous Pigs. He did a side project with Mick Harris – then the drummer of grindcore band Napalm Death – called Defecation. Shortl ...
would appear on the new album, which was not expected to be released until 2019, but did not know if he would tour with them again. Bassist
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
confirmed in a March 2019 interview with Extreme Metal Festival News that Harris "did come over and record guitars on the new record" and Greenway has "nearly recorded all his vocal parts." He added, however, that the album will not be released before early 2020.
Napalm Death (along with Lamb of God (band), Lamb of God, Anthrax (American band), Anthrax, and Testament (band), Testament) opened for Slayer on their Slayer Farewell Tour, final North American tour in the summer of 2018. In October 2019, Shane Embury announced that he would be unable to join the band during their North American Tour. Vernon Blake was announced as substitute live bassist.
An EP titled ''Logic Ravaged by Brute Force'' was released on 7 February 2020. The band released their sixteenth studio album, ''Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism'', in September 2020.
Political views
The band espouse anarchism, humanism, socialism and animal rights.
Napalm Death congratulated the president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, a fan of the band, on their Facebook fan page; however, after the Bali Nine and the Lindsay Sandiford case, he came under fire from the band, as well as many others within the metal scene, after their appeals for clemency were ignored.
Members
Current members
*
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
– bass, backing vocals
(1987–present)
*
Mitch Harris
Mitch Harris (born October 31, 1969) is an American guitarist. He started his career in the grindcore band Righteous Pigs. He did a side project with Mick Harris – then the drummer of grindcore band Napalm Death – called Defecation. Shortl ...
– guitars, backing vocals
(1990–present)
*Danny Herrera – drums
(1991–present)
*
Mark "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 and a former member of Extreme Noise Terror and Benediction.
Greenway has stated his nickname "Barney" came ...
– lead vocals
(1989–1996, 1997–present)
Current touring musicians
*John Cooke – guitars, backing vocals
(2014–present)
Former members
*Stephen Beddows - Drums (1981)
*Nicholas Bullen, Nicholas "Nik Napalm" Bullen – lead vocals, bass
(1981–1986)
*Miles "Rat" Ratledge – drums
(1981–1985)
*Simon "Si O" Oppenheimer – guitars
(1981–1982)
*Graham "Grayhard" Robertson – guitars, bass
(1982–1985)
*Daryl "Daz F" Fedeski – guitars
(1982)
*Finbar "Fin" Quinn – bass
(1983–1984)
*Marian Williams – lead vocals
(1984)
*Damien Errington – guitars
(1985)
*
Justin Broadrick
Justin Karl Michael Broadrick (born 15 August 1969) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and i ...
– guitars, backing and lead vocals
(1985–1986)
*Peter "P-Nut" Shaw – bass
(1985)
*
Mick Harris
Michael John Harris (born 4 October 1967) is an English musician from Birmingham. He was the drummer for Napalm Death between 1985 and 1991, and is credited for coining the term "grindcore". After Napalm Death, Harris joined Painkiller with Jo ...
– drums, backing vocals
(1985–1991)
*Jim Whitely – bass
(1986–1987)
*
Frank Healy
Francis "Frank" Healy (born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England) is a former Napalm Death guitarist. Healy also was the bass player for Cerebral Fix. He also played bass in the first live Anaal Nathrakh session for the John Peel show. He was t ...
– guitars
(1986)
*
Bill Steer – guitars
(1987–1989)
*
Lee Dorrian
Lee Dorrian (born 5 June 1968) is an English singer, best known as a former member of grindcore band Napalm Death and later frontman of doom metal band Cathedral.
Career
During his early teenage years, Dorrian was the editor of a local punk f ...
– lead vocals
(1987–1989)
*
Jesse Pintado
Jesus "Jesse" Ernesto Pintado Andrade (July 12, 1969 – August 27, 2006) was a Mexican-American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for the British grindcore band Napalm Death. He started in the grindcore band Terrorizer where he reco ...
– guitars
(1989–2004; died 2006)
*Phil Vane – lead vocals
(1996–1997; died 2011)
Former touring musicians
*Vernon Blake – bass
(2015, 2019–2020)
*Erik Burke - guitars
(2015)
*Jesper Liveröd – bass
(2017)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Scum'' (1987)
*''
From Enslavement to Obliteration'' (1988)
*''
Harmony Corruption
''Harmony Corruption'' is the third studio album by British grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1990 on Earache Records.
The style of the album is more death metal than grindcore, featuring extremely heavy riffs and deep low vocals. It ...
'' (1990)
*''
Utopia Banished
''Utopia Banished'' is the fourth studio album by the British grindcore band Napalm Death. The album was released in 1992 by Earache Records. It is the first album featuring Danny Herrera on drums following the departure of Mick Harris.
Meta ...
'' (1992)
*''
Fear, Emptiness, Despair'' (1994)
*''
Diatribes'' (1996)
*''
Inside the Torn Apart
''Inside the Torn Apart'' is the seventh studio album by British extreme metal band Napalm Death. It was released by Earache in June 1997 on double vinyl, regular CD, digipak CD and MC.
Track listing
Personnel Napalm Death
*Mark "Barney" G ...
'' (1997)
*''
Words from the Exit Wound
''Words from the Exit Wound'' is the eighth studio album by British extreme metal band Napalm Death, released in 1998 by Earache. It was issued only on CD. It is considered the final album of the band's "experimental" period, while simultaneou ...
'' (1998)
*''
Enemy of the Music Business
''Enemy of the Music Business'' is the ninth studio album by the British band Napalm Death, released in 2000. This album, along with '' Words from the Exit Wound'', are the only Napalm Death studio albums that were released only on CD until 2 ...
'' (2000)
*''
Order of the Leech
''Order of the Leech'' is the tenth studio album by the United Kingdom, British grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 2002 through Spitfire Records, Spitfire. Although credited in the line-up, Jesse Pintado never performed. The second guitar ...
'' (2002)
*''
The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code'' (2005)
*''Smear Campaign (album), Smear Campaign'' (2006)
*''Time Waits for No Slave'' (2009)
*''Utilitarian (album), Utilitarian'' (2012)
*''Apex Predator – Easy Meat'' (2015)
*''Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism'' (2020)
Society and culture
''Skins''
In the E4 teen comedy-drama Skins (British TV series), Skins, the seasons 5-6 character Rich Hardbeck (Alexander Arnold (actor), Alex Arnold) is a metalhead whose self-proclaimed favourite band is Napalm Death. In the show's fifth season finale, a special appearance from Napalm Death's Mark "Barney" Greenway featured a scene in which he and Rich have a heart-to-heart. Regarding the band's appearance, Barney stated, "One thing that bothers me about TV is the way that teenagers are portrayed. It's down to the f--king Daily Mail's war on teenagers. They stigmatize young kids and it's bulls--t. The thing I like about 'Skins' is it gives a genuine perspective on growing up. That's why we agreed to do this show."
Notes
References
* Barcinski, André & Gomes, Silvio (1999). ''Sepultura: Toda a História.'' São Paulo: Ed. 34.
* Mudrian, Albert (2004). ''Choosing Death: the Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore''. Los Angeles, CA: Feral House.
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Napalm Death
1981 establishments in England
Century Media Records artists
British crust and d-beat groups
Deathgrind musical groups
Earache Records artists
English death metal musical groups
English grindcore musical groups
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 1981
Musical groups from Birmingham, West Midlands
Musical quartets
Political music groups