Napalm Death
Biography
Napalm Death is an English grindcore band that was formed in Meriden, Warwickshire in 1981. Since 1986, none of the band's original members have remained in the group besides Mick Harris which left after playing on Harmony Corruption(1990). However, starting from their album Utopia Banished(1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris, drummer Danny Herrera, and lead vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway has remained consistent for most of the band's career. From 1989 to 2004, Napalm Death briefly expanded to a five-piece band when Jesse Pintado joined as a replacement for former guitarist Bill Steer. Following Pintado's departure, the band reverted to being a four-piece.
The band is recognized as pioneers of the grindcore genre, blending elements of crust punk and death metal. They are known for their noise-filled sound, characterized by distorted, down-tuned guitars, grinding overdrive bass, high-speed tempo, blast beats, and vocals consisting of incomprehensible growls or high-pitched shrieks. Their songs are exceptionally short, often featuring sociopolitical lyrics. Napalm Death gained substantial influence in the global metal community with the release of their debut album "Scum" in 1987, which was issued by Earache Records. Notably, their track "You Suffer" holds the Guinness World Record for the shortest recorded song, lasting a mere 1.316 seconds.
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Over the years, Napalm Death has released sixteen studio albums and is recognized by Nielsen SoundScan as the seventh-best-selling death metal band in the United States.
Studio albums
Scum (1987)
From Enslavement to Obliteration (1988)
Harmony Corruption (1990)
Utopia Banished (1992)
Fear, Emptiness, Despair (1994)
Diatribes (1996)
Inside the Torn Apart (1997)
Words from the Exit Wound (1998)
Enemy of the Music Business (2000)
Order of the Leech (2002)
The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code (2005)
Smear Campaign (2006)
Time Waits for No Slave (2009)
Utilitarian (2012)
Apex Predator - Easy Meat (2015)
Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism (2020)
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.