A Grindcore history and review

There's undeniable (musical) evidence that Grindcore genre is somehow the "blood" brother of Death Metal since its foundation and development, back in the late 80's, when both genres started to transfer infuences back and forth, especially at the rhythm and the riff concept.

The overall characteristics are described as downtuned guitars, overdriven bass, high speed tempos, blastbeats, guttural and/or screamed voice delivery and short span songs.

Drummer Mick Harris joined Napalm Death in December 1985 replacing Miles "Rat" Ratledge, as the band

Napalm Death - Scum Grindcore GIF

wanted to move their music concept more towards metal distancing their sound from the hard-core punk presented on their first demos. 

The term Grindcore was used by him referring to the music of Swans, the noise-rock heroes and, obviously without the intention to "baptize" the new musical concept, as he managed to achieve later on. 

By the year of 1989, Jose "Jesse" Pintado's original band Terrorizer released the legendary "World Downfall" album with David Vincent of Morbid Angel handling on the bass duties. The album became a milestone for Grindcore and for metal in general.

Their next albums "Darker Days Ahead" 2006 ; "Hordes of Zombies" from 2012 and "Caustic Attack" 2018 are great outputs for sure featuring the well known Pete "Commando" Sandoval, as well, in back of the drum-kit.

As for the musical concept, first of all, the playing style and guitar tone of Jose "Jesse" Pintado (R.I.P.) former of Terrorizer and Napalm Death was clearly inspired by the Death Metal band Master. Later on he perfected his genius riff delivery to a more diverse range, as we can hear on albums like "Harmony Corruption"  ; "Utopia Banished" and so on.

Another main influence for the Grindcore inventors, Napalm Death, coming from the Death Metal side is cited as being the American Death Metal band Repulsion, with all their demos circulating in the underground, that were, finally, compiled on their one and only LP "Horrified" published back in 1989 by Necrosis Records.

1987's "Scum" despite the brutality and the inaccessibility, so to speak, it's the first album in this genre that managed to gain an unexpected success, being such a innovative, game-changer and uncompromising musical statement. 

Heavily influenced by both punk and metal bands the output consists with two parts. 

The first one containing 12 tracks up to, You Suffer song included, that was recorded with Nic Bullen (voc/bass) ; Justin Broadrick (guitar) and Mick Harris (drums). 

The second part was recorded with Lee Dorrian (voc.) ; Bill Steer of Carcass (guitar) ; Jim Whitely (bass) and Mick Harris (drums) from track 13. Life? to the last 28th called Dragnet.

The song "You Suffer" has since been recognized by the Guinness World Record as the shortest song ever recorded.

Their second product named "From Enslavement to Obliteration" from 1988 show a more matured band, tracks have better arrangements, sound and it's even more brutal than the firs one.

The international success grew as a result of that, establishing the album among the classic ones for the whole metal scene. 

Shane Embury joined the bass section in the band before the recordings.

Carcass followed up with the debut "Reek of Putrefaction" at the same year consolidating the genre and establishing other future extreme subgenres at the gory side of the metal scene.

On their next records, both bands moved to a more Death Metal musical approach, but still keeping riffs and blast-beats reminiscent of their first works. The decision wasn't embraced by some of the fans, as we can hear on the classic Napalm Death's "Live Corruption". 

Part of the audience being quite unsatisfied, as it can be heard between the songs, besides the newer Death Metal fans cheering and enjoying the show. 

As a result the new members of the band were kind of forced to carry a baseball bat for a while, in that respect.

Mark "Barney" Greenway (voc.) ; Jose "Jesse" Pintado (guitar) ; Mitch Harris (guitar) ; Shane Embury (bass) ; Mick Harris (drums) is the better "armed" Napalm Death ready for the musical assault that will follow placing the band on the top of the extreme metal bands worldwide.

On the other hand, Carcass while being in Germany touring for the "Symphonies of Sickness" their second release, were literally defending themselves, at one of their shows from some angry fans, just because the tracks on the album were too long for their taste...

After a quite chaotic primitive Death Metal debut "In Battle there is no Law" garnished with thrash-like riffage, co-nationals from Bolt Thrower, imported some clear grindcore influences on "Realm of Chaos" and "War Master" albums, placing the band, conceptually speaking, among Carcass and Napalm Death. 

On their next releases they moved to a more groovy/doomy type of Death Metal song writing.

Hailing from the UK, as well Extreme Noise Terror originally started as a crust-punk act and then adopted the Grindcore velocity, even moved to a more Death Metal approach on the album "Being and Nothing". 

The LP "Damage 381" was recorded with "Barney" Greenway of Napalm Death who was, for a brief moment, out of the band.

This album sounds much like into the "Utopia Banished" direction and it can be viewed as a decent follow-up, in that respect.

Other contribution from the British bands can be counted from bands like Sore Throat and Unseen Terror, both inspired by the "Scum" album, as well.

The American band Brutal Truth featuring legendary Danny Lilker on bass must be the third band, as relevance in the whole Grindcore scene development. "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" ; "Need to Control" ; "Kill Trend Suicide" or "Sounds of the Animal Kingdom" are classics for the genre, by now.

Brutal Truth's music video for "Collateral Damage" once held the Guinness World Record for the shortest music video ever made.

Impetigo from Illinois manage to establish the cult-band status, by this day, in the same fashion and spiced with black humor song intros.

On the same side of music and lyric-wise should be considered Seth Putnam's band AC that is regarded as noise-core, being very extreme and chaotic in their delivery, sometimes.

The band Atrocity from Connecticut could be an example of Death/Grind, as well with albums like "Infected" 1990 ; "The Art Of Death!" 1992 and "Let War Rage" 2009. 

Their overall sounding and song writing reminds of Repulsion, at times.

Also, the supergroup Brujera should be mentioned here. Originally formed by guitarist Dino Cazares (Asesino) of Fear Factory and later on joined for live performances by Shane Embury hidden under the name of "Hongo" and Jeff Walker featuring as "El Cynico" at the bass section, they released interesting and referral albums over the time.

The Belgian band Agathocles, also are an important piece in this puzzle, for sure, with an insanely rich discography released throughout their career.

All of their albums being recommended for audition, especially the first "Theatric Symbolisation of Life" from 1992 which is considered to be their best achievement, so far.

Swedish bands like Nasum , General Surgery and Regurgitate played an important role in the grind-game. Their albums being recommended for a great grind experience, as well.

From Austria we have Disharmonic Orchestra and Pungent Stench who's first releases where quite inspired by Napalm Death at first, again moving on to a more Death/Grind delivery on their second outputs.

One of the best bands out there and the much respected by the underground hordes for their consistence must be the german band Blood. Albums recommended? All of them! 

Their music could be described as Death Metal with Grindcore song structures. 

A totally memorable and iconic act with albums so much appreciated in the whole grindcore undergound scene.

Other bands like Cattle Decapitation , Exhumed , Cephalic Carnage or Aborted had Grind/Death beginnings and/or later moved to a more diverse musical discourse even with prog/technical influences added to their general song structures.

Misery Index , Pig Destroyer and their coleagues from Agoraphobic Nosebleed could be the three top American examples, for the genre, and about the level of what Grindcore represents nowadays.

Overall, the genre still resists with countless underground protagonists many of them being invited to the much appreciated "Obscene Extreme Festival" happening in the Czech Republic each year.

At January 29 the international blast-beat day is being celebrated,cheers!

IN GRIND WE TRUST!

Death Metal - A videographic chronological history of the classical times

Death Metal GIF

As some of us already know the golden age of the death metal scene stretch from the late 80's to the second part of the 90's. 

Within these years, the bands involved managed to release videos made for MTV, using technical equipment very different that is used today, paid a lot of money and spent a lot of energy and time in order to achieve what they wanted to express in order to promote the musical message, their live abilities, the fan-base reaction or the band's image, in general. 

In that respect many of the videos created back then are pure masterpieces.

Let's see how bands managed to portray themselves back in the Death Metal heydays.

The first video issued in the classical death metal scene undoubtedly must be Death's performance in 1988 at the Combat Tour, along with headliners Raven plus Dark Angel, Forbidden and Fate or Fear, containing : Left to Die ; Pull the Plug ; Forgotten Past and Denial of Life songs.

The second one is surely Paradise Lost's performance "Live Death" at the Peaceville Mischievous Night Party, Saturday 4th November 1989 at Bradford Queens Hall containing tracks from their "Lost Paradise" album : Deadly Inner Sense ; Frozen Illusion ; Breeding Fear ; Paradise Lost ; Our Savior ; Rotting Misery and Internal Torment played in such a passionate way. 

The video cassette was officially released exactly one year later on November 4th, 1990.

Morbid Angel released "Live Madness '89" recorded at Nottingham on November 14 performing most of the "Altars of Madness" LP proving that they are a total Death Metal machinery and a crucial future metal force.

Grindcore and Death/Grind inventors, Napalm Death issued "Live Corruption" in 1993, captured at the Salisbury Arts Centre in Salisbury, England on June 30th, 1990 when they played a lot of their classical tracks taken from their first albums, new tracks as well, interviews, plus a video-clip made for "Suffer the Children" one of the most outstanding songs from "Harmony Corruption" LP, their most successful album, so far.

It was 1990 and Entombed, the Swedish quintet,  released the "Left Hand Path" video from the same named disc, showing their live performance and establishing their leader status on the Scandinavian Death Metal scene.

Norway was represented by the famous Darkthrone with "Live in Oslo 1990"  performing 6 tracks from their classic "Soulside Journey" Death Metal debut LP.

Sci-fi horror inspired tech-death-metal Nocturnus genius performance for the "Lake of Fire" the first track taken from their most outstanding and original albums in the history of metal published under the name of "The Key" back in 1990.

Massacre From Beyond GIF

 

 

 

 

 

Legendary Massacre with "Chamber of Ages" promoted the first "From Beyond" issue showing their energetic live act in front of their unleashed fan-base. 

A black and white masterwork, for sure!

Death's first video-clip perfectly pictured a psychological tragedy described in the lyrics of the song taken from the classical 1991 "Human" opus called "Lack of Comprehension".

Steve DiGiorgio's original band Sadus released "Good Rid'nz" and "Certain Death" videos containing edited live footage taken from their first two albums "Illusions" and "Swallowed in Black".

The very charismatic Floridian combo, Obituary chose "Turned Inside Out" played live, the last track from their "Cause of Death" classic disc, in order to portray and prove to the world their full potential.

Once again, the iconic band Morbid Angel presented themselves with a video-clip for "Blessed are the Sick/Leading the Rats" taken from the much praised 1991 - "Blessed are the Sick" album. 

The video express what the track and the album is all about at the musical and lyrical concept.

War themed, British Bolt Thrower came up with "Cenotaph" taken from the 1991 "War Master" album representing their Death-Grind delivery performance, the band and their legions produced in a very dynamic fashion.

By the year of 1991, Napalm Death returned more energetic than ever and this can be seen in their "Mass Appeal Madness" official video.

A video-clip documenting their tour around the world, most likely taken when they toured for the "Harmony Corruption" LP.

As, of the same video content was presented on"The World Keeps Turning" in order to promote their fourth "Utopia Banished" effort just a year later.

The German quintet Morgoth chose "Sold Baptism" as a video-clip and "Isolated" live performance to represent their first and much praised "Cursed" output released back in 1991. 

The first above mentioned is a short horror movie featuring the band's members and the front-man Mark Grewe as the main character.

Just like a short B-grade horror movie, the British band Cancer made a video-clip for the "Back from the Dead" song present on the much appreciated "Death Shall Rise" work dated in 1991.

"Shrunken and Mummified Bitch" being a quite sick/black humorous video-clip made by the Austrian trio Pungent Stench, and from the same album they came up with "Sick Bizarre Defaced Creation" a black and white live video-clip edited with overlay reprises here and there from their 1991 "Been Caught Buttering" Death-Grind second album.

Carcass tried to capture the musical message on the much appreciated "Necroticism - Descanting and Insalubrious" album with the "Incarnated Solvent Abuse" video released in 1991 and the second video, being a live footage and a master interpretation for "Corporal Jigsore Quandary" taken from the famous "Grindcrusher Tour".

The above mentioned tour, also includes full performances by both Carcass and their fellow British band Bolt Thrower.

The Dutch quartet Pestilence managed to portray themselves in a very effective way, the general message and the atmosphere from the conceptual 1991 released "Testimony of the Ancients" album,  throughout the undoubtedly masterpiece of a video-clip : "Land of Tears" being a short horror story.

Their previous second effort named "Consuming Impulse" published a year before, featuring Martin Van Drunen handling the bass and the vocal duties, at that time was presented with the "Out of the Body" video-clip.

Their colleagues from God Dethroned made a video for the "Necromagnon" track, filmed in a wretched, construction area, presenting the debut album "The Christhunt" dated as of 1992.

Colleagues in Death/Grind and co-nationals of the above mentioned Pungent Stench, Disharmonic Orchestra launched "Groove" video in order to promote "Not to be Undimentional Conscious" their second album issued in the same year.

The very famous and appreciated, by now, polish combo Vader were presenting themselves to the world for the first time by playing in a post-communist industrial environment with the song "Dark Age" taken from the debut album, "The Ultimate Incantation" released as of 1992, as well.

Floridian based Nocturnus returned with a video made for the "Alter Reality" track taken from their second LP "Thresholds" from the same year.

The Australian trio Mortification presented themselves with a video taken from "Scrolls of the Megilloth" LP, their best achievement, so far, with the eponymous song, published back in 1992, as well.

Also, the British Death Metal veteran quintet Bolt Thrower, spearheaded again with "The IVth Crusade" video from the same named release with an energetic live collage.

There's no question that Morbid Angel's "God of Emptiness" video is another Metal masterpiece , representing the one of the band's main lyrical topics. 

One of the most viewed out there and a symbolic representation for the genre's overall song themes - religion. 

It is the last track taken from their third much appreciated album "Covenant" dated in 1993. Also, we have "Rapture" video to enjoy, the song opening the 1993's classic, by now, long-play. 

"Covenant" is one of the most sold Death Metal full-lengths out there.

Another true memorable masterpieces in terms of video production must be the Entombed's "Stranger Aeons" from "Clandestine" and Dismember's " and "Dreaming in Red" videos taken from their both second releases. 

Dismember, also released a video for the above mentioned second album, titled "Indecent&Obscene" opening track "Skinfather" consisting mostly of their live experience.

Prior to that, Dismember promoted their music with the "Soon to be Dead" video-clip taken from the "Like an Everflowing Stream" classic disc, dated in 1991.

The, heathen to become, Johnny Hedlund's band Unleashed show their live strong display of "Before the Creation of Time" from the first "Where No Life Dwells" album. 

Later on they promoted their third effort "Across the Open Sea" and their fan-base with "The One Insane" video performing in a club.

At the Gates were revealing themselves to the world with the first video-clip made for the song "Kingdome Gone" from their first album "The Red in the Sky is Ours" in 1992 and "The Burning Darkness" present on their second release "Terminal Spirit Disease" dated a year later.

 

Interment from Sweden, again, presenting themselves with a video-clip created for "Infestering Flesh" back in 1992, a song taken from their first demo.

From the same Swedish lands, the soon to became, one of the most death metal influential personality Peter Tägtgren presented his band Hypocrisy with two videos "Impotent God" which is a live performance and a video-clip for "Left to Rot" in 1992 promoting their "Penetralia" debut album.

One year later they returned with a video called "Pleasure of Molestation" a song which is published on the second disc "Osculum Obscenum", and by 1994 released "Inferior Devoties" a video-clip made for a track taken from the same named EP showing themselves as a trio, for the first time, with Peter Tägtgren behind the front-line microphone.

As, for the fourth effort dated in 1996 "Abducted" album, the band chose to make a video-clip for the song "Roswell '47" consisting mostly from their touring footage.

The first progressive death metal band, Dan Swanö's Edge of Sanity filmed "Black Tears" the power play for the "Purgatory Afterglow" in a black and white low-budget fashion. 

The vocal clean delivery resembles much of what is called Gothic Metal, today, as the overall album's direction is quite diverse.

Besides the "God of Emptiness" artwork the Carcass' "Heartwork" must be another important vector and surely a masterpiece for the genre, up to this day.

A true terrifying video-clip, but perfect in portraying the viciousness of the music presented on the eponymous album issued in 1993. "No Love Lost" being at the same quality level in terms of video production and musical inspiration.

Germans from Morgoth, also returned with the much appreciated "Odium" disc, promoted by the "Under the Surface" video at the same year.

Also, Chuck Schuldiner , the Godfather of Death Metal returned and brought Death back to live  inviting Andy LaRoque, King Diamond's lead guitarist, Steve DiGiorgio, the famous and very technical bass player and no other than Gene Hoglan to record one of the most daring metal issues of all times "Individual Thought Patterns" that was promoted with a video for the closing track "The Philosopher".  

A total outstanding performance, there!

Californian Autopsy had "Voices" played in a garage hailing the unforgettable "Acts of the Unspeakable" LP back in '93.

Entombed returned with "Hollowman" and "Wolverine Blues" from their Groove Death Metal opus out in '93, with Lars G. Petrov (R.I.P) handling, again the vocal duties. 

"Hollowman" is such a great work in 'good optics' register, per say, showing the band playing in an old factory. Another video masterpiece for Metal, indeed! 

Later on the band released a video for the Roky Erickson's cover named "Night of the Vampire" where the band was just having fun in a snow-full cemetery and, somehow, preparing their fans-base for the upcoming Death'n'roll approach their music was about to turn onward starting with 1995.

Again, hailing from Sweden, Grave veteran band , provided the Death Metal hordes with the "Soulless" video made in 1994, from the same named collection of songs.

Gorefest Erase GIF

From the dutch front the four Gorefest highlighted their "False" opus through the "Get-a-life" video containing a fine edited live performance followed by the 1994 "Erase" as one of the most memorable moment from the same named disc.

"The Eindhoven Insanity" released in August 11th, 1993 documents Gorefest's live performance at the much famous and appreciated Dynamo Festival in the same year containing 9 songs.

Same goes for their co-nationals from the Sinister band, who released a video-clip for the song "Leviathan" taken from the much appreciated and one of their best LP's ,"Diabolical Summoning" dated back in 1993.

The video represents the band besides a short horror movie about witchery, time distortion and occult practices.

Dismember returned with the masterpiece named "Casket Garden" taken from their 1995 issued album "Massive Killing Capacity". One of the most beautiful videos made in Death Metal.

The much appreciated Obituary from Florida returned with "The End Complete" video-clip in order to promote the same named album back in 1993 and for the "World Demise" effort decided to release a video made for the opening track "Don't Care" dated back in 1995.

Cannibal Corpse watch us "Through the eyes of the Dead" video, enjoying one of the most inspired albums released in metal ever "The Bleeding", released back in 1994, being their first official one.

As, on the same year, British quintet Napalm Death made short horror film for "The Plague Rages" which would be one of the power plays of the "Fear ,Emptiness, Despair" album.

Carcass released "Swansong" opus back in 1996, before the split-up and chose as the power play, the first song "Keep on Rotting in the Free World" containing a mix of live and other video footage to please their worldwide fan-base.

The British iconic quintet Benediction released "Foetus Noose" an interesting video-clip made with overlay live footage, presenting their fan-base.

Also, not-to-be-missed "The Grotesque" video-clip taken from the eponymous EP from 1994.

This video-graphic journey through one of the most aggressive metal genres out there will be closed by mentioning the last video-clip dedicated by the same Birmingham veterans Benediction to Jack the Ripper, naming the first song taken from the 1995 output "The Dreams you Dread" called "Down on Whores - Leave them all for dead!"