127-469: Bolt Thrower were a British 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 bands on that label. Their last label was Metal Blade Records . The band had a succession of members, and had toured Europe, the United States, and Australia. Over
254-439: A connection between "how acquainted one is with their own mortality" and "how much they crave images of death and violence" via the media. Additionally, contributing artists to the genre often defend death metal as little more than an extreme form of art and entertainment, similar to horror films in the motion picture industry. This explanation has brought such musicians under fire from activists internationally, who claim that this
381-529: A digipak version containing two extra songs ("Suppressed Hunger" and "Omnipresent Knife in Your Back"). In February 2011, Napalm Death appeared in an episode of E4's Skins . In October 2011, Napalm Death performed at a Canada Zoo, in which they debuted their song 'Quarantined'. Napalm Death entered Parlour Studio in Kettering, with producer Russ Russell to begin working on a new album. Also in 2011, they recorded
508-599: 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. Current members Current touring musicians In the E4 teen comedy-drama Skins , the seasons 5-6 character Rich Hardbeck ( Alex Arnold ) is a metalhead whose self-proclaimed favourite band
635-498: 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 (particularly Killing Joke and Amebix), heavy hardcore punk in
762-448: A greater grindcore influence than on their previous few albums. The album was produced jointly by Simon Efemey and Russ Russell , the latter of whom has since been a long-time collaborator with Napalm Death. Order of the Leech 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
889-546: A guitarist from Birmingham with whom he shared an interest in the music of bands such as Killing Joke , Throbbing Gristle , Crass, Amebix, Swans , and the developing power electronics scene. Bullen joined Broadrick's Final 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
1016-415: A large "underground" following at the present. In the 2000s, a number of bands in the hardcore punk scene, including Black Breath and Trap Them began to incorporate elements of death metal into their sound. This was followed by a wave of bands expanding upon the death-doom style of Incantation while incorporating elements of ambient music , including Dead Congregation and Necros Christos . In
1143-824: A lengthy statement on their website, which suggested that a reunion or possible new release in memory of him was in the works. As of 2024, these ideas have not materialised. 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, featuring double kick and blast beat techniques; minor keys or atonality ; abrupt tempo, key, and time signature changes; and chromatic chord progressions. The lyrical themes of death metal may include slasher film -style violence, political conflict , religion , nature , philosophy , true crime and science fiction . Building from
1270-621: A new album. Honour - Valour - Pride was released in Europe on 19 November 2001, and in the United States on 15 January 2002 on Metal Blade Records, and shows a progression from the direction taken on Mercenary . It contains nine tracks; the digipak includes one bonus track. Martin Kearns returned to the band after he settled his things in his life. In 2004, the band began working on new material for their latest album. They intended to record it in May 2004, with
1397-542: A new guitarist by asking Shane Embury (ex-Unseen Terror and a fan of the group) to join and giving a trial period to Frank Healy (ex-Annihilator, later of Cerebral Fix and Sacrilege ). 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
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#17330846480651524-675: 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 movement (a subgenre of punk music focused on anarchist politics), and associated groups such as Crass . 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
1651-456: A popular genre. Niche record labels like Combat , Earache , and Roadrunner began to sign death metal bands at a rapid rate. Since then, death metal has diversified, spawning several subgenres. Melodic death metal combines death metal elements with those of the new wave of British heavy metal . Technical death metal is a complex style, with uncommon time signatures, atypical rhythms, and unusual harmonies and melodies. Death-doom combines
1778-467: A remastered edition of the 1989 album Realm of Chaos featuring alternate artwork by John Sibbick , the artist responsible for the original artwork of both the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader cover and Realm of Chaos - Slaves to Darkness . The band encouraged people not to buy it as, like Who Dares Wins , it was released without their consultation let alone consent. Furthermore, it has been alleged that
1905-489: A sense of emptiness and despair. Typically, electric guitars are heavily distorted and dark ambient aspects such as keyboards or synthesizers are often used to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Vocals consist of mournful chants or growls and are often in the background. Funeral doom was pioneered by Mournful Congregation (Australia), Esoteric (United Kingdom), Evoken (United States), Funeral (Norway), Thergothon (Finland), and Skepticism (Finland). Death 'n' roll
2032-400: 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
2159-515: A style that would catch on in tape trading circles. Schuldiner has been credited by AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia for being widely recognized as the "Father of Death Metal". Death's 1987 debut release, Scream Bloody Gore , has been described by About.com's Chad Bowar as being the "evolution from thrash metal to death metal", and "the first true death metal record" by the San Francisco Chronicle . In an Interview Jeff Becerra talked about
2286-416: A stylistic transition for Napalm Death. Fear, Emptiness, Despair maintained the complex music structures of their previous albums Utopia Banished and Harmony Corruption , 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 recounts that Helmet and their album Strap It On influenced
2413-846: A variance of metalcore elements. Characteristics of death metal, such as fast drumming (including blast beats ), down-tuned guitars, tremolo picking , growled vocals , and high-pitched shrieks are combined with the breakdowns of metalcore. Decibel magazine stated that "one of Suffocation 's trademarks, breakdowns, has spawned an entire metal subgenre: deathcore." Goregrind, deathgrind and pornogrind are styles that mix grindcore with death metal, with goregrind focused on themes like gore and forensic pathology , and pornogrind dealing with sexual and pornographic themes. Some notable examples of these genres are Brujeria , Cattle Decapitation , Cephalic Carnage , Pig Destroyer , Circle of Dead Children , Rotten Sound , Gut , and Cock and Ball Torture . Deathrash, also known as death-thrash,
2540-437: 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
2667-480: Is a brutal death metal microgenre that evolved from the 1990s New York death metal scene, incorporating elements of hardcore punk . In contrast to other death metal styles, it is not generally focused on guitar solos and blast beats; instead, it employs mid-tempo rhythms, breakdowns, and palm-muted riffing, as well as hip hop -inspired vocal and drum beat rhythms. The breakdown riff of Suffocation 's " Liege of Inveracity " has been credited by Rolling Stone as
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#17330846480652794-451: Is a genre of death metal that adds elements of classical music . Bands described as symphonic death metal include Fleshgod Apocalypse , Septicflesh , Necronomicon , and Children of Bodom . Haggard 's 2000 album, Awaking the Centuries , has been described as death metal-styled symphonic metal. Technical death metal (also known as tech-death, progressive death metal, or prog-death)
2921-412: Is a genre of death metal that adds elements of industrial music . Some notable bands include Fear Factory , Anaal Nathrakh , Autokrator , and Meathook Seed . Swedish death metal could be considered the forerunner of "melodic death metal." Melodic death metal, occasionally shortened to "melodeath", is a fusion of heavy metal with elements of death metal. The subgenre is heavily influenced by
3048-508: Is a shorthand term to describe bands who play a fusion of death metal and thrash metal . The genre gained notoriety in Bali , Indonesia, where it attracted criticism of being related to the accelerated tourism development on the island and the superseding of its local culture, particularly by Jakartan one. Notable bands include Grave , Mortification , The Crown , Incapacity, Darkane , Deathchain , and Sepultura . Industrial death metal
3175-476: Is a style that combines death metal's growled vocals and highly distorted detuned guitar riffs along with elements of 1970s hard rock and heavy metal . Notable examples include Entombed , Gorefest , and Six Feet Under . With the rise in popularity of metalcore , some of its traits have been combined with death metal. Bands such as Suicide Silence , Carnifex and Salt the Wound combine death metal with
3302-452: Is a subgenre of death metal that employs dynamic song structures, uncommon time signatures, atypical rhythms and unusual harmonies and melodies. Bands described as technical death metal or progressive death metal usually fuse common death metal aesthetics with elements of progressive rock , jazz or classical music . While the term technical death metal is sometimes used to describe bands that focus on speed and extremity as well as complexity,
3429-479: Is commonly death metal that incorporates musical, lyrical or ideological elements of black metal , such as an increased use of tremolo picking , anti- Christian or Satanic lyrical themes and chord progressions similar to those used in black metal. Blackened death metal bands are also more likely to wear corpse paint and suits of armour, than bands from other styles of death metal. Lower range guitar tunings, death growls and abrupt tempo changes are common in
3556-515: 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 Dutch rock 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
3683-422: Is mistakenly thought to be a form of screaming using the lowest vocal register known as vocal fry , however vocal fry is actually a form of overtone screaming, and while growling can be performed this way by experienced vocalists who use the fry screaming technique, "true" death growling is in fact created by an altogether different technique. Growling has been called Cookie Monster vocals, tongue-in-cheek, due to
3810-441: Is often lost on a large number of adolescents, who are left with the glamorisation of such violence without social context or awareness of why such imagery is stimulating. According to Alex Webster , bassist of Cannibal Corpse, "The gory lyrics are probably not, as much as people say, [what's keeping us] from being mainstream. Like, 'death metal would never go into the mainstream because the lyrics are too gory?' I think it's really
3937-528: The Bullshit Detector 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 ,
Bolt Thrower - Misplaced Pages Continue
4064-478: The 1988 book of the same name published by Games Workshop. Most of the lyrics to the songs were also influenced by the game, but not merely because of the deal with Games Workshop. Karl, Andy and Gavin were very much into the Games Workshop role playing game , and they wrote a couple of songs about these games, including " Plague Bearer " and " World Eater ". After the recording of Realm of Chaos , they went on
4191-539: The Brandon, Florida act Nasty Savage , they took the sound of Nasty Savage and deepened it. In 1984, they released their first demo entitled Death by Metal , followed by several more. The tapes circulated through the tape trader world, quickly establishing the band's name. With Death guitarist Schuldiner adopting vocal duties, the band made a major impact in the emerging Florida death metal scene. The fast minor-key riffs and solos were complemented with fast drumming, creating
4318-623: The COVID-19 pandemic amplifying the amount of attention drawn to the movement, through Cryptic Shift , Slimelord and Vaticinal Rites. In a 2022 article by MetalSucks writer Christopher Krovatin stated "Right now, as a music journalist, all I hear about is death metal." In the UK, this movement became the "New Wave of British Death Metal", fronted by Mortuary Spawn, Vacuous and Celestial Sanctuary, this name being coined by Tom Cronin, of Celestial Sanctuary, in order to separate these hardcore-indebted bands from
4445-589: The Fourth Crusade and the capturing of Constantinople . The cover artwork is a painting from Eugène Delacroix , showing "The Entry of the Crusaders in Constantinople". They wrote slower songs which were heavier and more bombastic. It leans more towards doom metal influenced by bands like Candlemass , in combination with their own massive death metal sound. The album was followed by the tour 'World Crusade' with
4572-701: The In Battle There Is No Law demo was recorded with this line-up. Their second recording was the Concession of Pain demo, which they made in September 1987. Gavin had switched to guitars and they recruited Alex Tweedy to play the bass. However, Alex did not show up for the recording, and so Gavin played both guitar and bass for the demo. Two weeks after the recording session, Gavin's girlfriend Jo Bench replaced Tweedy. With this line-up they recorded their first Peel session on 3 January 1988, with John Peel ,
4699-855: 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
4826-474: The new wave of British heavy metal . Unlike most other death metal, melodeath usually features screams instead of growls, slower tempos, and much stronger emphasis on melody. Clean vocals may be used on occasion. Carcass is sometimes credited with releasing the first melodic death metal album with 1993's Heartwork , although Swedish bands In Flames , Dark Tranquillity , and At the Gates are usually mentioned as
4953-559: The 'Grindcrusher Tour' with labelmates Napalm Death , Carcass and Morbid Angel . On the Cenotaph EP one song ("Realm of Chaos") appears that is recorded during this tour. This EP also features two CD-bonus tracks from War Master , Realm of Chaos plus the song "Cenotaph". Continuing, they recorded their third and final Peel session on 22 July 1990. These three songs from the upcoming album were performed in raw versions, as well as "Lost Souls Domain" from Realm of Chaos . The next step in
5080-540: The 1990s. In September 1990, Death's manager Eric Greif held one of the first North American death metal festivals, Day of Death , in Milwaukee suburb Waukesha, Wisconsin , and featured 26 bands including Autopsy, Broken Hope , Hellwitch, Obliveon, Revenant, Viogression, Immolation, Atheist , and Cynic . Death metal's popularity achieved its initial peak during 1992–1993, with some bands such as Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse enjoying mild commercial success. However,
5207-401: The 2010s, a movement of bands reviving the sound of original 1980s death metal emerged, termed the "New Wave of Old School Death Metal". One of the earliest groups in this wave was Horrendous , who formed in 2009, who along with Tomb Mold took a progressive take the genre. Tomb Mold, Necrot, Undergang and Blood Incantation were some of the earliest bands to gain traction in the 2010s, with
Bolt Thrower - Misplaced Pages Continue
5334-462: The Apex Predator sessions called "Earth Wire" was released on their page. 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 spoke to Australia's Sticks for Stones condemning the announcement and stated that no material was being worked on at the moment but
5461-520: The Birmingham area, with musicians such as Amebix, Antisect, Chaos UK, Varukers, Disorder 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
5588-553: The German band Atrocity and Death's Human (1991). This style has significantly influenced many bands, creating a stream that in Europe was carried out at first by bands such as Gory Blister and Electrocution. The Polish band Decapitated gained recognition as one of Europe's primary modern technical death metal acts. Napalm Death Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in Meriden, West Midlands in 1981. None of
5715-593: 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. In April 2005, their next album The Code Is Red...Long Live the Code was released. It features guest appearances from Jeffrey Walker ( Carcass ), Jamey Jasta ( Hatebreed vocalist) and Jello Biafra (formerly of Dead Kennedys , and Lard among many other bands). The album continued
5842-589: The Polish death metal act Vader and the Swedish death metal band Grave in Europe. The band toured the US again as well as Australia. During this time, a single was released called "Spearhead", containing a very heavy, extended remix of the CD track "Spearhead", plus two new tracks and "Dying Creed" off the new album. Their next album is called ...For Victory and was released in 1994. It
5969-544: The Possessed blueprint laid down on the legendary Seven Churches recording. Possessed arguably did more to further the cause of 'Death Metal' than any of the early acts on the scene back in the mid-late 80's." During the same period as the dawn of Possessed, a second influential metal band was formed in Orlando, Florida. Originally called Mantas, Death was formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner , Kam Lee , and Rick Rozz . Inspired by
6096-454: The Sparkhill area of Birmingham) with a wide range of musicians including Icons of Filth , Concrete Sox , The Varukers , Indecent Assault, Decadence Within, and The Groundhogs . In September 1985, Peter Shaw 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
6223-460: The UK, Spain and more. Bolt Thrower announced that, as they were satisfied with the Those Once Loyal album, they would be indefinitely postponing the recording of another LP. The band stated that their goal was always to stop after releasing "the perfect Bolt Thrower album". However, Karl Willetts had mentioned work on a ninth album. Since releasing Those Once Loyal , Earache has released
6350-524: The US tour they went on to promote the War Master album, they used an old US school bus as a tour bus, loaded with many computer games. All three Peel sessions were then released on one CD named The Peel Sessions 1988–90 in 1991. Their next step was the album The IVth Crusade . The title has a double meaning, as it was their fourth studio album (not counting the Peel sessions), but the album title also refers to
6477-541: The United States. According to former vocalist Lee Dorrian , Scum and From Enslavement to Obliteration (1988) have sold a combined total of 400,000 copies worldwide. Napalm Death were formed in the village of Meriden near Coventry , 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
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#17330846480656604-477: The aforementioned tour had been shared) and Shane Embury (former drummer of Unseen Terror ) 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 Japanese 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
6731-615: The album Inside the Torn Apart 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 followed this, being released on 26 October 1998. The album was their last to be produced by Colin Richardson , who Embury believes hindered the album's creation, ultimately affecting the album's success. Embury has stated that bands such as Nasum influenced
6858-454: 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 and Nick Barker were able to alleviate this problem. In 1999
6985-572: The album, titled Those Once Loyal , started in May 2005; it was released on 11 November in Germany, 14 November in the rest of Europe and 15 November in the United States, 2005. It has been met with widespread critical acclaim from magazines such as Rock Sound , Rock Hard and Metal Hammer . A European tour followed in January and February 2006. A second leg followed in April, with dates in Scandinavia ,
7112-516: The alternative disk jockey of BBC Radio One . He had received their second demo and became enthusiastic about the band. They recorded four tracks for it, resulting in a deal with Vinyl Solution to release one album. Just before the recording of their first full-length album, they replaced their singer with their driver Karl Willetts . Their debut LP , In Battle There Is No Law is only a half hour in length and reflects their early crust punk and grindcore influences. They were not satisfied with
7239-477: 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 's recovery from
7366-448: The band did a 2007 "World Domination Tour". Bassist Shane Embury 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
7493-515: The band had actually cited Venom and Motörhead , as well as early work by Exodus , as the main influences on their sound. Although the group had released only two studio albums and an EP in their formative years, they have been described by music journalists and musicians as either being "monumental" in developing the death metal style, or as being the first death metal band. Earache Records noted that "the likes of Trey Azagthoth and Morbid Angel based what they were doing in their formative years on
7620-554: The band has not received royalties from Earache for a number of years. Martin Kearns, who had been Bolt Thower's drummer from 1994 to 1997 and again since 2000, died unexpectedly at the age of 38 on 14 September 2015. As a result of his death, Bolt Thrower went on hiatus and cancelled their upcoming Australian tour, which would have been their first since 1993. On 14 September 2016, the first anniversary of Kearns' death, Bolt Thrower announced on their website that they would not continue, explaining, "We spent over 20 years together, touring
7747-479: The band made an appearance on Chris Evans' TFI Friday , playing three songs on a set lasting 59 seconds. The band acrimoniously departed from Earache Records following Words from the Exit Wound and later released Enemy of the Music Business 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
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#17330846480657874-473: The band recruited Dave Ingram permanently after he left Benediction . In November 1998, Earache Records released Who Dares Wins , a compilation featuring various older recordings, including the Spearhead and Cenotaph EPs. The band members themselves do not approve of the compilation's release and warn not to buy it, considering it a cheap cash-in from Earache. Originally, it was titled No Guts - No Glory but
8001-527: The band reverted to a four-piece. The band is credited as pioneers of the grindcore genre by incorporating elements of crust punk and death metal , using a noise-filled sound that uses distorted , down-tuned guitars , grinding overdrive bass , high-speed tempo , blast beats , 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 , proved substantially influential throughout
8128-556: 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 " 12-inch EP exhibited a much more "raw" quality, again finding favour with fans. This recording, along with the " Mentally Murdered " 12-inch, the split 7-inch with S.O.B. and live tracks from Live Corruption , were released on Death by Manipulation . Drummer Mick Harris -
8255-549: The band was a thrash metal act, Slayer's music was more violent than their thrash contemporaries Metallica , Megadeth , and Anthrax . Their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess combined with lyrics about death, violence, war, and Satanism won Slayer a cult following. According to Mike McPadden, Hell Awaits , Slayer's second album, "largely invent[ed] much of the sound and fury that would evolve into death metal." According to AllMusic , their third album Reign in Blood inspired
8382-470: The band's original members have been in the group since 1986, but since Utopia Banished (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury , guitarist Mitch Harris , drummer Danny Herrera and lead vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway 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 and Mitch Harris as replacements for guitarist Bill Steer . Following Pintado's departure,
8509-466: 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 in June 2006, and it was released on 15 September 2006 to strong reviews from fans and critics alike. The main lyrical focus
8636-403: 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 followed the album's release. Their EP Greed Killing 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
8763-537: The band: Steer decided to dedicate himself full-time to Carcass, while Dorrian formed the doom metal group Cathedral . The group recruited Jesse Pintado (ex- Terrorizer ) on guitar and Mark "Barney" Greenway (ex- Benediction ) as vocalist. This line-up took part in the Grindcrusher tour organised by Earache Records and featuring fellow label-mates Carcass, Bolt Thrower and Morbid Angel . The group recruited Mitch Harris (ex-Righteous Pigs) as second guitarist after
8890-740: The country's prior movements. The earliest bands in this wave were Cruciamentum and Grave Miasma. A large part of the New Wave of Old School Death Metal was death metal bands who originated from the hardcore scene, some of which merge elements of hardcore into their style. Xibalba and Fuming Mouth were two of the earliest groups, with the wave being solidified by Gatecreeper , 200 Stab Wounds, Creeping Death, Sanguisugabogg and Kruelty. Venom Prison came from this scene and gained particular attention for their confrontation of what Kerrang! called death metal's "misogyny problem", by instead writing "rape-revenge narrative[s]". Their lead vocalist Larissa Stupar
9017-420: The course of their 30-year career, Bolt Thrower released eight studio albums, three EPs, one live album, three compilation albums and two demos. Their albums have sold over 100,000 copies in the United States as of 2005. Following the release of their eighth album Those Once Loyal (2005), Bolt Thrower announced an indefinite hiatus from recording albums in June 2008, although they would continue to tour until
9144-460: The deal with Vinyl Solution as it was a pure hardcore label at that time. The label did little promotion for Bolt Thrower, and their blend of death metal and hardcore punk was unorthodox at the time, so after one album Bolt Thrower decided to leave Vinyl Solution and were subsequently signed up with Earache Records . Earache Records had also signed many other death metal bands including Carcass and Napalm Death . The artwork for their second album
9271-538: The death of drummer Martin Kearns on 14 September 2015 and their subsequent disbandment in 2016, on the first anniversary of his death. Bolt Thrower was formed in September 1986, influenced largely by bands such as Slayer , Crass and Discharge . The band was founded by bassist Gavin Ward and guitarist Barry Thomson in a Coventry pub toilet during a hardcore punk gig . Shortly thereafter Andrew Whale and Alan West joined on drums and vocals respectively. In April 1987
9398-547: The deep growled vocals and double-kick drumming of death metal with the slow tempos and melancholic atmosphere of doom metal . Deathgrind , goregrind , and pornogrind mix the complexity of death metal with the intensity, speed, and brevity of grindcore . Deathcore combines death metal with metalcore traits. Death 'n' roll combines death metal's growled vocals and highly distorted , detuned guitar riffs with elements of 1970s hard rock and heavy metal . English extreme metal band Venom , from Newcastle , crystallized
9525-532: The details of extreme acts, including blood and gore , psychopathy , delirium , mutilation , mutation , dissection , exorcism , torture , rape , cannibalism , and necrophilia . Sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris commented this apparent glamorisation of violence may be attributed to a "fascination" with the human body that all people share to some degree, a fascination that mixes desire and disgust. Heavy metal author Gavin Baddeley also stated there does seem to be
9652-443: The discussions of being the creator of the genre, saying that Schuldiner cited Possessed as a massive influence, and Death were even called "Possessed clones" early on. Along with Possessed and Death, other pioneers of death metal in the United States include Macabre , Master , Massacre , Immolation , Cannibal Corpse , Obituary , and Post Mortem . By 1989, many bands had been signed by eager record labels wanting to cash in on
9779-447: The drum kit is now taken by Alex Thomas . Karl Willetts temporarily rejoined the band to do vocal duties on their next album. The band switched record labels from Earache to Metal Blade Records, because since the US ...For Victory tour they had seen a lack of success with Earache. Earache had also wanted to get rid of them and Bolt Thrower wanted to leave Earache as soon as possible, so they parted company. The album titled Mercenary
9906-407: The drum kit. In 1995 and 1996 they went on two European tours. In 1997, Martin van Drunen decided to leave the band as he felt that he never really became a part of Bolt Thrower, and because he had a disease that made his hair fall out and gave him insecurity on stage. For at least one show in Germany, long time friend Dave Ingram stood in. Martin Kearns also decided to leave the band. The position at
10033-442: The early work of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost , the style emerged during the late 1980s and gained a certain amount of popularity during the 1990s. Death-doom was also pioneered by bands such as Winter , Disembowelment , Paradise Lost , Autopsy , Anathema , and My Dying Bride . Funeral doom is a genre that crosses death-doom with funeral dirge music . It is played at a very slow tempo, and places an emphasis on evoking
10160-410: The elements of what later became known as thrash metal , death metal and black metal , with their first two albums Welcome to Hell and Black Metal , released in late 1981 and 1982, respectively. Their dark, blistering sound, harsh vocals, and macabre , proudly Satanic imagery proved a major inspiration for extreme metal bands. Another highly influential band, Slayer , formed in 1981. Although
10287-475: The entire death metal genre. It had a big impact on genre leaders such as Death , Obituary , and Morbid Angel . Possessed , a band that formed in the San Francisco Bay Area during 1983, is described by AllMusic as "connecting the dots" between thrash metal and death metal with their 1985 debut album, Seven Churches . While attributed as having a Slayer influence, current and former members of
10414-448: The first side of the band's debut album Scum in 1987. 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 . The group attempted to find
10541-400: The first slam riff in death metal. The first wave of bands in the genre were New York bands like Internal Bleeding and Pyrexia, with notable subsequent acts including Devourment and Cephalotripsy . Death-doom is a style that combines the slow tempos and pessimistic atmosphere of doom metal with the deep growling vocals and double-kick drumming of death metal. Influenced mostly by
10668-486: The first time: “I remember I was at the Morbid house and Trey came running out of his bedroom, holding up one of the very first Napalm records—it might have been Scum — running out going, ‘Oh, my God, I cannot believe this. Listen to how fast this is. They call this a blast beat.’ The band espouse anarchism , humanism , socialism and animal rights . Napalm Death congratulated the president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo ,
10795-558: The first two Sepultura releases. War metal bands include Blasphemy , Archgoat , Impiety , In Battle , Beherit , Crimson Thorn , Bestial Warlust , and Zyklon-B . Brutal death metal is a subgenre of death metal that privileges heaviness, speed, and complex rhythms over other aspects, such as melody and timbres. Brutal death metal bands employ high-speed, palm-muted power chording and single-note riffage. Notable bands include Cannibal Corpse , Dying Fetus , Suffocation , Cryptopsy , and Skinless . Slam death metal
10922-628: The following categories, and a band's specific categorization is often a source of contention due to personal opinion and interpretation. The musical genres in this list are sorted alphabetically. Blackened death-doom is a microgenre that combines the slow tempos and monolithic drumming of doom metal , the complex and loud riffage of death metal and the shrieking vocals of black metal . Examples of blackened death-doom bands include Morast, Faustcoven, The Ruins of Beverast , Bölzer , Necros Christos, Harvest Gulgaltha, Dragged into Sunlight , Hands of Thieves, and Soulburn . Blackened death metal
11049-707: The form of the six song 12-inch EP " Mentally Murdered ", 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 with death metal . Following the release, Napalm Death were featured on national television in the United Kingdom in a heavy metal special by Arena (BBC 2). The band continued to tour, but as soon as they came back home from Japan , in July 1989, Steer and Dorrian left
11176-428: The genre as a whole never broke into the mainstream. The genre's mounting popularity may have been partly responsible for a strong rivalry between Norwegian black metal and Swedish death metal scenes. Fenriz of Darkthrone has noted that Norwegian black metal musicians were "fed up with the whole death metal scene" at the time. Death metal diversified in the 1990s, spawning a rich variety of subgenres that still have
11303-733: The genre would incorporate an increased sense of melody and narrative. Some bands who have played this style include Dissection , Sacramentum , Naglfar , God Dethroned , Dawn , Unanimated , Thulcandra , Skeletonwitch and Cardinal Sin . War metal (also known as war black metal or bestial black metal) is an aggressive, cacophonous and chaotic subgenre of blackened death metal, described by Rock Hard journalist Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann as "rabid" and "hammering". Important influences include first wave black metal band Sodom , first wave black metal/death metal band Possessed as well as old grindcore , black and death metal bands like Repulsion , Autopsy , Sarcófago and
11430-519: The genre's most important labels, with Earache releasing albums by Carcass, Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, and Entombed, and Roadrunner releasing albums by Obituary, and Pestilence . Although these labels had not been death metal labels, they initially became the genre's flagship labels at the beginning of the 1990s. In addition to these, other labels formed as well, such as Nuclear Blast , Century Media , and Peaceville . Many of these labels would go on to achieve successes in other genres of metal throughout
11557-432: The genre. Examples of blackened death metal bands are Belphegor , Behemoth , Akercocke , and Sacramentum . Melodic black-death (also known as blackened melodic death metal or melodic blackened death metal) is a genre of extreme metal that describes the style created when melodic death metal bands began being inspired by black metal and European romanticism . However, unlike most other black metal, this take on
11684-487: The global metal community. According to the Guinness World Records , their song " You Suffer " is the shortest song ever recorded, at 1.316 seconds long. By their third album Harmony Corruption (1990), the band shifted to death metal and began writing longer songs. Napalm Death have released sixteen studio albums, and as of 2003 are listed by Nielsen SoundScan as the seventh-best-selling death metal band in
11811-634: 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 , The Apostles and Antisect ), and made four demo recordings in 1982 and 1983, one of which contributed their first released recording to
11938-542: The group without any of its original members. 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 , 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 ), to join as vocalist due to his good relationship with
12065-460: 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
12192-456: The history of Bolt Thrower was the album titled War Master . It was recorded, as was the previous album, in Slaughterhouse Studios, which burnt down two weeks after the recordings were completed. Again, Games Workshop offered to do their artwork; however, as it was considered too expensive, Bolt Thrower declined the offer. The former head designer of Games Workshop would do the artwork, resulting in artwork quite similar to Realm of Chaos . During
12319-462: The line between progressive and technical death metal is thin. Tech death and prog death , for short, are terms commonly applied to such bands as Nile , Edge of Sanity , and Opeth . Necrophagist and Spawn of Possession are known for a classical music-influenced death metal style. Death metal pioneers Death also refined their style in a more progressive direction in their final years. Some albums for this subgenre are Hallucinations (1990) by
12446-489: The main pioneers of the genre and of the Gothenburg metal sound. Old school death metal is a style of death metal characterized by its slower and simpler song structures, less focused on the technical aspects of its composition and employing less usage of blast beats. It gained notoriety in the late 1990s, with bands like Repugnant , Thanatos , Necrophagia , Abscess , Bloodbath and Mortem . Symphonic death metal
12573-420: The music, because violent entertainment is totally mainstream." The most popular theory of the subgenre's christening is Possessed 's 1984 demo, Death Metal ; the song from the eponymous demo would also be featured on the band's 1985 debut album, Seven Churches . Possessed vocalist/bassist Jeff Becerra said he coined the term in early 1983 for a high school English class assignment. Another possible origin
12700-432: The musical structure of thrash metal and early black metal , death metal emerged during the mid-1980s. Bands such as Venom , Celtic Frost , Slayer , and Kreator were important influences on the genre's creation. Possessed , Death , Necrophagia , Obituary , Autopsy , and Morbid Angel are often considered pioneers of the genre. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, death metal gained more media attention as
12827-426: The new record" and Greenway has "nearly recorded all his vocal parts". He added, however, that the album would not be released before early 2020. Napalm Death (along with Lamb of God , Anthrax , and Testament ) opened for Slayer on their 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
12954-459: 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 in which simultaneous eighth notes are played on
13081-511: The original death metal innovators, new subgenres began to develop the end of the decade, such as melodic death metal . Death released their fourth album Human in 1991, which has become a hallmark in technical death metal . Death's founder Schuldiner helped push the boundaries of the genre with uncompromising speed and technical virtuosity, combining intricate rhythm guitar work with complex arrangements and emotive guitar solos. Earache Records, Relativity Records and Roadrunner Records became
13208-449: 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
13335-468: 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 (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
13462-618: The release including the Koko in Camden with Gutworm . In early 2006 Napalm Death headlined a tour with Kreator , A Perfect Murder , and Undying. On 27 August 2006, Jesse Pintado 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,
13589-403: The release set to the end of the year by Metal Blade. Meanwhile, a European tour and a US tour were being prepared. Unfortunately, right before the recording could begin, Dave Ingram decided to leave due to health and personal issues. This postponed the new record and tours, and priority was set to finding a new singer. On 18 November 2004 the band announced the return of Karl Willetts. Recording of
13716-451: 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 (ENT) on their release Damage 381 . Greenway has stated that following his expulsion he
13843-416: 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 in 1992, produced by Colin Richardson . This release was a kind of "return to
13970-439: The roots" - grindcore. After recording The World Keeps Turning EP, the band toured Europe with Dismember and Obituary on the "Campaign for Musical Destruction" tour. They then toured the US with Sepultura , Sacred Reich and Sick of It All . The proceeds of Napalm Death's 1993 EP Nazi Punks Fuck Off were donated to anti-fascist organisations. This EP was inspired by Napalm Death touring South Africa during 1993, which
14097-530: The side-project Venomous Concept with Kevin Sharp and Buzz Osborne , 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 and heavy metal bands, including Cryptic Slaughter , Massacre , Kreator , Sepultura , Siege and Discharge . Due to personal problems, Jesse Pintado did not play on either Order of
14224-579: The single "Legacy Was Yesterday". Napalm Death released their fourteenth studio 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
14351-436: The subgenre, including Florida's Obituary, Morbid Angel and Deicide . This collective of death metal bands hailing from Florida are often labeled as " Florida death metal ". Morbid Angel pushed the genre's limits both musically and lyrically, with the release of their debut album Altars of Madness in 1989. The album "redefined what it meant to be heavy while influencing an upcoming class of brutal death metal." Following
14478-483: The title was changed because one song on Mercenary has the same title and Metal Blade Records objected. Following the release of Mercenary , the band embarked on a tour of Europe, called Into the Killing Zone , with Dave Ingram on vocals. Alex Thomas departed since he lacked interest in the musical direction of Bolt Thrower. After a short European tour in 2001 (which only consisted of 5 dates), they started to work on
14605-548: The tour. In Florida, the group began work on Harmony Corruption . Corruption saw stylistic changes from the band, exhibiting blast beats 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
14732-441: The vein of Discharge , and thrash metal (with particular reference to Possessed 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 and Blyth Power , and Birmingham with We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It ), and began to play regularly in the Birmingham area (particularly at The Mermaid public house in
14859-598: The vocal similarity to the voice of the popular Sesame Street character of the same name. Although often criticized, death growls serve the aesthetic purpose of matching death metal's aggressive lyrical content. The lyrical themes of death metal may invoke slasher film-stylised violence, but may also extend to topics like religion (sometimes including Satanism ), occultism , Lovecraftian horror , nature, mysticism , mythology , theology , philosophy, science fiction, and politics. Although violence may be explored in various other genres as well, death metal may elaborate on
14986-727: The world, with 3 different vocalists, but he was so much more than just a drummer to us. So when we carried his coffin to his final resting place, the Bolt Thrower drummer position was buried with him. He was, and will now forever remain THE Bolt Thrower drummer, our Powerhouse and friend Martin 'Kiddie' Kearns." Rumours of the band's break-up were confirmed two days later by frontman Karl Willetts, stating, "I can confirm that Bolt Thrower are definitely over for good. There will be no reunion tours etc... no compromise." On 7 March 2017, which would have been Kearns' 40th birthday, Bolt Thrower posted
15113-415: 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
15240-511: Was a magazine called Death Metal , started by Thomas Fischer and Martin Ain of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost . The name was later given to the 1984 compilation Death Metal released by Noise Records . The term might also have originated from other recordings, such as the demo released by Death in 1984, called Death by Metal . Cited examples are not necessarily exclusive to one particular style. Many bands can easily be placed in two or more of
15367-471: 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. Napalm Death coined the blast beat terminology for the famous hardcore punk drum technique. Dave Vincent of influential death metal band Morbid Angel recalls hearing Napalm Death for
15494-484: Was created by John Sibbick under contract for Games Workshop for the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook released in 1987. After Games Workshop heard the recording of the songs for Bolt Thrower's second Peel session, which was recorded on 6 November 1988, they offered to supply the artwork for Bolt Thrower's album, an offer the band quickly accepted. The record was released in 1989, titled Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness , after
15621-504: Was described by the publication as "metal's most important - and uncompromising - voice". The setup most frequently used within the death metal genre is two guitarists, a bass player, a vocalist, and a drummer often using "hyper double-bass blast beats ". Although this is the standard setup, bands have been known to occasionally incorporate other instruments such as electronic keyboards . Death metal vocals are referred to as death growls ; which are coarse roars/snarls. Death growling
15748-476: 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 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 confirmed in a March 2019 interview with Extreme Metal Festival News that Harris "did come over and record guitars on
15875-491: Was particularly controversial given that the band faced a lot of opposition from many white supremacists following the end of Apartheid . The band remixed the track "Mind of a Razor" by London-based hip hop crew Gunshot . 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
16002-413: Was released on 8 September 1998 in Europe and on 10 November 1998 in the US and features nine tracks. It is an overall slower album than its predecessors. However, it is definitely very heavy and sounds very much like classic Bolt Thrower. Karl also returned to performing his previous style of singing; the hardcore punk influences have disappeared again. After the album recording, Karl left the band again and
16129-498: Was the final album with Karl Willetts and Andrew Whale. Both left the band because of changing life directions. The latest American tour did not go well, they returned home prematurely and by this time the band was quite fed-up with touring. A limited edition of the album exists containing a bonus live CD, called War (sometimes called Live War ). After the album released, Karl Willetts was replaced by former Pestilence singer Martin van Drunen , and Martin "Kiddie" Kearns, who took over
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