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. Grindcore is considered a more noise-filled style of hardcore punk while using hardcore's trademark characteristics such as heavily distorted, down-tuned guitars, grinding overdriven bass, high-speed tempo, blast beats, and vocals which consist of growls, shouts and high-pitched shrieks. Early groups like Napalm Death are credited with laying the groundwork for the style. It is most prevalent today in North America and Europe, with popular contributors such as Brutal Truth and Nasum. Lyrical themes range from a primary focus on social and political concerns, to gory subject matter and black humor.
Assück was an American grindcore band from Saint Petersburg, Florida, active from 1987 to 1998.
Agathocles is a Belgian political grindcore band. Founded in 1985, it is mainly known for producing a large quantity of split seven-inch EPs. They play a style of grindcore they have dubbed "mincecore". Their lyrical themes have focused on anti-fascism, animal liberation and anarchism. All of its members are vegetarians.
Hydra Head Records was an independent record label specializing in extreme metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993. It had another imprint, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialized in experimental and noise music. Turner announced he was winding the label down in 2012. In 2020, the label removed its catalog from Spotify and returned its album rights back to several artists.
World Downfall is the debut studio album by American grindcore band Terrorizer, released on November 13, 1989, through Earache Records. It was produced by David Vincent of Morbid Angel, who also performed bass on the album, and engineered by Scott Burns at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida.
Burnt by the Sun was an American metalcore band formed in 1999 from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Burnt by the Sun is a fusion of metalcore, mathcore, grindcore, and sludge metal.
Knut were a mathcore/sludge metal band from Geneva, Switzerland, formed in 1994. They started by playing in the local underground squat scene, publishing a couple of seven-inch releases as well as their first CD in 1997, titled Leftovers. This early material was put out on Snuff Records, which was run by Roderic Mounir and Didier Séverin. In 1998, Knut released their first full-length, Bastardiser, which showcased a sharper and more focused aggression, combining heavily distorted guitars, odd-time signatures, use of discordance and repetition, and harsh vocals.
Corrupted are a Japanese doom/sludge metal band. They are known for avoiding interviews and publicity. They have recorded several albums, including split albums with other artists and perform regularly in Japan and abroad.
Gore Beyond Necropsy (GBN) is a Japanese band formed in 1989 in Hadano city, Kanagawa prefecture. The group have had a prolific output of releases. They play a hybrid style of chaotic grindcore which they refer to as "Analdrillinggrind Harshit Core!!".
The Color of Violence is an American experimental side project of the post-hardcore band From First to Last. It features From First to Last's drummer Derek Bloom and former guitarist/backup vocalist Travis Richter. The Color of Violence is a way for the members to experiment and have fun with music outside of their other group.
Seth Edward Putnam was an American musician best known as the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, offend, or invoke morbid humor. Throughout his career, Putnam was also involved in numerous side projects.
Exit-13 was an American grindcore band from Millersville, Pennsylvania. The band were formed in 1989 by Relapse Records founder and co-owner Bill Yurkiewicz (vocals), guitarist Steve O'Donnell and bassist Joel DiPietro. Their early recordings, including the Disembowelling Party, The Unrequited Love of Chicken Soup and Eat More Crust demos, their debut full-length Green Is Good (1990) and the EPs The Unrequited Love of Chicken Soup (1990) and Spare the Wrench, Surrender the Earth (1991) featured a line-up of Yurkiewicz, O'Donnell and DiPietro, with drum duties being shared between Bill Schaeffer and Pat McCahan.
Paul Pavlovich is an American artist, graphic designer, and musician. Currently living in St. Petersburg, Florida, he is best known as the first lead singer for the anarchist grindcore band Assück which he co-founded in 1987. In October 2008, IGN Entertainment named Pavlovich one of the '10 Best Death Metal Singers' stating "In terms of the guys doing the deeper or what some fans call "guttural" vocal style, Pavlovich is in an elite class."
The Inalienable Dreamless is the third and final studio album by grindcore band Discordance Axis, released on May 23, 2000, through Hydra Head Records. It has since become one of the most acclaimed grindcore albums of all time. The album, along with its production history, was made the subject of the 2012 book Compiling Autumn: The Making of Discordance Axis' "The Inalienable Dreamless", a limited edition paperback that was released to aid the Japanese Red Cross Society. The album was repressed on black and blue vinyl for Record Store Day in 2011.
Jouhou is the second studio album by grindcore band Discordance Axis, originally released on vinyl format in February 1997 through Devour Records in a limited edition of 4000. The 1998 compact disc edition of the album included tracks taken from splits. The album was re-released on CD by Hydra Head Records on January 27, 2004. The song "Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said" is named after the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick.
Dave Witte is an American drummer. He is known for his work in numerous extreme metal or hardcore punk bands including Municipal Waste, Melt-Banana, Discordance Axis, Black Army Jacket, Birds of Prey, Burnt by the Sun, and Deny the Cross among others. He has also played as a session drummer for many other acts.
Gridlink is an American grindcore band, founded in 2004 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Human Remains was an American grindcore band, formed in 1989 in New Jersey. The band featured the vocalist Paul Miller, the guitarists Steve Procopio and James Baglino, as well as the drummer Dave Witte, who is also known for his work for Discordance Axis, Burnt by the Sun, and Atomsmasher. The band's most notable release, Using Sickness as a Hero EP, was released by Relapse Records in 1996. A compilation album featuring the band's entire discography, Where Were You When: 1989-1995, was also released in 2002.
Using Sickness as a Hero is an EP by American grindcore band Human Remains. It was released in 1996 through Relapse Records. Contrasting with the big budget death metal productions of its era, the EP is considered as an "overlooked classic" by many underground grindcore and death metal followers.
Where Were You When: 1989–1995 is a compilation album by American grindcore band Human Remains. It was released on March 19, 2002 through Relapse Records. The first disc of the album contains all the officially released material, including two 7"s, the Using Sickness as a Hero EP, and a compilation-only track, while the second disc features 18 demo tracks, including previous versions of most tracks on the first disc as well as seven previously unreleased songs.
