John Cooke | |
|---|---|
 Cooke with Napalm Death in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Walsall, West Midlands, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instrument(s) |
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| Member of |
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| Formerly of | Malevolent Creation |
John Cooke (born 4 June) [1] is an English musician, best known as touring guitarist for Napalm Death. Before joining Napalm Death, he was a member of Corrupt Moral Altar, Venomous Concept, and Malevolent Creation. [2] He is also known for his solo project, Lair of the White Worm. [3]
Cooke grew up in Walsall, West Midlands, England. [4] : 6:16 His first gig with an early band shared the bill with Ian Hill's (of Judas Priest) son's band, with an audience including Hill and K. K. Downing (also of Judas Priest). [4] : 6:58
Cooke first got into playing guitar by Listening to hard rock and metal acts like Guns 'N' Roses, AC/DC, and Iron Maiden. [4] : 5:38 He later got into punk bands like Minor Threat and The Exploited, [4] : 5:42 and then death metal bands Obituary and Deicide, [4] : 5:48 as well as Napalm Death. [4] : 6:01 He is also influenced by Industrial bands like Killing Joke and Godflesh, as well as My Bloody Valentine. [4] : 9:02
Cooke first joined Napalm Death in 2006, [4] : 4:34 as a merch seller and later as tour manager. [5] Before than he had worked at a recording studio in Birmingham, and he would help transport members Danny Herrera and Shane Embury for their recording sessions. [5] [6] : 3:12 He first performed with them in 2010, when singer Barney Greenway was ill, singing on 5 or 6 songs, [4] : 4:59 [5] and later in 2012, when bassist Shane Embury was ill, learning their set in 24 hours, before flying to Germany. [4] : 4:49 [5]
When Mitch Harris was forced to sit out touring in 2014, due to a family illness, [7] Cooke re-joined as touring guitarist, playing with them on most tours since, except for North American shows. [8] Harris never returned to touring, opting to spend his time with family instead. [9] Although Harris has continued to play with the band in the studio. Cooke has also contributed in the studio, although only minimally. [10]
Outside of Napalm Death, Cooke is a regular collaborator with Shane Embury, joining him in countless projects. [4] : 9:54 Including War of the Second Dragon, [4] : 10:27 [11] Blood from the Soul [4] : 10:31 [12] and Venomous Concept. [13]
He also played bass with Malevolent Creation in 2011 and 2012. [14]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cooke pursued his solo project, Lair of the White Worm, influenced by Godflesh, Ministry and Scorn. He recorded an eponymous six-track EP alongside Tom Dring (drums) and Chris Reese (vocals), also of Corrupt Moral Altar. [3]
Cooke used to live with Danny Herrera of Napalm Death, before their house got flooded [15] : 3:50 in 2018. [16]
| Year | Band | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | War Of The Second Dragon | War Of The Second Dragon / Captain Cleanoff | Split album with Captain Cleanoff |
| 2014 | Corrupt Moral Altar | Mechanical Tides | |
| 2015 | Napalm Death | Apex Predator – Easy Meat | Guitar solo on one track |
| 2016 | Venomous Concept | Kick Me Silly VCIII | |
| 2017 | Corrupt Moral Altar | Eunoia | |
| 2020 | Venomous Concept | Politics Versus The Erection | |
| Napalm Death | Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism | Guitars on two tracks | |
| Venomous Concept | Vote Clown Party | ||
| Visceral Collapse | Knowle Road | ||
| Corrupt Moral Altar | You Smell Expensive | ||
| 2021 | Blood from the Soul | DSM-5 | |
| Venomous Concept | Deep Thinking In Deep Times | ||
| 2022 | Napalm Death | Resentment is Always Seismic – A Final Throw of Throes | |
| 2023 | Venomous Concept | The Good Ship Lollipop |
Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in Meriden, West Midlands in 1981. None of 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, the band reverted to a four-piece.
From Enslavement to Obliteration is the second studio album by English grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1988. It is the final studio album with vocalist Lee Dorrian and guitarist Bill Steer, and the first to feature bassist Shane Embury, the band's longest-tenured member. A remastered version was released on 2 April 2012. Loudwire put it on the list of the 10 best metal albums of 1988.
Shane Thomas Embury is a British musician, who is widely known as bassist and primary songwriter of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987—the longest-serving member of the band.
Venomous Concept is an American hardcore punk band formed by Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth and Shane Embury of Napalm Death in 2004. Sharp and Embury were joined by Danny Herrera and Buzz Osborne, who was later replaced by Danny Lilker. They have released three albums: Retroactive Abortion (2004), Poisoned Apple (2008), and Kick Me Silly VCIII (2016). They have also released two split albums: one with Japanese grindcore band 324 (2006), and the other with Australian extreme metal band Blood Duster (2008). The band's name is a play on Poison Idea, in the style of name-mangling Japanese hardcore acts.
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Unseen Terror was a British extreme metal band formed by Mitch Dickinson (Heresy) and Shane Embury, and played extreme metal with a technical edge along with elements of hardcore punk. Their most notable feat took place in March 1988, when they recorded tracks for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 program.
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Death by Manipulation is a compilation album of EPs by British band Napalm Death. It was released on 19 August 1991.
Live Corruption is a live album by the English band Napalm Death released in 1992. It was recorded live at the Salisbury Arts Centre, England on 30 June 1990. The band performed various songs composed by the original line-up.
Inside the Torn Apart is the seventh studio album by British extreme metal band Napalm Death. It was released by Earache in June 1997 on double vinyl, regular CD, digipak CD and MC.
Lock Up is an English grindcore supergroup.
The DVD is a Napalm Death DVD released by Earache in 2001. The only material seeing release for the first time is the Nottingham show from 1989 and the ULU show from 1989. The version of Utopia Banished currently in print features The DVD as a bonus disc.
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