Grindcore is an extreme form of heavy metal related to death metal, but historically formed by combining elements of early thrash metal (which predated the advent of death metal) and the music and attitude of hardcore punk.
The genre was pioneered in the 1980s by the proto-grindcore U.S bands Siege (a hardcore punk band whom only released a demo entiled Drop Dead) and Repulsion (only later exposed to the world in 1989 through the album Horrified which was released in Europe by Necrosis Records, a label owned by members of Carcass). The first true grindcore band was the Britsh band Napalm Death. The genre was given its name by Napalm Death's drummer Mick Harris. Since then, the grind sound has evolved but is still recognisable by its intense blast-beat drumming, grinding guitars (hence the name), and very short songs (at least one Napalm Death song is less than a second long.)
Subgenres
- Political grindcore: This subgenre is known for having politically aware lyrics, and is sometimes associated with the crust punk and peace punk movement. Of all the subgenres of grindcore, this one remains the most musically similar to the earliest grindcore bands.
- Goregrind: This subgenre started with the band Carcass, and is most notable for having gore obsessed lyrics, more of a "groove", and pitchshifted vocals. Of all the subgenres this one currently has the most commercial success (which is a relative thing, of course).
- Cybergrind
Some notable Grindcore bands:
- Abstain
- Agathocles
- Agoraphobic Nosebleed
- Anal Cunt
- Assück
- Bedrata Dezum
- Benediction
- Bolt Thrower
- Brutal Truth
- Carcass
- Carkemis
- Cephalic Carnage
- Circle of Dead Children
- Clemency
- Cybergrind
- Discordance Axis
- Erase
- Ethereal Scourge
- Extreme Noise Terror
- Fetuxion
- Goredeath
- Grindcrusher
- Head of David
- Hemdale
- Hornisgrinde
- Israel
- The Locust
- Napalm Death
- Nasum
- Pig Destroyer
- Phobia
- Repentance
- Retaliation
- Rot
- Terrorizer
- Vomitorial Corpulence
