The fathers of grindcore, Napalm d**h pushed the envelope of metal to new extremes of ear-splitting intensity, rejecting all notions of melody, subtlety, and good taste to forge a brand of sonic a**ault almost frightening in its merciless brutality. Formed in Ipswich, England, in 1982, the group trafficked in the usual heavy metal fare for the first few years of its existence, but by the middle of the decade they began to expand their horizons by incorporating elements of hardcore and thrash into the mix; ultimately, Napalm d**h's sonic experiments evolved into a blistering mutation of metal which they dubbed grindcore, a kind of extremist noise attack characterized by incredibly brief song lengths, demonic vocals, and eye-opening sociopolitical lyrical commentary.br /br /Building their reputation on a series of incendiary radio sessions and live dates, Napalm d**h set about recording their debut LP, Scum, issued in 1987 on their own Earache label. A series of lineup changes during production resulted in the record's two sides each containing almost completely different rosters: while the first half featured guitarist Justin Broadrick and vocalist/ba**ist Nick Bullen, the flip side presented new vocalist Lee Dorrian, guitarist Bill Steer, and ba**ist Jim Whitely; only drummer Mick Harris played on every track. While largely ignored by the mainstream media, Scum proved hugely influential throughout the global metal community; among Napalm d**h's most public supporters was BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, who repeatedly played the track "You Suffer" before inviting the group to record a legendary September 1987 Peel Session introducing new ba**ist Shane Embury.br /br /With 1988's From Enslavement to Obliteration, the band grew even more extreme, issuing some 54 total tracks, many of them clocking in at just a few seconds in length. (The compilation Grind Crusher offered perhaps the ultimate distillation of the aesthetic by including a bonus split single from Napalm d**h and the Electro Hippies with each side lasting just one second; the shortest single ever.) More roster shifts followed, as Dorrian exited to form Cathedral and Steer jumped ship to found Carca**; with vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway (formerly of Benediction) and guitarists Jesse Pintado (ex-Terrorizer) and Mitch Harris (ex-Righteous Pigs), Napalm d**h resurfaced with 1990's Harmony Corruption, a nod toward more conventional song structures and a less punishing sound. Apparently unhappy with the results, the group followed later that year with the Ma**-Appeal Madness EP, a return to all-out grindcore fury. br /br /Mick Harris, the only remaining member from the unit's earliest lineups, exited Napalm d**h in 1992 to mount an acclaimed ambient dub project named Scorn; he was replaced by drummer Danny Herrera for Utopia Banished, followed by a single covering the Dead Kennedys' "Nazi Punks f** Off." With 1994's Fear, Emptiness, Despair, Napalm d**h earned some of the best critical notices of their career, and to the shock of many even found themselves in the Top Ten of the U.S. pop albums chart by virtue of their appearance on the soundtrack to the motion picture Mortal Kombat. The Greed k**ing mini-album appeared in 1995 as a teaser for the following year's relatively accessible full-length Diatribes. Greenway was subsequently fired in November 1996 and replaced by Phil Vane of Extreme Noise Terror; however, after recording a split EP with Coalesce, the band reconsidered, and Greenway re-joined in time for the 1997 album Inside the Torn Apart. Next was 1998's live release Bootlegged in Japan, trailed early the next year by the well-received Words From the Exit Wound, which proved to be their final album for Earache. 2000 saw the release of the covers EP Leaders Not Followers in mid-summer. Napalm d**h returned to its early grindcore roots to a degree with its next full-length, Enemy of the Music Business, which was issued in early 2001. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide