Napalm Death

Grindcore band Napalm Death has proved so influential on the riff-and-growl circuit that it would be a lark to count all subsequent copycats. Formed in England in 1982, the group was one of the first metal acts to incorporate the pace and inchoate rage of hardcore punk, and Napalm Death became a surprising (and longtime) favorite of DJ John Peel, who championed the group’s 1987 debut Scum even as England’s indie scene was awash in daisy-sniffing C86ers. After founders Justin Broadrick and Mick Harris left to focus on more experimental projects like Godflesh and Scorn (and Jesu and many more), Napalm Death soldiered on. The band still makes solid albums—including the 2009’s Time Waits For No Slave, with another to be released in February 2012—but seeing it live onstage is still best.

Updated 09/27/2011