Napalm Death are an English grindcore band from Birmingham, formed in 1981.[1] The band was formed in the village of Meriden (near Coventry), England in May 1981[2] by Nicholas Bullen and Miles Ratledge.
Although other groups had previously played fast and aggressive music with a similar style, Napalm Death are credited with defining the grindcore genre through their blend of hardcore punk and death metal musical structures, aggressive playing, short song lengths, fast tempos, and deep guttural vocals. The group coined the terms 'grind' and 'grindcore' to describe the music they played with particular reference to the sound of American post-punk group Swans.[3]
The group were included in the Guinness Book of World Records as writers of the shortest recorded song ("You Suffer" from their first album Scum).
Napalm Death are listed by Nielsen SoundScan as the seventh best-selling death metal band in the United States.