Painkiller (band)

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Painkiller
Background information
Origin New York City, USA
Genre(s) Avant-jazz
Grindcore
Years active 1991–1995
Various brief reunions
Label(s) Earache
Tzadik
Members
John Zorn
Bill Laswell
Mick Harris
Former members
Yamatsuka Eye
Buckethead
Mike Patton
Makigami Koichi
Justin Broadrick
G.C. Green
Keiji Haino

Painkiller (also officially known as Pain Killer) is a band originally formed in 1991. Their style can be described as a mix of avant-jazz and grindcore; later albums also incorporated elements of ambience and dub.

The three primary members of the band are: John Zorn on saxophone, Bill Laswell on electric bass and Mick Harris (formerly of Napalm Death and founding member of Scorn) on drums. The band has also had several musicians make guest appearances both live and in the studio, including Yamatsuka Eye, Buckethead, Mike Patton, Makigami Koichi, Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green of Godflesh, and Keiji Haino of Fushitsusha.

Harris departed from the band in 1995 to dedicate himself solely to computer music; following his departure many assumed that Painkiller was defunct. However, Zorn and Laswell have recently resurrected the band name and played some dates with either Hamid Drake or Yoshida Tatsuya playing drums. Rumours of a new studio album from the band have not been confirmed.

[edit] Discography

  • Guts of a Virgin EP (Earache, 1991)
  • Buried Secrets EP (Earache, 1992)
  • Rituals: Live in Japan (Toy's Factory, 1993)
  • Execution Ground (Subharmonic, 1994)
  • Collected Works (Tzadik, 1997)
  • Guts of a Virgin/Buried Secrets (Earache, 1998)
  • Talisman: Live in Nagoya (Tzadik, 2002)
  • 50th Birthday Celebration Volume Twelve (Tzadik, 2005) - this album features Drake and Patton; it is the only one listed that Harris does not play on.

(A bit of overlapping occurs in the discography: obviously Guts of a Virgin/Buried Secrets collects the first two discs onto a single CD; Collected Works includes the first two EPs with Execution Ground and a bonus live disc.)

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