Painkiller (band)

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Painkiller (stylized as PainKiller, previously known as Pain Killer) is an avant-garde jazz and grindcore band that formed in 1991.[1] Later albums incorporated elements of ambient and dub.[2]

The three primary members of Painkiller were John Zorn on saxophone, Bill Laswell on bass guitar and Mick Harris on drums. Zorn and Laswell work in the New York avant-garde jazz music scene. Harris was the drummer for the grindcore band Napalm Death.[3] Harris' blast beats inspired Zorn to create his signature style, forming improvisational groups like Naked City that merged disparate genres into a unique scene.[4] Several musicians have made guest appearances both live and in the studio, including Buckethead, Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth, Yamatsuka Eye, Mike Patton, Koichi Makigami of Hikashu, Justin Broadrick and G. C. Green of Godflesh, Fred Frith, and Keiji Haino of Fushitsusha.

Harris left the band in 1995 to dedicate himself to electronic music. Zorn and Laswell resurrected Painkiller and played with Yoshida Tatsuya of Ruins on drums.[5] Hamid Drake joined the band for Zorn's 50th Birthday shows at Tonic in New York City. That show (which also featured Patton as a guest) was released as a live album by Tzadik.[6]

On June 23, 2008, Painkiller performed Their Last Show In Citè de la musique Paris, France with the original line-up of Zorn, Laswell, and Harris, along with an appearance by Fred Frith and Patton.[7]

In early 2024 the band reunited again, though with Harris on electronics and effects rather than a conventional drum kit. They announced the release of a new album, Samsara, in November 2024.[8]

Band members

Current lineup

  • John Zorn – saxophone, vocals (1991–1995, 1997–1998, 2003, 2004–2006, 2008, 2024–present)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Bill Laswell – bass guitar (1991–1995, 1997–1998, 2003, 2004–2006, 2008, 2024–present)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., samples (1994)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Mick Harris – drums, vocals (1991–1995, 1997–1998, 2008, 2024–present)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., electronics, effects (1994, 2024–present)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Former members

  • Hamid Drake – drums (2003)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Tatsuya Yoshida – drums, vocals (2004–2006)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Guest/session musicians

  • Justin Broadrick – guitar, drum machine, vocals (1991)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (on Buried Secrets (1992), tracks "Buried Secrets", "The Toll")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • G.C. Green – bass (1991)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (on Buried Secrets (1992), tracks "Buried Secrets", "The Toll")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Keiji Haino – guitar, vocals (1991)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (on Rituals: Live in Japan (1993), tracks "Vapors of Phlegm and Blood", "Tetragrammaton", "Cat's Cradle", "Demonic Possession", "Tokyo Lucky Hole"; on Collected Works (1998), track "Marianne")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Koichi Makigami – vocals (1991)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (on Collected Works (1998), track "Marianne")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Buckethead – guitar (1993)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Kevin Sharp – vocals (1993)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Yamatsuka Eye – vocals (1995)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (on Live in Osaka (1995) (Execution Ground Japanese bonus CD), tracks "Bodkyithangga", "Black Bile / Yellow Bile / Blue Bile / Crimson Bile / Ivory Bile")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Mike Patton – vocals (2003, 2008)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (on 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12 (2005))Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Fred Frith – guitar (2008)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:700 height:auto barincrement:21 PlotArea = left:85 bottom:90 top:10 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1991 till:12/16/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:top

Colors = 

 id:Band                value:skyblue      legend:Band_name
 id:Vocals              value:red          legend:Vocals
 id:Saxophone           value:tan2         legend:Saxophone
 id:Bass                value:blue         legend:Bass
 id:Guitar              value:green        legend:Guitar
 id:Electronics         value:purple       legend:Electronics
 id:Drums               value:orange       legend:Drums
 id:Sess                value:yellow       legend:Guest_or_session_member
 id:Studio              value:black        legend:Studio_album
 id:Other               value:gray(0.70)   legend:Other_release

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4

ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1991 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1991

LineData = 

layer:back
color:studio
 at:10/01/1991
 at:10/01/1992
 at:11/15/1994
 at:11/29/2024
 at:02/21/2025
 at:04/18/2025
color:other
 at:11/01/1993
 at:02/17/1998
 at:09/02/1998
 at:11/01/2002
 at:09/20/2005
 at:11/19/2013

BarData = 

 bar:PK1        text:"Pain Killer"
 bar:PK         text:"PainKiller"
 bar:Zorn       text:"John Zorn"
 bar:Laswell    text:"Bill Laswell"
 bar:Green      text:"G.C. Green"
 bar:Broadrick  text:"Justin Broadrick"
 bar:Haino      text:"Keiji Haino"
 bar:Buckethead text:"Buckethead"
 bar:Frith      text:"Fred Frith"
 bar:Harris     text:"Mick Harris"
 bar:Drake      text:"Hamid Drake"
 bar:Yoshida    text:"Tatsuya Yoshida"
 bar:Makigami   text:"Koichi Makigami"
 bar:Sharp      text:"Kevin Sharp"
 bar:Yamatsuka  text:"Yamatsuka Eye"
 bar:Patton     text:"Mike Patton"

PlotData= 

 width:7
 bar:PK1        from:start      till:10/01/1991 color:Band
 bar:PK         from:10/01/1991 till:06/01/1995 color:Band
 bar:PK         from:01/01/1997 till:08/01/1998 color:Band
 bar:PK         from:01/01/2003 till:09/06/2003 color:Band
 bar:PK         from:01/01/2004 till:11/01/2006 color:Band
 bar:PK         from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Band
 bar:PK         from:01/01/2024 till:end        color:Band

 width:13
 bar:Zorn       from:start      till:06/01/1995 color:Saxophone
 bar:Zorn       from:start      till:06/01/1995 color:Vocals      width:3
 bar:Zorn       from:01/01/1997 till:08/01/1998 color:Saxophone
 bar:Zorn       from:01/01/1997 till:08/01/1998 color:Vocals      width:3
 bar:Zorn       from:01/01/2003 till:09/06/2003 color:Saxophone
 bar:Zorn       from:01/01/2004 till:11/01/2006 color:Saxophone
 bar:Zorn       from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Saxophone
 bar:Zorn       from:01/01/2024 till:end        color:Saxophone

 bar:Laswell    from:start      till:06/01/1995 color:Bass
 bar:Laswell    from:06/01/1994 till:11/15/1994 color:Electronics width:3
 bar:Laswell    from:01/01/1997 till:08/01/1998 color:Bass
 bar:Laswell    from:01/01/2003 till:09/06/2003 color:Bass
 bar:Laswell    from:01/01/2004 till:11/01/2006 color:Bass
 bar:Laswell    from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Bass
 bar:Laswell    from:01/01/2024 till:end        color:Bass

 bar:Harris     from:start      till:06/01/1995 color:Drums
 bar:Harris     from:start      till:06/01/1995 color:Vocals      width:3
 bar:Harris     from:06/01/1994 till:11/15/1994 color:Electronics width:7
 bar:Harris     from:01/01/1997 till:08/01/1998 color:Drums
 bar:Harris     from:01/01/1997 till:08/01/1998 color:Vocals      width:3
 bar:Harris     from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Drums
 bar:Harris     from:01/01/2024 till:end        color:Electronics
 bar:Harris     from:11/01/2024 till:end        color:Drums width:3

 bar:Drake      from:01/01/2003 till:09/06/2003 color:Drums

 bar:Yoshida    from:01/01/2004 till:11/01/2006 color:Drums
 bar:Yoshida    from:01/01/2006 till:11/01/2006 color:Vocals      width:3

 bar:Green      from:08/01/1991 till:10/01/1992 color:Bass
 bar:Green      from:08/01/1991 till:10/01/1992 color:Sess        width:3

 bar:Broadrick  from:08/01/1991 till:10/01/1992 color:Guitar
 bar:Broadrick  from:08/01/1991 till:10/01/1992 color:Vocals      width:3
 bar:Broadrick  from:08/01/1991 till:10/01/1992 color:Sess        width:7

 bar:Haino      from:09/01/1991 till:09/26/1991 color:Guitar
 bar:Haino      from:09/01/1991 till:09/26/1991 color:Vocals      width:3
 bar:Haino      from:09/01/1991 till:09/26/1991 color:Sess        width:7
 bar:Haino      from:10/01/1991 till:11/01/1991 color:Guitar
 bar:Haino      from:10/01/1991 till:11/01/1991 color:Sess        width:3

 bar:Buckethead from:08/01/1993 till:09/04/1993 color:Guitar
 bar:Buckethead from:08/01/1993 till:09/04/1993 color:Sess        width:3

 bar:Frith      from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Guitar
 bar:Frith      from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Sess        width:3

 bar:Makigami   from:10/01/1991 till:11/01/1991 color:Vocals
 bar:Makigami   from:10/01/1991 till:11/01/1991 color:Sess        width:3

 bar:Sharp      from:08/01/1993 till:09/04/1993 color:Vocals
 bar:Sharp      from:08/01/1993 till:09/04/1993 color:Sess        width:3

 bar:Yamatsuka  from:11/01/1994 till:11/23/1994 color:Vocals
 bar:Yamatsuka  from:11/01/1994 till:11/23/1994 color:Sess        width:3

 bar:Patton     from:08/01/2003 till:09/06/2003 color:Vocals
 bar:Patton     from:08/01/2003 till:09/06/2003 color:Sess        width:3
 bar:Patton     from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Vocals
 bar:Patton     from:01/01/2008 till:06/23/2008 color:Sess        width:3

</timeline>

Discography

Compilations

  • Collected Works (Tzadik, 1998)
  • Guts of a Virgin & Buried Secrets (Earache, 1998)

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Painkiller (band)

Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ Spicer, D. Jazzwise.com Painkiller article accessed 3 October 2024.
  2. ↑ Christie, I. Trouserpress.com Painkiller entry accessed 22 July 2008.
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  5. ↑ http://magaibutsu.com/mgb/pain-killer/ Magaibutsu website|accessed 3 October 2024
  6. ↑ https://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=5012 Tzadik Records 50th Birthday Celebration Volume Twelve|accessed 3 October 2024
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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