Painkiller (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | John Zorn, Bill Laswell, Mick Harris |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Avant-garde jazz, grindcore music |
Painkiller (also presented as PainKiller and formerly known as Pain Killer) is a band established in 1991, blending avant-garde jazz with grindcore. Subsequent releases expanded their sound by integrating ambient and dub influences.
The group’s foundational lineup consists of John Zorn on saxophone, Bill Laswell handling bass guitar, and Mick Harris on drums. Zorn and Laswell are influential contributors to New York's avant-garde jazz community, whereas Harris gained recognition as the drummer for grindcore pioneers Napalm Death. Harris’ use of blast beats played a significant role in shaping Zorn’s distinctive approach, inspiring projects such as Naked City, which combined multiple musical styles. Distinguished guest collaborators have included Buckethead, Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth, Yamatsuka Eye, Mike Patton, Koichi Makigami from Hikashu, Justin Broadrick and G. C. Green of Godflesh, Fred Frith, and Keiji Haino of Fushitsusha.
In 1995, Harris departed to focus on electronic music ventures. Painkiller was later revived by Zorn and Laswell with drummer Yoshida Tatsuya from Ruins, and eventually incorporated Hamid Drake during Zorn’s 50th Birthday concerts at Tonic in New York City; the show featuring Patton was subsequently issued by Tzadik.
On June 23, 2008, the original members reunited for a final performance in Paris, joined by guest appearances from Fred Frith and Patton.
The band reassembled once more in early 2024 with Harris transitioning to electronics rather than drums, announcing a forthcoming album titled Samsara, scheduled for release in November 2024.
Current lineup
- John Zorn – saxophone, vocals
- Bill Laswell – bass guitar, samples
- Mick Harris – drums, vocals (former), electronics, effects
Former members
- Hamid Drake – drums
- Tatsuya Yoshida – drums, vocals
Guest/session musicians
- Justin Broadrick – guitar, drum machine, vocals
- G.C. Green – bass
- Keiji Haino – guitar, vocals
- Koichi Makigami – vocals
- Buckethead – guitar
- Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth) – vocals
- Yamatsuka Eye – vocals
- Mike Patton – vocals
- Fred Frith – guitar
Discography
- Guts of a Virgin (Earache, 1991)
- Buried Secrets (Earache, 1992)
- Rituals: Live in Japan (Toy's Factory, 1993)
- Execution Ground (Subharmonic, 1994)
- Talisman: Live in Nagoya (Tzadik, 2002)
- 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12 featuring Hamid Drake and Mike Patton (Tzadik, 2005)
- The Prophecy: Live in Europe with Yoshida Tatsuya (Tzadik, 2013)
- Samsara (Tzadik, 2024)
- The Equinox (Tzadik, 2025)
- The Great God Pan (Tzadik, 2025)
Compilations
- Collected Works (Tzadik, 1998)
- Guts of a Virgin & Buried Secrets (Earache, 1998)