Painkiller (2004)

Lore & Background

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. Harris' blast beats inspired Zorn to create his signature style, forming improvisational groups like Naked City that merged disparate genres into a unique scene. 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. 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. 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. 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.

In Their Own Story

The air tastes of sulfur and burnt flesh as Daniel pushes forward through the shattered nave of St. Jude's Cathedral. Shadows writhe with a life of their own, coalescing into clawed forms that scream in a language older than time. He raises his weapon, not checking an ammo counter, but feeling the throb of his own vitality ready to be spent. With a roar that drowns out the chanting of the damned, he unleashes a torrent of fire, trading seconds of his life for the destruction of eternity's enemies.

Reader's Guide

The band's discography includes: 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 with 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).

Did You Know?

• Painkiller formed in 1991.
• Mick Harris was the drummer for Napalm Death.
• The band's 2008 show in Paris was called 'Their Last Show'.
• In 2024, Harris played electronics and effects instead of a conventional drum kit.