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Napalm Death is an English grindcore band formed in Meriden, West Midlands, in 1981. The band currently consists of Barney Greenway on vocals, Shane Embury on bass guitar, John Cooke on lead guitar, and Danny Herrera on drums. None of the founding members remain in the band. From 1989 to 2004, Napalm Death was a five-piece band after adding Jesse Pintado and Mitch Harris as replacements for guitarist Bill Steer. Following Pintado's departure, the band reverted to a four-piece. Mitch Harris left the band in 2014 to focus on his personal life. Since Harris's indefinite hiatus, John Cooke has performed on guitar during live shows. The band is credited as a pioneer of the grindcore genre, incorporating elements of crust punk and death metal, characterized by a noise-filled sound with distorted, down-tuned guitars, overdrive bass, high-speed tempos, blast beats, vocals consisting of growls or shrieks, extremely short songs, and sociopolitical lyrics. After hiring drummer Mick Harris in 1985, the band increased their speed and expanded the limits of drum performance.