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39 Years Ago, This Formative Debut Album Bridged Two Genres That Eventually Led to Grindcore

Napalm Death’s debut album Scum had two distinct styles due to lineup changes, essentially creating a split album with themselves.

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In June 1987, U.K. metal band Napalm Death released their debut album, Scum, after several years of playing gigs and releasing demos. They became regulars of the Birmingham heavy metal scene in their early days, but even earlier found inspiration from the anarcho-punk movement.

Those hardcore punk influences were still present by the time Napalm Death consolidated some of their demos into their first LP. But they’d also leaned into more traditionally heavy influences. However, creative differences and lineup changes caused a few hiccups for Napalm Death. But that revolving door of members also worked in the band’s favor, in a way.

By the time Scum was released, none of Napalm Death’s founding members were in the band anymore. This resulted in a sort of split record with themselves. The A-side of Scum was mostly made up of re-recorded demos, some dating back to 1983, and was more obvious about........

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