Grindcore in Leeds, United Kingdom

by Kenneth Fury

Photo Provided by Jorge Wraite

The first time I heard Pig Destroyer’s album Prowler In The Yard, I was mowin’ the lawn. The balls to the wall energy and unbridled rage in the album made such an impression on me, I had to restart it a few times to feel the rush of the first three songs again.

So I got curious and began researching grindcore.

Born of hardcore punk and death metal, grindcore is utterly unrepentant about what it is. Originating from both America and Britain, the genre has taken a foothold in music scenes all around the globe. From New York City to Barcelona, the genre spans the world and continues to be a fiercely loved and defended genre by those devout.

Grindcore is characterized by the most abrasive, brutal elements of punk and metal - blast beats, downtuned guitars, overdrive on bass, growling vocals and shrieks. The genre as a whole gives no quarter and feels like sometimes as little as 2 seconds (You Suffer by Napalm Death) of discharged anger.

Despite my love of hardcore and death metal, the genre eluded me. I could attempt to make an excuse for not digging further but ultimately it came down to one fact. I did not expect the riffs. After checking out essentials like Pig Destroyer and Fuck The Facts, I became smitten.

As Yer Scene has developed over the last almost-a-year, I’ve learned one thing for certain. No matter what you’re into and how you like it being done, you can find a place in the world that does it well. Britain has always been a massive source of metal music. Birthing bands like Napalm Death and Carcass, it should come as no surprise that extreme music is alive and well in Britain.

While investigating Britain for this article, those involved in music scenes around the UK repeatedly pointed me towards Leeds; a city in the eastern hills of the Pennines, northeast of Manchester. In order to paint a picture of the modern grindcore scene, I thought starting in Leeds was as good as any.

by https://www.deviantart.com/stilleskygger

What makes the Leeds scene special? Coming from an outsider, it appears to be by far one of the most “functional” scenes within grindcore with regards to sheer show operation, networking and resources. Leeds has it all (including venues). Not to mention, the band members I spoke to from various grind groups had nothing but the best to say about each other. The quality of the community combined with the resources is the blood pumping through the scene. Startlingly enough, I thought I had come across what a scene looked like at or in its peak. The need for understanding the process of how it got there overtook me.

Jorge Wraite, a member of many bands in the area, enthusiastically detailed how he saw it.

"So we're really lucky in Leeds to have a few really good all purposes spaces that are all venues, practice rooms, bars at the same time."

When asked about the origins Jorge said, “I guess it's always had a strong punk scene (Gang of Four, Abrasive Wheels, Anti-System are all from here or near here). But for the last 10, 20 years it's been a big student city so people are moving in and out of it all the time”.

Thus, the city had a steady stream of people which increased the chance of having people interested in grindcore or power violence and gave them places to practice and play. A simple formula but a successful one.

Funnily enough as an aside, Jorge had toured with a grind band from Canada (SIXBREWBANTHA) that I had wanted to book in my area a few months past. Small world, eh?

With Jorge’s insight and some thoughts such as “What does a scene look like at its finest” to chew on, I collected a list of bands to listen to and get a real feel for a sound of Leeds grindcore now that I understood a little more of the context.

Negative Thought Process, Mothcob, THROATPUNCH, Sewer Trench, Boak and Coproach were my first introductions to the scene. Each of these bands were phenomenal in their own way and all brought great aesthetics that both honored the genre and its roots. Combing through their bandcamps I found gems.

Here’s a list to get you started. Grindcore is thriving in Leeds, and the genre as a whole with it.

https://negativethoughtprocess.bandcamp.com/album/methylene-butterfly

https://mothcob.bandcamp.com/

https://flhcc.bandcamp.com/album/throatpunch-ep4

https://boak.bandcamp.com/album/ii