Bolt Thrower

Formed in Coventry, England, in 1986, Bolt Thrower started out combining thrash metal and hardcore punk before settling into a straight death metal style. Signed first to Vinyl Solution, the band released In Battle There Is No Law in 1988, but it was after a switch to Earache Records and subsequent releases Realm of Chaos (in 1989) and War Master (in 1991) that Bolt Thrower developed their signature mid-tempo churn and growl-grunt vocals. Those two albums also feature highly distinctive cover art from Games Workshop, manufacturers of a strategic war game called Warhammer, from which Bolt Thrower's name, and even some of their lyrics, were taken. The band has steadily released albums and toured the world in the years since War Master, with only a few lineup changes, making them one of the most enduring, reliably heavy British metal bands.