Jazz-based cult figure John Zorn has already worked with Earache on his Naked City project fusing noise and the more cultured leanings of jazz and classical to produce an unclassifiable sound. Now he hooked up with Naked City producer Bill Laswell on bass, who having made waves with his own band Last Exit was already gaining a reputation as a rulebreaker.
Added on vocals and drums (of course) was then Napalm Death percussion-abuser Mick Harris, living out his noise fantasy away from the metallic/hardcore constraints of his main band. Painkiller's first album 'Guts of A Virgin' was issued in 1991 and originally with suitably extreme artwork to match the musical content, was seized by Customs and Excise as being contrary to the 'Obscene Publications' laws. The original art by Karath=Razar was replaced with something more demure, but the run in with the law eventually led to other Earache titles being investigated, culminating in raids on the Earache offices.
A second album 'Buried Secrets' again featured Karath=Razar artwork but survived without police intervention to again allow the listening public brave enough inside the world of distorted sax-blast nightmares. Godflesh's Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green made guest appearances and the albums passed into the cult legend of experimental noise.