List of Grim Reaper band members

Guitarist Nick Bowcott formed Grim Reaper in 1979 with vocalist Paul De Mercado, bassist Kevin Neale and drummer Lee Harris.^[1][2] Harris was soon replaced by Adrian Jacques, before Dave Wanklin took over from Neale, who left to attend university.^[3] Shortly after recording their first demo Bleed 'Em Dry, Wanklin left due to "personality issues",^[3] with Phil Matthews taking his place.^[4] Shortly thereafter, Jacques also left to attend university,^[3] with Brian Parry taking his place on drums.^[5] By the end of 1981, Grim Reaper had disbanded,^[6] reportedly due to "a rift" between Bowcott and De Mercado.^[3]

In May 1982, Bowcott introduced a new lineup of the band, initially dubbed "Grim Reaper II", which featured new vocalist Steve Grimmett alongside returning members Dave Wanklin and Lee Harris.^[7] The new lineup released the band's first full-length album, See You in Hell, in November 1983.^[8] By early 1985, Harris had been replaced by Mark Simon, who debuted on that May's Fear No Evil album.^[9] This was followed in September 1987 by the band's third album, Rock You to Hell.^[10] Prior to touring for the album, Wanklin left for "health reasons",^[3] with Geoff Curtis taking his place.^[11] Curtis toured with the band into 1988, but was later replaced by Benje Brittan as, according to Bowcott, he "never really committed himself".^[11] Before the end of the year, Grim Reaper disbanded due to record label disputes.^[12]

In February 2006, Steve Grimmett reformed Grim Reaper with an entirely new lineup consisting of guitarist Ian Nash, bassist Ritchie Walker and drummer Pete Newdeck.^[13] This lineup released the album Personal Crisis in 2007, which was instead credited to Grimmett as a solo release.^[14] The band subsequently changed their name to "Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper", to differentiate it from the original incarnation.^[15] By 2010, Walker and Newdeck had been replaced by Chaz Grimaldi and Mark Rumble, respectively.^[16] In 2011, the band issued their first release since reforming, the live EP Alive and Kicking.^[10] In April 2014, Nick Bowcott performed with Grim Reaper for the first time since their breakup in 1988.^[17] By the following month, Rumble had been replaced in the band's lineup by Paul "Needles" White.^[18]

In late 2015, Nash took a break from the band to spend time with his family, with Richie Yeates temporarily taking his place.^[19] Martin Trail took over on bass the next spring, contributing to the band's first studio album since 1987, Walking in the Shadows.^[20] Nash returned briefly for a run of shows in the summer of 2016, with Steve Stine taking over in the autumn, before Nash returned again.^[21] During shows throughout 2016, Bowcott returned again as an occasional guest performer.^[22] By August 2018, Trail and White had been replaced by Julian Hill and Mark Pullin, respectively.^[23] The new lineup released At the Gates in October 2019.^[24] A live album recorded on their first tour, Reaping the Whirlwind, was released in 2022.^[25] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Grimmett and Bowcott reunited again for a remote performance.^[26]

Steve Grimmett died on 15 August 2022.^[27] Shortly after his death, the surviving Grim Reaper band members performed a festival set with Nick Bowcott and a range of guest vocalists, including Grimmett's son Russ and Jag Panzer's Harry Conklin.^[28] Bowcott (with Conklin) later reunited with 1985–1987 members Dave Wanklin and Mark Simon for a performance in November 2024.^[29]