The band’s core consisted of Phillip Caswell (lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter) and Gerard Kelly, supported by a revolving lineup of musicians pulled from Palmerston North’s underground alternative scene. Members over the years included figures such as Laurence Driscoll, Jeremy Hicks, Michael Kelly, Paul Woods, Tim Scott, and others. Caswell, who also advocated for the unemployed and workers’ rights, infused the band’s lyrics with sharp commentary on the social fallout from New Zealand’s neoliberal reforms under the 1984–1990 Fourth Labour Government.

One of their notable tracks, “Maintained A Silence“, referenced the 1982 death of anarchist Neil Roberts, who detonated a bomb outside the Whanganui Computer Centre in protest against state surveillance and authority.

Harry Death built strong ties to the Wellington music scene, performing alongside bands like Compos Mentis, One Less Customer, and Flesh D-Vice, and recording in the capital on multiple occasions.

Their discography includes:

• Live (1986) – their debut, a limited cassette release capturing their raw energy in concert.
• Beautiful (1989) — a lathe-cut LP released through the New Plymouth independent label Ima Hitt (catalog HITT ME 6X), featuring tracks such as “Gordonmania,” “Arnold Splendour,” “New Song,” “Pop Song,” “Blue,” “Harry Death,” “Human Animal,” and “Let Me Out Of Here.” That same year, they contributed to the Ima Hitt compilation Celebrate The Sonic Arts.
• Live Too released in 1992 via Burning Records/ Sonic Arts Society) – a posthumous collection blending archival material from the original 1985 lineup (including “Johnny Appleseed” and “Davey Boy”) with newer 1992 Wellington recordings.

In 1987, three members briefly split off to join Claire Pannell in forming Katerpillar Tractor Concept, though Harry Death continued in various forms until their dissolution around 1991.