Discharge (band)
Encyclopedia
Discharge is a British
hardcore punk
band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal. While the band had substantial lineup changes over its history, the core members over the early 1980s, when the band produced its key recordings, were Kelvin "Cal" Morris (vocals), Tony "Bones" Roberts (guitar), Roy Wainwright (bass), and Terry Roberts (drums).
The band's music is characterized by a heavy, distorted, and grinding guitar-driven sound and rawly shouted vocals similar to a speech, with lyrics on anarchist
and pacifist
themes. The band's first album in 1982, Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
, went to number two on the UK Indie Charts and number 40 in the UK Album Chart. In the early 1980s, the group had a number of singles and EPs place in the top 10 of the UK Indie Charts, including the 1981 EP Why?
(#1) and the 1982 single State Violence State Control.
After 1982, the addition of guitarist Peter "Pooch" Purtill brought significant thrash metal
crossover elements to the band. In the 1990s, the band released several metal-influenced albums, which alienated some of the original fan base. In the early 2000s, the original line up was reunited and they released a self-titled album using the 1980s musical style.
Discharge's music influenced hardcore punk
, thrash metal
, crust punk
, grindcore
and various extreme metal
subgenres. The musical genre of d-beat
is named for Discharge and their distinctive drumbeat.
by Ivan Rivera (vocals) and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright (guitar). They soon recruited Terry's younger brother Tony "Bones" Roberts on lead guitar, Nigel Bamford on bass
and Tony "Akko" Axon on drums
. Engaging Tanya Rich as their manager, led to the band recording their first demo, and saw them supporting bands such as The Ruts, The Clash and The Damned at The Victoria Hall, Hanley. Tanya then 'badgered' Mike Stone to visit them in rehearsals, and to eventually signing the band to Clay Records. (Realities of War
is 'Dedicated to Tanya' next to the label.) After arranging their first tour to Scotland (Paisley) and other parts of Northern England, Tanya left the band as Kelvin wanted to manage them himself. This line-up recorded a demo in 1977. Atkinson left, followed by Bamford, and the band recruited Kelvin "Cal" Morris (previously one of their roadies) as vocalist, with Tezz moving to drums and Rainy moving to bass. The musical style of the band was initially influenced by 1977-era punk bands such as the Sex Pistols
, The Damned and The Clash
.
When Cal joined the band, the group abandoned their previous Sex Pistols-style material, and developed a new set of songs for the lyrics written by Cal. With this new lineup, the band's sound changed. "Bones" played guitar with a heavy, distorted, and grinding sound and Cal shouted or screamed vocals in an anti-melodic fashion. The tempo of the band's songs also steadily increased over the next year or so. The stylistic transition made by the band was part of a broader trend in the early 1980s in the UK, which is known as "UK 82" or Second Generation UK Hardcore. Discharge and bands such as Chaos UK
, Amebix
, and Charged GBH
took the existing 1977-era punk sound and melded it with the incessant, heavy drumbeats and "wall of sound" distortion guitar sound of New Wave of British Heavy Metal
(NWOBHM) bands such as Motörhead. The new, harder-edged style also tended to use much darker, more nihilistic, and more violent lyrics, and vocals were often shouted rather than sung.
The first gig with this new line-up and new sound was at Northwood Parish Hall. Among the audience was local record shop owner Mike Stone. He had just started the Clay punk record label, and had attended the gig at their manager's (Tanya Rich) request. Cal's lyrics focused on anarchist
and pacifist
themes emphasizing the grisly effects of nuclear warfare
and the social ills caused by capitalism
. Cal's approach to lyric-writing also added to the raw power of the band's sound. Cal's songs often stripped down the lyrics to a guttural, repeated message, to forcefully express a song's theme. Perhaps the most extreme example of this approach is the song "Free Speech for the Dumb", which consists solely of the words from the song's title.
The band also expressed its political and social themes in its albums' artwork
, which depicted the horrors of war using an iconic black-and-white photography style.
, and recorded their first single
Realities of War
in February 1980, which made the UK Indie Chart
when it was released in April, after being played on John Peel
's show, peaking at number 5 and spending 44 weeks in the chart. The band also performed their first shows outside of Stoke-on-Trent in 1980, playing in Leicester
, Preston and Glasgow
. After two further EP
releases in that same year, founding member Terry Roberts (drums) departed, later joining UK Subs
, and he was replaced by Dave 'Bambi' Ellesmere
(formerly of The Insane) before the Why?
EP was recorded. Ellesmere did not stay long, and the band replaced him with Garry Maloney of The Varukers
on drums. Why? gave the band their first UK indie number one.
A reviewer from Punknews.org calls the music from this period "ugly and jagged without the artistic convolution of their no-wave contemporaries overseas", composed of "catchy, repetitive, stomping chords[,]...drumming that seems to emphasize creating a hellacious racket rather than keep a steady beat" and "very serious and socially conscious" song lyrics. The reviewer notes that "instead of creating a melody, vocalist Cal’s grunting shout...blends in with the rhythm", in effect becoming "a fourth [rhythm] instrument". The reviewer argues that the early 1981 EP Why? "...revolutionized everything...[paving the] way for the atonal shredding
of hardcore punk, thrash, death metal, and grind, but also the dead-serious political ideals and brutal backing of crust hardcore". Ian Glasper described the EP as "one of the most potent anti-war records ever made".
Discharge recorded their first album, 1982's Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
, which was the number one punk
album of all time in a poll by Terrorizer magazine
.http://www.sanctuaryrecords.co.uk/index.php?l1=2&l2=0&l3=0&rt=NE&article_id=855 The album reached number two on the indie album chart
and number 40 in the UK Album Chart. The group played regularly throughout the UK, often appearing with bands such as GBH
and The Exploited
, and the success of the debut album also saw them touring Canada
, the United States
, Italy, Yugoslavia, Holland, Finland, and Sweden.
Tom G. Warrior of Celtic Frost
credited Discharge as "a revolution, much like Venom
", saying, "When I heard the first two Discharge records, I was blown away. I was just starting to play an instrument and I had no idea you could go so far. And to me, they were unlike other punk bands--they sounded more like metal."
Guitarist Tony "Bones" Roberts departed after 1982's "State Violence State Control"/"Dooms'day" single, described in local punk fanzine Love and Molotov Cocktails as "...just about the most perfect realisation of a combination of the musical power of Motorhead and the lyrical mastery of Dead Kennedys
at their best. Discharge are out there on their own, at the top of their game and it's hard to see how they can improve on this." Roberts later joined his brother Terry in Broken Bones
, and he was replaced by Peter "Pooch" Purtill who brought significant metal
influences. The Warning...
EP shows drastic stylistic differences, with Cal changing his angry shouts to a mix of regular singing and football chants. As well, the band used significantly slower tempos and their D-beat punk style was replaced with metal-oriented beats. With the release of Ignorance, Purtill and Maloney left the band to form the punk/metal crossover band HellsBelles
. The lineup changed once more in 1986 for Grave New World
, a mainstream metal album with a glam sound from Cal's high-pitched singing style. Although the album reached the indie top 10 (before exiting the chart as swiftly as it had entered), the change from punk band to a typical hard rock band prompted a negative reaction from fans, and the group disbanded in 1987.
, which retained the metal sound, though with a noticeably harder edge than on Grave New World. Cal changed his vocal style, this time to rougher growling, similar to Brian Johnson
of AC/DC
. They toured widely in support, including their only visit to Japan, but the tour was negatively received. In 1993 they released Shootin' Up the World
, which continued Cal's new vocal style, but the songs were significantly heavier than on Massacre Divine. The album retains the metal direction, although experiments with strange lyrics and song structures, coming close to thrash metal at times. The album received no publicity, and the band did not tour in support of it, resulting in the group's disbandment once more.
In 2001, the original line up reunited after meeting at a party held by original bassist Bamford, and in 2002 they released their self-titled album Discharge, a return to their early 1980s style of politically infuriated and aggressive playing. As well, they brought back their intense D-beat drumming style, although combined with the remaining metal influence, it gave the album a speed metal
influence with its thrashy riffs. Cal would not commit to touring to promote the album and left the band, to be replaced by "Rat" of The Varukers
. The single The Beginning of the End was released in 2006, finally casting off all metal influences to a return to true hardcore D-beat punk. The band is currently recording a new album with Rat, slated for release in 2008. A book is also currently being written about Discharge, although as Cal's whereabouts are unknown, and his input is essential on documenting the history of Discharge, it is indefinitely on hold.http://discharge.co.uk/
of Metallica
nominated Cal for Rolling Stone
's 100 Greatest Singers poll. Cal was #17 on a list of 20 singers that James nominated.
-influenced drum beat used by Discharge early in their career is referred to as D-beat
. It became a subgenre
of hardcore punk, especially in Japanese, Brazil
ian, and Scandinavia
n hardcore
and punk scenes.
Many bands that followed Discharge's stylistic approach, primarily in Sweden
, began using the "Dis-" prefix and "-charge" suffix in their names, and even began using "Des-" words with "Dis-" in its place as a parody. Examples include Disaccord, Disfear
, Disclose
, Discard, Recharge, Kegcharge, Disarm, and Distraught. The bands who followed this naming trend also imitated Discharge's logo. This resulted in UK anarchist punk band Active Minds issuing an EP in 1995 entitled Dis Is Getting Pathetic, which parodied the cover of Fight Back
.
covered the song "State Violence, State Control". During the same period, the Swedish hardcore punk band Mob 47
covered "Never Again" on their Ultimate Attack recording. New York City anarchist crust band Nausea
, which was active from 1985–1992, recorded "Ain't No Feeble Bastard" along with "Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing", on The Punk Terrorist Anthology, Vol. 1. Swedish grindcore
band Nasum
covered "Visions of War" for a tribute compilation. The Southern American punk metal band The Cooters covered "A Hell on Earth/Cries of Help" on their 2005 album Chaos or Bust. D-beat/hardcore punk band From Ashes Rise
recorded the nuclear war-themed "Hell on Earth". In 2003, US hardcore band, Ensign
, covered "Protest and Survive" on their album of covers Love the Music, Hate the Kids
. In 2009 peruvian crustpunk band Reciklaje cover "The Nightmare Continues" for their album El Declive de las Estructuras.
Metal groups from several metal subgenres have recorded Discharge songs. Thrash metal bands covering Discharge material include Metallica
("Free Speech For The Dumb" and "The More I See", on their studio
covers album Garage Inc.
); Anthrax
("Protest and Survive" on their studio album Attack of the Killer B's
); and Brazilian Sepultura
("A Look At Tomorrow", "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" and "Protest and Survive").
Discharge songs also attracted interest from other metal subgenres, such as doom metal
and black metal
. UK doom metal band Solstice covered "Protest & Survive", and Norwegian
black metal
band Carpathian Forest
covered "The Possibilities of Life's Destruction" on their compilation album We're Going to Hell for This - Over a Decade of Perversions
, while the grindcore/death metal band Napalm Death
covered "War's No Fairytale" on their Leaders Not Followers: Part 2
album. As well, the Swedish
melodic death metal
pioneers At the Gates
covered "The Nightmare Continues" as a hidden track on their With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness
album. French doom/sludge band Monarch!
also covered "A Look at Tomorrow" on their A Look At Tomorrow/Mass Destruction EP. UK drone / sludge monsters Moss
covered 'Maimed And Slaughtered' on their 'Tombs Of The Blind Drugged' EP.
The Canadian
industrial metal
band Monster Voodoo Machine
named their second album release State Voodoo/State Control after Discharge's "State Violence/State Control", and they included a cover version
of "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing", on their "Bastard Is As Bastard Does" single. Other metal bands covering Discharge songs include Soulfly
("Ain't No Feeble Bastard" and "The Possibility of Life's Destruction") and Machine Head
("The Possibility of Life's Destruction" on The More Things Change... digipack).
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal. While the band had substantial lineup changes over its history, the core members over the early 1980s, when the band produced its key recordings, were Kelvin "Cal" Morris (vocals), Tony "Bones" Roberts (guitar), Roy Wainwright (bass), and Terry Roberts (drums).
The band's music is characterized by a heavy, distorted, and grinding guitar-driven sound and rawly shouted vocals similar to a speech, with lyrics on anarchist
Libertarian socialism
Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that promote a non-hierarchical, non-bureaucratic, stateless society without private property in the means of production...
and pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
themes. The band's first album in 1982, Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing was the 1982 album released by the British hardcore punk band Discharge, on Clay Records. Many critics at the time dismissed this album as "unmusical", though it is now considered both a classic of the era and the peak of Discharge's career.-Track listing:*All...
, went to number two on the UK Indie Charts and number 40 in the UK Album Chart. In the early 1980s, the group had a number of singles and EPs place in the top 10 of the UK Indie Charts, including the 1981 EP Why?
Why? (Discharge album)
Why? is the debut album by hardcore punk band Discharge released in 1981 on Clay Records.-Track listing:# "Visions of War"# "Does This System Work?"# "A Look At Tomorrow"# "Why?"# "Maimed and Slaughtered"# "Mania For Conquest"...
(#1) and the 1982 single State Violence State Control.
After 1982, the addition of guitarist Peter "Pooch" Purtill brought significant thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
crossover elements to the band. In the 1990s, the band released several metal-influenced albums, which alienated some of the original fan base. In the early 2000s, the original line up was reunited and they released a self-titled album using the 1980s musical style.
Discharge's music influenced hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, crust punk
Crust punk
Crust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills...
, grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
and various extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
subgenres. The musical genre of d-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
is named for Discharge and their distinctive drumbeat.
Late 1970s
Discharge was formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
by Ivan Rivera (vocals) and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright (guitar). They soon recruited Terry's younger brother Tony "Bones" Roberts on lead guitar, Nigel Bamford on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Tony "Akko" Axon on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Engaging Tanya Rich as their manager, led to the band recording their first demo, and saw them supporting bands such as The Ruts, The Clash and The Damned at The Victoria Hall, Hanley. Tanya then 'badgered' Mike Stone to visit them in rehearsals, and to eventually signing the band to Clay Records. (Realities of War
Realities of War
Realities of War was a 7" EP and the first recorded output of hardcore punk group Discharge. It was recorded ‘in 3 hours’ at Redball Studios, Market Drayton, on 12 February 1980...
is 'Dedicated to Tanya' next to the label.) After arranging their first tour to Scotland (Paisley) and other parts of Northern England, Tanya left the band as Kelvin wanted to manage them himself. This line-up recorded a demo in 1977. Atkinson left, followed by Bamford, and the band recruited Kelvin "Cal" Morris (previously one of their roadies) as vocalist, with Tezz moving to drums and Rainy moving to bass. The musical style of the band was initially influenced by 1977-era punk bands such as the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, The Damned and The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
.
When Cal joined the band, the group abandoned their previous Sex Pistols-style material, and developed a new set of songs for the lyrics written by Cal. With this new lineup, the band's sound changed. "Bones" played guitar with a heavy, distorted, and grinding sound and Cal shouted or screamed vocals in an anti-melodic fashion. The tempo of the band's songs also steadily increased over the next year or so. The stylistic transition made by the band was part of a broader trend in the early 1980s in the UK, which is known as "UK 82" or Second Generation UK Hardcore. Discharge and bands such as Chaos UK
Chaos UK
Chaos UK are an English hardcore punk band formed in 1979 in Portishead, near Bristol. They played fast aggressive hardcore punk rock initially. The original line up of Simon on vocals, Andy on guitar, Chaos on bass and Potts on drums recorded two EP's and a full LP for Riot City Record...
, Amebix
Amebix
Amebix are an English crust punk/heavy metal band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs...
, and Charged GBH
Charged GBH
Charged GBH are an English Street punk band, formed in 1978 by vocalist Colin Abrahall, guitarist Colin "Jock" Blyth, bassist Sean McCarthy and Drummer Andy " Wilf" Williams. GBH were early pioneers of English street punk, often nicknamed "UK82", along with Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited...
took the existing 1977-era punk sound and melded it with the incessant, heavy drumbeats and "wall of sound" distortion guitar sound of New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
(NWOBHM) bands such as Motörhead. The new, harder-edged style also tended to use much darker, more nihilistic, and more violent lyrics, and vocals were often shouted rather than sung.
The first gig with this new line-up and new sound was at Northwood Parish Hall. Among the audience was local record shop owner Mike Stone. He had just started the Clay punk record label, and had attended the gig at their manager's (Tanya Rich) request. Cal's lyrics focused on anarchist
Libertarian socialism
Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that promote a non-hierarchical, non-bureaucratic, stateless society without private property in the means of production...
and pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
themes emphasizing the grisly effects of nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
and the social ills caused by capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. Cal's approach to lyric-writing also added to the raw power of the band's sound. Cal's songs often stripped down the lyrics to a guttural, repeated message, to forcefully express a song's theme. Perhaps the most extreme example of this approach is the song "Free Speech for the Dumb", which consists solely of the words from the song's title.
The band also expressed its political and social themes in its albums' artwork
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
, which depicted the horrors of war using an iconic black-and-white photography style.
1980s
In 1980, Discharge signed with Clay RecordsClay Records
Clay Records was an independent record label founded by Mike Stone in 1980 out of a record shop in the English city of Stoke-on-Trent.-History:...
, and recorded their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
Realities of War
Realities of War
Realities of War was a 7" EP and the first recorded output of hardcore punk group Discharge. It was recorded ‘in 3 hours’ at Redball Studios, Market Drayton, on 12 February 1980...
in February 1980, which made the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
when it was released in April, after being played on John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's show, peaking at number 5 and spending 44 weeks in the chart. The band also performed their first shows outside of Stoke-on-Trent in 1980, playing in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Preston and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. After two further EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
releases in that same year, founding member Terry Roberts (drums) departed, later joining UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
, and he was replaced by Dave 'Bambi' Ellesmere
Dave 'Bambi' Ellesmere
Dave Ellesmere is a drummer, born in Southport, England and who played in 1980's UK punk bands such as The Insane, Discharge, Doctor and the Crippens and Disgust. He has also drummed with Gaz Sumner in Hylas and the Nymphs.-Career:...
(formerly of The Insane) before the Why?
Why? (Discharge album)
Why? is the debut album by hardcore punk band Discharge released in 1981 on Clay Records.-Track listing:# "Visions of War"# "Does This System Work?"# "A Look At Tomorrow"# "Why?"# "Maimed and Slaughtered"# "Mania For Conquest"...
EP was recorded. Ellesmere did not stay long, and the band replaced him with Garry Maloney of The Varukers
The Varukers
The Varukers are a UK D-beat band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin, which produced its most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band are one of the first to play in the musical style of the hardcore punk band Discharge, known as D-beat...
on drums. Why? gave the band their first UK indie number one.
A reviewer from Punknews.org calls the music from this period "ugly and jagged without the artistic convolution of their no-wave contemporaries overseas", composed of "catchy, repetitive, stomping chords[,]...drumming that seems to emphasize creating a hellacious racket rather than keep a steady beat" and "very serious and socially conscious" song lyrics. The reviewer notes that "instead of creating a melody, vocalist Cal’s grunting shout...blends in with the rhythm", in effect becoming "a fourth [rhythm] instrument". The reviewer argues that the early 1981 EP Why? "...revolutionized everything...[paving the] way for the atonal shredding
Shred guitar
Shred guitar or shredding is lead electric guitar playing that relies heavily on fast guitar solos. While some critics argue that shred guitar is associated with "... sweep-picked arpeggios, diminished and harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and ... whammy-bar abuse", several guitar...
of hardcore punk, thrash, death metal, and grind, but also the dead-serious political ideals and brutal backing of crust hardcore". Ian Glasper described the EP as "one of the most potent anti-war records ever made".
Discharge recorded their first album, 1982's Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing was the 1982 album released by the British hardcore punk band Discharge, on Clay Records. Many critics at the time dismissed this album as "unmusical", though it is now considered both a classic of the era and the peak of Discharge's career.-Track listing:*All...
, which was the number one punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
album of all time in a poll by Terrorizer magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
.http://www.sanctuaryrecords.co.uk/index.php?l1=2&l2=0&l3=0&rt=NE&article_id=855 The album reached number two on the indie album chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
and number 40 in the UK Album Chart. The group played regularly throughout the UK, often appearing with bands such as GBH
GBH
GBH may refer to:* Grievous bodily harm, certain crimes of personal assault in English law * Girth at breast height, a standard measurement of the circumference of a tree: see diameter at breast height...
and The Exploited
The Exploited
The Exploited are a Scottish punk band from the second wave of UK punk, formed in 1979. Originally a street punk band, they transformed into a faster hardcore punk band with a heavy political influence. From about 1987 on they changed into a crossover thrash band...
, and the success of the debut album also saw them touring Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Italy, Yugoslavia, Holland, Finland, and Sweden.
Tom G. Warrior of Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
credited Discharge as "a revolution, much like Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
", saying, "When I heard the first two Discharge records, I was blown away. I was just starting to play an instrument and I had no idea you could go so far. And to me, they were unlike other punk bands--they sounded more like metal."
Guitarist Tony "Bones" Roberts departed after 1982's "State Violence State Control"/"Dooms'day" single, described in local punk fanzine Love and Molotov Cocktails as "...just about the most perfect realisation of a combination of the musical power of Motorhead and the lyrical mastery of Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
at their best. Discharge are out there on their own, at the top of their game and it's hard to see how they can improve on this." Roberts later joined his brother Terry in Broken Bones
Broken Bones
Broken Bones are a Hardcore punk band with a distinct sound that is heavily influenced by other UKHC punk bands such as Discharge, and in later cases, crossover thrash.-Career:...
, and he was replaced by Peter "Pooch" Purtill who brought significant metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
influences. The Warning...
Warning: Her Majesty's Government Can Seriously Damage Your Health
Warning: Her Majesty's Government Can Seriously Damage Your Health is an EP by hardcore punk band Discharge, released in 1983 by Clay Records.-Track listing:#"Warning"#"Where There is a Will There is a Way"#"In Defense of Our Future"#"Anger Burning"...
EP shows drastic stylistic differences, with Cal changing his angry shouts to a mix of regular singing and football chants. As well, the band used significantly slower tempos and their D-beat punk style was replaced with metal-oriented beats. With the release of Ignorance, Purtill and Maloney left the band to form the punk/metal crossover band HellsBelles
HellsBelles
Hell's Belles was a heavy metal band from England active from 1984 to 1987. They are considered part of the latter stages of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal .-1980s - Hell's Belles:...
. The lineup changed once more in 1986 for Grave New World
Grave New World (Discharge album)
Grave New World is an album by hardcore punk band Discharge released 1986 by Clay Records. It is perhaps the band's most controversial album, as it saw the band turn towards heavy metal; with slower tempos and a heavier, higher-quality sound in the recording...
, a mainstream metal album with a glam sound from Cal's high-pitched singing style. Although the album reached the indie top 10 (before exiting the chart as swiftly as it had entered), the change from punk band to a typical hard rock band prompted a negative reaction from fans, and the group disbanded in 1987.
1990s-2000s
Morris formed a new version of the band in 1991 following the release of the Live at City Garden, New York City album by Clay, with Andy Green on guitar, Anthony Morgan on bass, and Garry Maloney on drums. In 1991 they released Massacre DivineMassacre Divine
Massacre Divine is an album by the band Discharge released in 1991 on Clay Records.-Track listing:#"City of Fear" 3:11#"F.E.D." 2:34#"Lost Tribe Rising" 3:02#"Challenge Terror" 3:31#"White Knuckle Ride" 2:25#"New Age" 3:39#"Terror Police" 2:34...
, which retained the metal sound, though with a noticeably harder edge than on Grave New World. Cal changed his vocal style, this time to rougher growling, similar to Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is an English singer and lyricist who has been the lead singer for the rock band AC/DC since 1980. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of the band....
of AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. They toured widely in support, including their only visit to Japan, but the tour was negatively received. In 1993 they released Shootin' Up the World
Shootin' Up the World
Shootin' Up the World is an album by hardcore punk band Discharge released in 1993 on Clay Records. -Track listing:#"Manson Child" #"Lost In You" #"Shootin Up The World" #"Psycho Active" #"Leaders Deceivers"...
, which continued Cal's new vocal style, but the songs were significantly heavier than on Massacre Divine. The album retains the metal direction, although experiments with strange lyrics and song structures, coming close to thrash metal at times. The album received no publicity, and the band did not tour in support of it, resulting in the group's disbandment once more.
In 2001, the original line up reunited after meeting at a party held by original bassist Bamford, and in 2002 they released their self-titled album Discharge, a return to their early 1980s style of politically infuriated and aggressive playing. As well, they brought back their intense D-beat drumming style, although combined with the remaining metal influence, it gave the album a speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
influence with its thrashy riffs. Cal would not commit to touring to promote the album and left the band, to be replaced by "Rat" of The Varukers
The Varukers
The Varukers are a UK D-beat band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin, which produced its most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band are one of the first to play in the musical style of the hardcore punk band Discharge, known as D-beat...
. The single The Beginning of the End was released in 2006, finally casting off all metal influences to a return to true hardcore D-beat punk. The band is currently recording a new album with Rat, slated for release in 2008. A book is also currently being written about Discharge, although as Cal's whereabouts are unknown, and his input is essential on documenting the history of Discharge, it is indefinitely on hold.http://discharge.co.uk/
Vocals
James HetfieldJames Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
nominated Cal for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's 100 Greatest Singers poll. Cal was #17 on a list of 20 singers that James nominated.
D-beat
The intense Motörhead- and BuzzcocksBuzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
-influenced drum beat used by Discharge early in their career is referred to as D-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
. It became a subgenre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
of hardcore punk, especially in Japanese, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian, and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and punk scenes.
Many bands that followed Discharge's stylistic approach, primarily in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, began using the "Dis-" prefix and "-charge" suffix in their names, and even began using "Des-" words with "Dis-" in its place as a parody. Examples include Disaccord, Disfear
Disfear
Disfear is a Swedish D-beat band that formed in the early 1990s. They have only recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums Soul Scars in 1995 and Everyday Slaughter in 1997, the group did not release an album until 2003 with a 12 track album, Misanthropic Generation, featuring...
, Disclose
Disclose
Disclose were a Japanese D-beat band from Kōchi City, heavily influenced by Discharge. Their sound heavily replicates Discharge's style, with an increased use of fuzz and distortion guitar effects. The subject matter is also similar to Discharge, in that the songs' themes are primarily about...
, Discard, Recharge, Kegcharge, Disarm, and Distraught. The bands who followed this naming trend also imitated Discharge's logo. This resulted in UK anarchist punk band Active Minds issuing an EP in 1995 entitled Dis Is Getting Pathetic, which parodied the cover of Fight Back
Fight Back
Fight Back was the second 7" EP from hardcore punk group Discharge. It was produced by Mike Stone and was released in 1980, catalogue number Clay 3....
.
As cover songs
Discharge's influence on the musical scene can also be seen in recordings of Discharge songs by range of hardcore punk and metal groups from the 1980s to the 2000s. The Scottish anarcho-punk band Oi PolloiOi Polloi
Oi Polloi are an anarcho-punk band from Scotland that formed around 1981. Starting as an Oi! band, they are generally associated more with the anarcho-punk genre. More recently the band have become notable for their contributions to the Scottish Gaelic punk subgenre...
covered the song "State Violence, State Control". During the same period, the Swedish hardcore punk band Mob 47
Mob 47
Mob 47 is a hardcore punk band which formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1982, originally under the name of "Censur". In 1983 the band members changed the name to what it's now called "Mob 47" when singer Mentis entered the band. During their early years they played with the legendary band Anti Cimex....
covered "Never Again" on their Ultimate Attack recording. New York City anarchist crust band Nausea
Nausea (band)
Nausea was an American crust punk band from New York City in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, active from 1985-1992. Nausea is usually cited as being integral in the rise of American crust punk, a fusion of anarcho-punk and thrash metal styles....
, which was active from 1985–1992, recorded "Ain't No Feeble Bastard" along with "Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing", on The Punk Terrorist Anthology, Vol. 1. Swedish grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band Nasum
Nasum
Nasum was a political Swedish band that played a mixture of grindcore and death metal. The band's name, meaning 'nose', was taken from the horror film Flesh for Frankenstein.-Biography:...
covered "Visions of War" for a tribute compilation. The Southern American punk metal band The Cooters covered "A Hell on Earth/Cries of Help" on their 2005 album Chaos or Bust. D-beat/hardcore punk band From Ashes Rise
From Ashes Rise
From Ashes Rise is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in the mid-'90s. They helped define the gloom-heavy thrash sound attributed to groups like His Hero is Gone and Tragedy...
recorded the nuclear war-themed "Hell on Earth". In 2003, US hardcore band, Ensign
Ensign (band)
Ensign is a hardcore punk band from New Jersey, USA. It was formed in 1995 and signed to Indecision Records in 1996. They signed to the larger label "next door", Dexter Holland's Nitro Records in 1998 and finally came to rest at Blackout Records in 2003 after a brief sortie back to Indecision in...
, covered "Protest and Survive" on their album of covers Love the Music, Hate the Kids
Love The Music, Hate The Kids
Love the Music, Hate The Kids is New Jersey, U.S. hardcore punk band Ensign's fourth full-length album. It is an album of cover versions of seminal hardcore punk songs from the early-80s to mid-90s. It was recorded in seven days and released in October, 2003...
. In 2009 peruvian crustpunk band Reciklaje cover "The Nightmare Continues" for their album El Declive de las Estructuras.
Metal groups from several metal subgenres have recorded Discharge songs. Thrash metal bands covering Discharge material include Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
("Free Speech For The Dumb" and "The More I See", on their studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
covers album Garage Inc.
Garage Inc.
-Disc two:These tracks are a collection of B-sides from artists Metallica were inspired by, throughout the early years of the band.-Personnel:* James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Whiskey In the Jar"...
); Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
("Protest and Survive" on their studio album Attack of the Killer B's
Attack of the Killer B's
-Personnel:*Joey Belladonna - Lead vocals, Backing vocals*Dan Spitz - Lead guitar, Backing vocals*Scott Ian - Rhythm guitar, Backing vocals, Lead vocals on "Bring The Noise", "Protest and Survive", "Startin' Up A Posse", and "I'm The Man '91"*Frank Bello - Bass, Backing vocals*Charlie Benante -...
); and Brazilian Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
("A Look At Tomorrow", "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" and "Protest and Survive").
Discharge songs also attracted interest from other metal subgenres, such as doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
and black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
. UK doom metal band Solstice covered "Protest & Survive", and Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Carpathian Forest
Carpathian Forest
Carpathian Forest is a Norwegian black metal band formed by Nattefrost and Nordavind in 1990.-Biography:Carpathian Forest emerged with the demo tape "Bloodlust and Perversion" in 1992. In 1993 the band released a second demo: Journey Through the Cold Moors of Svarttjern...
covered "The Possibilities of Life's Destruction" on their compilation album We're Going to Hell for This - Over a Decade of Perversions
We're Going to Hell for This
We're Going to Hell for This, Over A Decade Of Perversions is a compilation album by the Norwegian black metal band Carpathian Forest.-Track listing:#"The Angel and the Sodomizer" – 4:25#"I Am Possessed" – 4:22#"Bloody Fucking Nekro Hell" – 1:05...
, while the grindcore/death metal band Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
covered "War's No Fairytale" on their Leaders Not Followers: Part 2
Leaders Not Followers: Part 2
Leaders Not Followers: Part 2 is the eleventh album by the British band Napalm Death. It contains covers of various hardcore punk and heavy metal songs...
album. As well, the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
pioneers At the Gates
At the Gates
At the Gates is an extreme metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg death-metal sound. Their early albums lean towards a death metal sound, but later albums sound more like melodic death metal.Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a...
covered "The Nightmare Continues" as a hidden track on their With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness
With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness
The final track contains a hidden cover of "The Nightmare Continues" by Discharge.-Band members:*Anders Björler - guitar*Jonas Björler - bass*Adrian Erlandsson - drums*Alf Svensson - guitar*Tomas Lindberg - vocals...
album. French doom/sludge band Monarch!
Monarch (band)
-History:The band was founded in 2002 in Bayonne, France. In 2005, they released their debut, a double CD with three tracks. Since then the band have released new albums almost annually; additionally, they have also released various EPs, singles and splits with Moss, the Grey Daturas and Elysiüm...
also covered "A Look at Tomorrow" on their A Look At Tomorrow/Mass Destruction EP. UK drone / sludge monsters Moss
Moss (band)
Moss is a three-piece English doom metal band that formed in 2000. Influenced by H. P. Lovecraft and the occult, songs usually average the 20 minute mark and incorporate dense and otherworldly atmospheres...
covered 'Maimed And Slaughtered' on their 'Tombs Of The Blind Drugged' EP.
The Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band Monster Voodoo Machine
Monster Voodoo Machine
Monster Voodoo Machine a Canadian Industrial metal band, originally active from 1991 to 1998, has recently begun working on a new album.- History :...
named their second album release State Voodoo/State Control after Discharge's "State Violence/State Control", and they included a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing", on their "Bastard Is As Bastard Does" single. Other metal bands covering Discharge songs include Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
("Ain't No Feeble Bastard" and "The Possibility of Life's Destruction") and Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
("The Possibility of Life's Destruction" on The More Things Change... digipack).
Discography
Chart placings, unless stated, are shown are from the UK Indie ChartUK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
.
Singles
- State Violence State Control (1982) (#4)
- The Price of Silence (1983) (#5)
- The More I See (1984) (#3)
- Ignorance (1985) (#7)
EPs
- Realities of WarRealities of WarRealities of War was a 7" EP and the first recorded output of hardcore punk group Discharge. It was recorded ‘in 3 hours’ at Redball Studios, Market Drayton, on 12 February 1980...
(1980) (#5) - Fight BackFight BackFight Back was the second 7" EP from hardcore punk group Discharge. It was produced by Mike Stone and was released in 1980, catalogue number Clay 3....
(1980) (#4) - Decontrol (1980) (#2)
- Never AgainNever Again (Discharge EP)Never Again is the fourth EP by the hardcore punk band Discharge. It was released in 1981, and should not be confused with the 1984 compilation of the same name....
(1982) (indie #3, UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#64) - Warning: Her Majesty's Government Can Seriously Damage Your HealthWarning: Her Majesty's Government Can Seriously Damage Your HealthWarning: Her Majesty's Government Can Seriously Damage Your Health is an EP by hardcore punk band Discharge, released in 1983 by Clay Records.-Track listing:#"Warning"#"Where There is a Will There is a Way"#"In Defense of Our Future"#"Anger Burning"...
(1983) (#6) - Beginning of the End (2006)
Albums
- Why?Why? (Discharge album)Why? is the debut album by hardcore punk band Discharge released in 1981 on Clay Records.-Track listing:# "Visions of War"# "Does This System Work?"# "A Look At Tomorrow"# "Why?"# "Maimed and Slaughtered"# "Mania For Conquest"...
(1981) (#1) - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say NothingHear Nothing See Nothing Say NothingHear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing was the 1982 album released by the British hardcore punk band Discharge, on Clay Records. Many critics at the time dismissed this album as "unmusical", though it is now considered both a classic of the era and the peak of Discharge's career.-Track listing:*All...
(1982) (indie #2, UK Album Chart #40) - Grave New WorldGrave New World (Discharge album)Grave New World is an album by hardcore punk band Discharge released 1986 by Clay Records. It is perhaps the band's most controversial album, as it saw the band turn towards heavy metal; with slower tempos and a heavier, higher-quality sound in the recording...
(1986) (#8) - Massacre DivineMassacre DivineMassacre Divine is an album by the band Discharge released in 1991 on Clay Records.-Track listing:#"City of Fear" 3:11#"F.E.D." 2:34#"Lost Tribe Rising" 3:02#"Challenge Terror" 3:31#"White Knuckle Ride" 2:25#"New Age" 3:39#"Terror Police" 2:34...
(1991) - Shootin' Up the WorldShootin' Up the WorldShootin' Up the World is an album by hardcore punk band Discharge released in 1993 on Clay Records. -Track listing:#"Manson Child" #"Lost In You" #"Shootin Up The World" #"Psycho Active" #"Leaders Deceivers"...
(1993) - DischargeDischarge (Discharge album)Discharge is an album by hardcore punk band Discharge released in 2002 on Sanctuary Records.-Track listing:#"You Deserve Me" #"Almost Alive" #"Corpse of Decadence" #"Trust 'Em" #"M.A.D" #"Accessories By Molotov"...
(2002) - Disensitise (2008)
Compilations
- Never AgainNever Again (Discharge album)Never Again is the second official album released by Discharge in 1984, and is their first compilation album. It should not to be confused with the EP of the same name. It includes tracks from their eponymous debut album, and from their previous extended plays...
(1984) (#13) - 1980–1986 (1986)
- Protest and Survive (1992)
- Vision of War (1997)
- The Clay Punk Singles Collection (1995)
- Hardcore Hits (1999)
- Society's Victims (2004)
Other
- Demo recording from 1977
- Limited edition live cassette: Live at the Lyceum (1981) - CHAOS Cassettes LIVE 001, recorded 24 May 1981
- Live album: Live at the City Gardens, New Jersey (1989)
- Live album: Live: The Nightmare Continues... (1990) recorded at Tunstall Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent in 1983
- Tribute album: Discharged (1992)
- Tribute album: In Defence Of Our Future: A Tribute To Discharge (1999)
- Split EP with MG15 (2006)
Vocals
- Anthony "Rat" Martin (2003–present)
- Terry "Tezz" Roberts (1977)
- Kelvin "Cal" Morris (1977–1987, 1991–1995, 1997–2003)
- Rob "Rocky Shades" Berkley (1987)
Guitar
- Roy "Rainy" Wainwright (1977)
- Tony "Bones" Roberts
- Andy Green (1990–1995)
- Stephen "Fish" Brooks (1986–1987)
- Les "The Mole" Hunt (1984–1986)
- Peter "Pooch" Purtill (1983–1984)
- Labanthorsen "The Torn" Ekeroth (1995–1999)
Bass
- Roy "Rainy" Wainwright
- Anthony "Jake" Morgan (1991–1995)
- Nick Bushell
- Nigel Bamford
- Davey Quinn (2003 US Tour)
Drums
- Dave "Proper" Caution (2006–present)
- Terry "Tezz" Roberts (1977–1981, 1997–2006)
- Micky Gibson (1984–1986)
- Garry Maloney (1981–1984, 1986–1987, 1991–1995)
- Dave 'Bambi' EllesmereDave 'Bambi' EllesmereDave Ellesmere is a drummer, born in Southport, England and who played in 1980's UK punk bands such as The Insane, Discharge, Doctor and the Crippens and Disgust. He has also drummed with Gaz Sumner in Hylas and the Nymphs.-Career:...
(1981) - Tony "Akko" Atkinson (1977–1979)
- Keith Haynes (1981)