Discharge

Biography

Punk and D-beat band formed in 1979. The band is characterized by a minimalistic approach of music and lyrics. Heavy, distorted, and grinding guitar-driven sound and raw, shouted vocals similar to a political speech, with lyrics on anarchist and pacifist themes, over intense drone-like rhythms. AllMusic calls the band's sound a "high-speed noise overload" characterized by "ferocious noise blasts" . The band's 1982 debut album, HEAR NOTHING SEE NOTHING SAY NOTHING, went to number two on the UK In...

Punk and D-beat band formed in 1979. The band is characterized by a minimalistic approach of music and lyrics. Heavy, distorted, and grinding guitar-driven sound and raw, shouted vocals similar to a political speech, with lyrics on anarchist and pacifist themes, over intense drone-like rhythms. AllMusic calls the band's sound a "high-speed noise overload" characterized by "ferocious noise blasts" . The band's 1982 debut album, 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, numerous singles and EPs placed in the top 10 of the UK Indie Charts, including the 1981 EP WHY? (#1) and the 1982 single State Violence State Control.

HEAR NOTHING SEE NOTHING SAY NOTHING influenced many thrash metal, black metal, crust punk, grindcore and various extreme metal subgenres. Discharge's influence on heavy metal and punk rock is incalculable and metal superstars such as METALLICA, ANTHRAX, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY and SEPULTURA have covered Discharge's songs in tribute. The musical genre of D-BEAT is named after Discharge and their distinctive drumbeat.

Atkinson left later that year, followed by Bamford, and the band recruited their roadie Kelvin "Cal" Morris as vocalist, moving Terry Roberts to drums and Wainwright to bass. With Morris's addition, the group abandoned their previous Sex Pistols-influenced material and developed a new set of songs with a retooled sound. Anthony Roberts played guitar with a heavy, distorted, and grinding style and Morris shouted or screamed vocals without melody. 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 "UK82" or Second Generation UK Hardcore. Discharge and bands such as CHAOS UK, AMEBIX, and G.B.H. took the existing 1977-era punk sound and melded it with the incessant, heavy drumbeats and "wall of sound" distortion guitar pioneered in the OVERKILL album by MOTORHEAD
The new, harder-edged style also tended to use much darker, more nihilistic and violent lyrics, focusing on anarchist and pacifist themes while emphasizing the grisly effects of nuclear warfare and the social ills caused by capitalism. 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. One of the notable images is the "Impaled Dove" artwork from a World War 2 anti-war poster by John Heartfield which depicts a dove impaled on a bayonet. The first gig with this new line-up and new sound was at Northwood Parish Hall. Tanya Rich brought this gig to the attention of Mike Stone, a local record shop owner, who ran the CLAY RECORDS punk record label. Tanya would go on to forge a deal between Discharge & Clay Records. The band showed their gratitude by dedicating the "REALITIES OF WAR" EP to Tanya on the inside groove of the vinyl.
Early EPs & Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (1980–1982)

In 1980, Discharge signed with Clay Records, 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 departed, later joining the UK Subs, to be replaced initially by Keith Haynes of Picture Frame Seduction and soon thereafter 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.

Discharge "...developed a brutal, extremist approach to punk that would give rise to Thrash." 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". Cal's lyrics and singing were "...short bursts of brutal sloganeering that made no concessions to melody or meter." Cal's deep "growl" anticipated...[the] vocals that death metal and grindcore later" used.

The Punknews.org 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". 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."

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. 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. The lyrics on the album tended to be short political statements that were repeated. The album's title track, for example, consists of only three lines:"Lied to, threatened, cheated and deceived/ Hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing/ Led up garden paths and into blind alleys." The song "Free Speech for the Dumb" is even more lyrically stripped down; it consists solely of the words from the title repeated emphatically.

1982's "State Violence State Control"/"Dooms'day" single garnered further critical praise, described in the 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."


HEAVY METAL PERIOD & FIRST BREAK UP (1985–1986)

In 1984, Anthony Roberts left the group, later to form BROKEN BONES with his brother Tezz joining him. He was replaced by Peter "Pooch" Purtill who brought significant heavy metal influences. The Warning... EP shows drastic stylistic differences, with Morris 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 HELLESBELLS, to be replaced by guitarists Les "The Mole" Hunt and drummer Michael "Micky" Gibson. Following the later addition of second guitarist Stephen "Fish" Brooks, they released 1986's GRAVE NEW WORLD, a mainstream metal album with a glam sound from Morris's high-pitched singing style. The album reached the indie top 10 but did not go down well with the die hard punk following the band has and the USA tour for the album was disasterous. The band struggled with personnel problems as Morris departed and was briefly replaced by ex WRATHCHILD frontman Rob "Rocky Shades" Berkeley the following year. The group disbanded shortly thereafter.

REFORMATION WITH NEW LINE UP (1990–1993)

Morris formed a new version of the band in 1990 with Andrew "Andy" Green on guitar, Anthony Morgan on bass, and Mika Karppinen initially playing drums, only to be replaced by the returning Maloney. The Live At The City Garden, New Jersey album on Clay Records followed. In 1991 they released Massacre Divine, which retained the metal sound, though with a noticeably harder edge than on Grave New World. Morris again changed his vocal style, this time to rougher growling, similar to Brian Johnson of AC/DC. They toured widely in support of the record, including their only visit to Japan, but the tour was negatively received.

REUNION OF CLASSIC LINE UP (2001–

In 2001, the classic line-up of Cal, Bones, Rainy, and Tezz 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 featuring political commentary 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. Morris would not commit to touring to promote the album and left the band, to be replaced by Anthony "Rat" Martin of THE VARUKERS.

The single "The Beginning of the End" was released in 2006, than Dave "Proper" Caution replaced Tezz on drums after his second departure this same year, and the group released the Disensitise album in 2008. In 2011 the band released an EP titled "PROPAGANDA FEEDS". In 2012 they released a split single with American band OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, released on DRUNKEN SAILOR RECORDS. In 2014 Rat was fired and played his last gig with Discharge in Dublin, Ireland.

Rat was replaced by Jeff "JJ" Janiak on vocals (previously of BROKEN BONES), while Tezz Roberts returned to the band, except this time on rhythm guitar rather than drums, making Discharge a five-piece. On June 3, 2015, the group premiered a new song called "New World Order" which left fans stunned at the sound of the new line up and the return of the classic Discharge sound. An EP containing the song and a live recording of "Ain't No Feeble Bastard" was released on January 16, 2016, entitled New World Order. On February 10, 2016, the band announced their 7th studio album, entitled End of Days, was to be released sometime in April. It will be Discharge's first album with singer JJ and the first album as a five-piece band. On March 3, 2016, the Nuclear Blast Youtube channel uploaded a new song ,and later on through streaming services, entitled "Hatebomb." The same day, they released the track listing for End Of Days.

Discharge's seventh studio album, End of Days, was released on April 29 through NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS and was a return to their classic sound much to the fans approval. END OF DAYS entered the Official UK Rock Charts at #10 and #23 on the UK Indie Charts. The new album was very well recieved and the success of the album saw the band touring Europe and the USA along with EYEHATEGOD and TOXIC HOLOCAUST playing to sold out crowds.


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