Discharge

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in the late 1970s, Discharge formed in 1977 in the wake of British punk before quickly hardening their approach with Cal Morris on vocals and a drier, faster, more confrontational sound. Discharge adopted concise songwriting focused on war, militarism, social order and state violence, driven by abrasive guitars, saturated bass, shouted vocals and pounding drums that gave their name to the d-beat. The band’s early records, and the 1982 album Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, established Discharge on the English hardcore punk scene while creating a lasting link with extreme music. In the mid-1980s the group moved toward a more metal-oriented register, audible on Grave New World (1986), before their first split. Discharge returned in the early 1990s with Massacre Divine (1991) and Shootin’ Up the World (1993) in a more metallic form, then experienced a renewed surge in the early 2000s. The comeback of historic members resulted in Discharge (2002) and later Disensitise (2008). Since Jeff Janiak became vocalist in 2014, Discharge has continued with an expanded lineup, documented notably on End of Days (2016), while remaining tied to the punk, crust and crossover scenes.