Discharge | War Is Hell/Disensitise
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
The name Discharge may not be as familiar to as many metalheads as, say, the Misfits or the Damned, but one spin of either the War Is Hell compilation of [newly recorded] old material, or newer album Disensitise, will immediately illustrate the major influence these punks had on thrash metal and hardcore punk. Luckily for those unfamiliar with the band, Candlelight USA is reissuing both of Discharge’s more recent releases, and while not necessarily as amazing as their early works, both serve as fine introductions to a highly influential act.
Kicking off this double pack is War Is Hell, a compilation of classic Discharge songs re-recorded in 2008. This is dirty punk in its purest form. It’s not catchy or sing-a-longable, no, this is pure simple aggression, spewed forth in quick bursts of hatred and distortion. The guitars scream over the D-beats that were named for the band itself. Vocals are shouted in a Lemmy-like fashion, conveying a pacifist political agenda that is oddly relevant even 30 years down the line. The band may have aged, but the songs sound as angry and fresh as ever. That’s not to say everything here is perfect, but read on for more insight into that…
The second course is the more recently written Disensitise (no, that’s not a spelling mistake- just a play on the band’s name). Here, we see Discharge continuing on the path they originally blazed, free of the various metal variations that existed throughout the middle period of the band’s existence. While the intensity is still measurably strong, the imperfect, looser playing style is not as welcome a throwback. While the youthful naivety and technical shortcomings could easily be forgiven during their genre-defining years—these were angry kids, after all—nowadays, it just sounds a bit sloppy. Sure, they didn’t Pro Tools the hell out of everything, and that’s great, but there’s no excuse for tempo-wavering drums and a general lack of tightness. Then again, this is punk, and maybe playing better is just too damn corporate.
Sloppiness aside, no one can deny the influence Discharge has had on a huge slew of bands. Anthrax, Metallica, Sepultura—all have paid tribute with cover versions. [On a funny side note, “Kept in the Dark” from Disensitise sounds vaguely reminiscent of “Discharge” from Anthrax’s Persistence of Time. Coincidence?] It’s hard to say what form thrash would have taken without innovators like Discharge. So if you’re looking for unfiltered punk aggression without all the polish, do yourself a favor and “run it through Discharge.”
Genre: Punk
Band (current):
Anthony “Rat” Martin (v)
Tony “Bones” Roberts (g)
Roy “Rainy” Wainright (b)
Dave “Proper” Caution (d)
Track Listing:
War Is Hell
1. War is Hell
2. State Violence State Control
3. You Deserve Me
4. Never Again
5. The More I See
6. Hype Overload
7. Corpse of Decadence
8. M.A.D.
9. You Take Part Creating the System
10. Nightmare Continues (live)
11. Hell on Earth (live)
12. Realities of War (live)
13. Doomsday (live)
14. Beginning of the End (bonus)
15. Blood of the Innocent (bonus)
16. They Lie You Die (bonus)
Disensitise
1. Blood of the Innocent
2. CCTV
3. What Method What Madness
4. They Lie You Die
5. Becomes Again and Again
6. Spoils of War
7. Persuasion = Power
8. Web of Disadvantage
9. Ignorance is Your Surrender
10. Kept in the Dark
11. You Have the Gun
12. Will Deceive You
13. Beginning of the End
14. No Return
15. Legacy You Left Behind (bonus)
16. Propaganda Feeds
Label: Candlelight USA
Website: www.myspace.com/dischargeukhc
Hardrock Haven rating: War Is Hell: 8.4/10; Disensitise: 6/10