Discharge

Discharge are 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 ideology with elements of metal. While the band had substantial lineup changes over its history, the classic lineup from the early 1980s featured bassist Wainwright, drummer Roberts, his brother Tony "Bones" Roberts playing guitar, and vocalist Kelvin "Cal" Morris. The band is characterized by a minimalistic approach of music and lyrics, a heavy, distorted, and grinding guitar-driven sound and raw, shouted vocals similar to a political speech, with lyrics on anarchist and pacifist themes. 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. In 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. In the early 2000s, the classic line up reunited and released a self-titled album returning to their hardcore punk roots. 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.