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Class 6(66)

Discharge: Hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing

20/09/10  ||  Khlysty

Introduction

You know, way before “hardcore” became a term associated with metal, there were some bands that –as the “proper” music journos use to say- pushed the envelope of punk rock music, cranking up a VERY intense, hyper-speed metallic sound that would influence lotsa young ‘uns out there and cross-pollinate the two genres. Discharge was one of them bands. Formed in England in 1977, Discharge are accused of being the first to play what’s come to be known as d-beat and were one of the first bona fide punk bands to utilize a heavier sound to their guitars, approximating but never going the whole hawg into Motörhead-speed-freak territory.

Anyway, in 1982, Discharge vomited “Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing”, their first fully full-length album (lasting a total whooping 27:27 minutes!), which has come to be considered as one of the true-blue landmarks of punk AND a predecessor to crossover acts like D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies and Agnostic Front. Look, for all intents and purposes, this is hardcore punk: barre chords played at hyper-speed, drums pounding at the same velocity and over all this din a guy shouting and screaming minimal lyrics that sound mostly like anarchist propaganda slogans.

But, there’s a significant difference of Discharge’s M.O. with that of other hardcore bands of the era and it lies in the way the band (ab)uses the guitars. Instead of the generally trebly and thin guitar sound punk is characterized with, these guys not only go for a denser sound, but even deploy –ULP!!!- guitar solos!!! Like, to EVERY FUCKING SONG!!! Also, instead of going for the usual, unintentionally catchy and simplistic riffs that punk generally uses, Discharge write noisy and ugly chord sequences that basically sound as unmusical as it gets. Of course, they never achieve the bitterness of Neurosis’ “Pain Of Mind” songs, but believe me when I say that this is as sick-fuck ugly and one can expect from a British punk band.

Songwriting

8,5. As I said before, Discharge don’t fuck around: their music is angrier than a bunch of rabid wolverines, more agro than a pack of berserkers and more intense that a guy with a live electrical cable stuffed in his arse. The songs are composed of a bitter, ugly bunch of dissonant riffs which, at first listen, sound nothing more than sludgy, overdriven noise. Of course, that’s not the truth, since multiple listens reveal that the band displays an excellent compositional ear for extreme hardcore punk songs that, even though at first glance seem hookless, contain smart chord sequences that seem hell-bent on making the listener angry AND hopeless at the same time. Look, this is hardcore at its hardcorest, extremely aggressive and metallic, and I think that a lot of crossover bands took a whiff of this beast, before sitting down and writing their own music. Plus the nuclear explosion sound collage of “Cries For Help” is surprisingly effective and chilling.

Production

7. I think that this is an on-the-cheap production job. The sound is a bit muddy and unclean and the mix pushes the vocals too much up the front. No matter, though, it’s pretty perfect for the music played here and fits like an iron glove over the iron fist of Discharge’s aural assault.

Guitars

8. Chords, chords and more chords. Of the ugly kind. Played insanely fast. Warp-speed fast. Oh, and solos. Yngwie it’s not, but this is hardcore punk, mofos, so even the fact that there are solos is amazing, kind of. Also, the rabid dozer kind of tone that Bones uses here is so sick that I nearly need to wash my ears after listening to it, to slush away the gunk left on them.

Vocals

8,5. Cal shouts and shouts and shouts and then shouts some more. What he sounds like is more like an anarchist in a soapbox-preacher mode, than anything else. He never even approaches anything sounding like singing or melody, but I don’t think that there woulda been any point in trying something like that. The point is to get the message through by using his voice as a blunt instrument and at that he does good, so… no complaints here.

Bass

8. As ugly and sick-sounding as the guitars. That is, only during the few moments that it’s audible under the sludgy gunk of the guitar sound. Otherwise, it’s just another layer of rumbling noise. ‘S okay, I suppose.

Drums

8,5. Gary Maloney continues the d-beat tradition that the band’s former drummers had established before he joined Discharge. It sounds a bit sloppy from time to time, but I don’t give a flying fuck. If I wanted to listen to perfect drumming, I would listen to King Crimson. Here the drums are used as an assault weapon and they are especially effective in this role. So, fuck off, anyone who complains about the drums.

Lyrics

8. “Lied to threatened cheated and deceived/Hear nothing see nothing say nothing/Led up garden paths and into blind alleys”. And “A smouldering wilderness/Mass death and destruction/Mass death and destruction/Millions dead and dying”. Hey, what did you expect from a 1982 hardcore punk album? Fluffy bunnies and stuff??? Sheesh!!!

Cover art

8. Black and white, and evocative of the title. Perfect for the occasion…

Logo

4. Just the name of the band, scrawled in white letters. Nothing to talk about.

Booklet

?. I have this shit on tape, which a friend made for me in 1987. Ergo, no booklet whatsoever…

Overall and ending rant

This is not metal, so that you know. But it’s been rained with praise but a gajillion of metal bands and it’s supposed to be a landmark record for what would later be called “crossover”. One way or another, though, this is one of the greatest hardcore records ever. It’s relentless, it’s angry, it’s bitter, it’s ugly, it’s fast, it’s fucking good. It’s not a fun record, but its intensity and rage are commendable and perfectly fit for the discerning metal fan. So, go listen and enjoy.

8,5

  • Information
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Clay Records
  • Website: www.discharge.co.uk
  • Band
  • Kelvin “Cal” Morris: vocals
  • Tony “Bones” Roberts: guitars, backing vocals
  • Roy “Rainy” Wainwright: bass
  • Garry Maloney: drums
  • Tracklist
  • 01. Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
  • 02. The Nightmare Continues
  • 03. The Final Blood Bath
  • 04. Protest and Survive
  • 05. I Won’t Subscribe
  • 06. Drunk With Power
  • 07. Meanwhile
  • 08. A Hell on Earth
  • 09. Cries of Help
  • 10. The Possibility of Life’s Destruction
  • 11. Q: And Children? A: And Children
  • 12. The Blood Runs Red
  • 13. Free Speech for the Dumb
  • 14. The End

Class 6(66) -reviews

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