When it came to Hardcore Punk, nobody could imitate Discharge. Their own brand of loud, noisy music was seen to be an original sort of listening experience, even within the USA Hardcore Punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were massively influential as a group, with everyone from Black Flag to Metallica keeping some of their firey spirit alive in their musical influences. This is actually a compilation release of the best early Discharge songs. Despite the fact that it is a compilation, many of their most well-known songs reside here for the listener to discover. How does it sound? Let’s find out.

Warning begins with a sustained guitar note and launches into a frenzy of loud, noisy Punk Music. This is simple, loud, powerful and profane from the go. Discharge is on a musical mission to take on music as it is, and make something completely original and new along the way. Nonetheless, this is great music to listen to. It sounds completely nihilistic and different from everything else ever made. A horse-wailing tremolo bar heavy guitar solo is here before this returns to the riff-laden glory at hand. If you need a musical wake-up call to start a Hardcore Punk, this is where you begin. A fantastic song, and something musically awesome. Mosh pit-styled music, but great music at that. It ends fairly quickly as well in less than three minutes of time.

Never Again begins with dark, Grungy guitars and quickly launches into a musical assault. This is psychotic sounding, and no doubt that Nirvana in a way would have been inspired by this sort of music. Again, this is simply fantastic to listen to, and the music throughout is a sonic punch in the face. The guitar riffs continue along nicely before a warped and paranoid-sounding guitar solo commences. This is absolutely awesome to listen to and is some of the best loud, noisy and fast music you will ever hear. Brilliant for such a style of music.

Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing begins with some of the most psychotic drum rolls you will ever hear, before launching into doom and gloom descending guitar riffs. Again, this is a sonic punch to the face that is very much about musical power. The guitar solo on this song is insane. A great song, and only a minute and a half long. Excellent music again, all the same.

The Nightmare Continues sounds electric from the start and quickly launches into a maniacal piece of music. The screamed vocals here are 1000 times better than anything Black Flag ever did earlier on. If you love music with everything cranked to 10, then this is perfect for you. The shred-based guitar solos are really fantastic on this song and showcase a raw and unique talent by Discharge. Very, very enjoyable. Worth your time and ears if you like power in your music.

Where There is a Will begins with some pseudo-Metal guitar riffs and launches into another cool song to listen to. If anything, this compilation should inspire many Punk and Metal lovers to pick up an instrument and start playing away to their heart’s content. A supercharged and furious tune, this is a great listen. The super shred guitar solo present is really cool, but brief. Nonetheless, another great cut by Discharge. Awesome and original music to scare those who love Pop Music away.

Drunk with Power launches straight into it. No intro, just a purely punchy and powerful sonic assault at hand. This is a fantastic song that rebels on the radical sections of politics, be it left or right, which can be used as a particular anthem against the injustices that they perceive in society. In any case, this is a supercharged and interesting listening experience. The guitar solos are whacked out, but brilliant sounding. A thoroughly good listen, this is Hardcore Punk at its best. You can headbang along to this music for sure. A really great listen, period and one of the most well-known songs from this compilation.

The Final Blood Bath begins with some super fast bass guitar playing, before quickly launching into a frenzy of power and energy. This is another similarly fantastic Punk tune that has a great deal of suspense and different musical sections to match it. The guitar solo here is really insane sounding and is really quite cool to hear. Regardless, this sounds totally awesome. A great listen, through and through.

Anger Burning begins with some dark guitar work, launching into a chaotic blizzard of excellent, rhythmic noise. This music is very good, and it pulsates with aggression and fury throughout. A very raging tune with power and glory to it all, this music certainly deserves more credit than it gets. A wild guitar solo is present in this song throughout. This is exactly what angry young men and women need to hear if they feel disenchanted with society. A fantastic listen from start to finish for a two-and-a-half-minute-long song.

Two Monstrous Nuclear Stockpiles begins with some weird chords and rhythms. This is a much more brutal-sounding piece of music than before. It has some weird and discordant guitars to match the odd rhythms at hand. A musical assault on the senses is here. It’s over after just a minute in length.

The Price Of Silence begins with some heavy chords and launches into a really interesting piece of music. This is very much proto-Skate Punk to listen to. Again, this is anarchic music that certainly sounds fresh and vibrant. This music is also a ton better than the 1980s Synth Pop of the time, and the music here encapsulates this mood. A shredtastic guitar solo is present in this song as well. A very enjoyable and euphoric listening experience, and something that should be taken more seriously than this is at present.

Protest and Survive begins with dark and sludgy guitar riffs, launching into another musical assault on the senses. This is a signature song from Discharge and sounds really cool as a result. This is exactly the sort of song that political protestors need to hear before attending a rally of sorts, be it left-wing or right-wing. The guitar solo is mindblowing and fantastic here, sounding absolutely killer. A wonderful and furious tune throughout, this is a fine example of the best of USA Hardcore Punk. Fantastically brilliant, and worth hitting repeat throughout. A joyous but fiery listening experience.

Born to Die in the Gutter begins with some awesome palm muted guitar riffing and screaming harmonic-based guitar playing, entering into a song about dying whilst homeless. Not a bright picture, but it needn’t be. This music is loud, powerful and wonderfully driven. Sadly, inequality and homelessness are a serious problem in countries such as the USA, and this song captures that fact in an original way. The guitar solo is really fantastic to listen to. Another killer tune for young people who are fed up with the political establishment to get into. A really awesome and powerful listening experience from start to finish. Worth listening to, for sure.

Dooms Day begins with some electronic sounds looped, followed by psychotic drums and screaming. This launches into a fantastic song about the supposed upcoming apocalypse. This is fantastic nonetheless and makes great musical sense if you want to build a hideaway bunker under your own house. A clever, fiery and powerful tune with a gloriously insane guitar solo, Discharge proves again that their sense of anger and passion musically is only rivalled by a few. Cool and clever, all the same. Worth hearing, and a powerful, feisty tune that sounds very, very good. Music needs to be more like this, solidly consistent listening.

The More I See launches into a terrific song that was later covered by Metallica on their own 1998 covers album Garage Inc. This version is not Metal, but is just as furious and powerful to listen to. An excellent song to listen to, even if it isn’t the best of Discharge’s songs. Nonetheless, a super cool listen with an exciting riff to listen to. Super cool and interesting to listen to. Sweet music and something worth enjoying from this compilation. The outro is very awesome.

State Violence State Control is an anti-authoritarian song. Be wary of most politicians, and this song effectively points that fact out. Be it Communism, Fascism or worse, all bad political ideologies effectively need to be put out of their misery. In any case, music has its political points in various forms, and this is one of them. George Orwell, if he were a Punk musician, would have been proud of this awesome and mind-blowingly gritty listening experience. The guitar solo, again is manic and well played. A worthwhile listen throughout, and something worth cherishing as a tune. A fiery, punchy and fantastic listen for USA Hardcore Punk Music. Excellent to hear.

In Defense of Our Future begins with more mammoth-sized Punk Music guitar riffs, before quickly launching into another psychotic yet excellent-sounding song. These guys wanted a better and just world through their music, in a very aggressive way. This is about self-realisation and standing up for one’s rights. A psychotic guitar solo is present here, and no doubt Slayer and other similar musical groups were paying attention at the time. Again, another short, sweet and brutally awesome song to listen to. Very, very good to listen to. Great music.

Decontrol begins with some massively pounding drums and launches into another profane and anti-authoritarian song. These guys were possibly right-wingers who hated the controlling nature of left-wing government. This is awesome to listen to, regardless of any political overtones here. A great and eye-opening listening experience, particularly for fans of any type of Punk Music. The guitar work again sounds like a weird yet wonderful piece of pseudo-shred playing throughout. This gets much more intense in the second half, with raging and screaming vocals to match this song. An excellent and brutal listen throughout. It falls apart in the best possible way at the end, with more grunting and screaming. Sweet.

The More I See (Extended Version) is the main version that Metallica covered years later. It begins with some punchy and awesome bass guitar work and drumming, which sounds extremely cool to listen to. Palm-muted guitars enter, and this piece grooves along nicely. A very catchy, interesting and different listening experience that is unapologetically Punk, and awesome in the process as well. The vocals and lyrics articulate the condition of human suffering, and this music is forward-thinking and wonderfully musical for fairly simple music. A great, great listen from Discharge. There is a breakdown with bass guitar and drumming in the second half, with flourishes of guitar, before returning to the verses. This is music for those of you who have a very short attention span, and the guitar solo sounds very twisted. Regardless, a nicely powerful and enjoyable listening experience. Worth it all the way. A good example of USA Hardcore Punk.

Ignorance begins with fuzz bass guitar and pounding drums, before launching into a very Rock Music sounding piece. This is a politically tinged and anti-authoritarian rant about the state of play in Democracy (and Dictatorship as well). Nonetheless, this is a very lively and wonderful listening experience that sounds upbeat, powerful and brutal. A very enjoyable song with a slightly more Pop/Rock edge to it, without compromising the style or sound of Discharge itself. Nonetheless, a cool listen with power, vibrancy and energy for USA Hardcore Punk. There is an extended outro with drum rolls galore and sweet guitar work. It fades out at the end, which is unusual for this kind of music.

No Compromise begins with some cool drumming, followed quickly by a doom and gloom (without being Heavy Metal) guitar riff and entering into another great and awesome song. If you dig Punk Music of any sort, you will find this compilation a must-have with songs such as these. A really great listening experience that sounds interesting, mindblowing and unique. The guitar solo on this song is very expressive and sounds great as well. The music throughout is exactly what grown adults should do in their own: never compromise in your own right. Being aware of one’s right to support or oppose what is around them determines the change we have in our lives, especially politically. This fades out at the end.

Ignorance (Extended Version) is the final song on this compilation and is an extended version of the earlier song on this compilation. Hearing this again is a joy. The music, performances and lyrics stand out on their own as a way of bringing a fresh and inspired attitude musically to the otherwise simplistic nature of most inferior Punk Music based bands. This is very original, raw, relenting and uncompromising listening. Rebelling against the authorities in their own way, this is proof that these guys wanted to smash the system, so to speak. Regardless, this is a really great listening experience. The music and playing are definitely great to hear, and this is an iconic song on its own. The music here is refreshingly different and a million miles away from the RnB Pop Music of today, which Discharge would have absolutely loathed. This is an excellent listen, with a cool and amazing-sounding solo section-based breakdown in the second half of this song. In any case, a very exciting and interesting listening experience from start to finish. Singing about the nature of political propaganda, this is a winner for the politically disenchanted. A great song to finish off a surprisingly good compilation. It fades out at the end.

This is one of the best USA Hardcore Punk releases to this very day. Yes, this is a compilation but having said that, every single song is definitely worth listening to and is a thoroughly consistent and original-sounding listen. These songs should be a continuing influence on the underground Punk bands of today, as they sound a million miles away from the computerised AI algorithm-based music of artists such as Taylor Swift. If you wish to start a musical revolution in a band, look no further for inspiration. Should you listen to this compilation? Definitely, you should, especially if you hate the Pop scene of today.

Refreshingly different, just in time for 1984.

9/10