Last Night a D-Beat Saved My Life: a Retrospective of Contemporary DISCHARGE Worship (2008-2023)

86 bands, about 130 minutes of (noise not) music, 3 nights of curations: a comprehensive overview of what d-beat sounded like between 2008 and 2023 (a couple of songs were actually released in 2024 to be fair). Which is to say, rather rightly, "pretty much all the bloody same". Those who care about variety have probably already fucked off somewhere else so that we are between us now and we can wallow in Discharge worship shamelessly, proudly and with a spirit of collectiveness. Whenever I hear Perkele's corny "Heart full of pride" (which is fortunately not often) I like to think that the singer is actually thinking about loving Discharge instead of a national flag, being hard, wearing the right shoes or whatever skinheads think about (but do we really want to know?).

I recently had a chat with a friend who only vaguely listens to d-beat, from afar, like an unpopular kid watching with envy cool rockers drinking cans of cider at the bus stop, too scared to go talk to them but in awe at the same time. Odd, if anything d-beat lovers are a pretty friendly crowd and, if you forget intense arguments about who actually invented the beat (fuck the Buzzcocks), the anality of discussions about subgenres of d-beat or stud contests, we're fairly welcoming and everyone should be able to enjoy a fair slice of quality d-beat. It should be in the Geneva convention assuming it isn't already. And so this impressionable friend of mine thought that d-beat only referred to the actual beat and that any band using it could be called a d-beat band. Of course I proceeded to teach him in a rather abrupt fashion about what d-beat really stood for, its philosophy and foundational obsession with imitation and how it has become as much about the music than about how we love the music. D-beat is almost music about music in a sense, a comment on itself. After two hours of conference, I think he understood and, judging by his state of exhaustion, I'm sure he'll never have to ask me again and he's now part of the family. I have always been keen on pedagogy. I'm sure he'll be playing these two compilations with gratitude.

Don't ask me why I picked 86 bands because that's just where I closed the selection. The idea was to create two compilations with about an hour of music each illustrating how the genre evolved, solidified further as an actual genre and even how different takes started to appear (from the "just-like-Discharge" sound to the cruder d-beat raw punk stance or the "wall of noise" concept). To normal persons it's all the same racket but the subtleties are real indeed. Since the d-beat explosion of the early and mid 90's, the genre has become legitimate, its rigidity celebrated and no longer freakish if not goofy, its visual template embraced internationally. The number of bands beating the D, with varying degrees of success and taste, in the past 10 years is staggering so that the selection was not an easy process at all. I tried to focus on the original Discharge formula as much as possible so that a lot of very worthy bands did not make the cut because they did not abide by the d-beat rules enough (as I said repeatedly in the series, the genre is based on restrictions). I added some Discharge-loving mid-paced number as well for the compilation to breath a little and the listener to catch his or breath (it is after all quite a listening experience). There are bands from all over the world and hopefully it reflects how global and significant d-beat has become while it originally was very much a gimmicky Swedish phenomenon. I suppose that in this respect, the contemporary explosion of d-beat and its reach must be seen as a result of the rise of worldwide music streaming and social media with the emphasis on looks. No one exists in a vacuum. 

So there you go, these two comps can be seen as a continuation of the first d-beat compilation I did (that I realized was deleted from youtube for some reason and that I shall repost shortly). Obviously, it is impossible to be totally comprehensive and I must have forgotten many bands that could have made it here. Feel free to comment and suggest other bands. Even better, do your own d-beat compilation, the more merrier, yes?

Volume one: 

01. AVSKUM “Klinisk Jävla Dödsdrift” from En Annan Värld Är Möjlig LP, 2023 (Sweden)

02. PHOSPHORE “L’utimatum” from S/T demo tape, 2023 (France)

03. DISPOSE “Whirlwind of chaos” from Horror Revival LP, 2013 (Sweden)

04. HELLISH VIEW “Gaza” from Reaper’s Hand EP, 2019 (U$A)

05. SMELL CORPSES “ตำรวจหัวควย (Police dickhead)” from 5 Track Ep CDr, 2018 (Thailand)

06. FORGET “Tragedias” from Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide tape, 2022 (Berlin)

07. KYLMÄ SOTA “Lupauskia” from 10 Tracks LP, 2010 (Finland)

08. CONTRAST ATTITUDE “Death & horror” from Apocalyptic Raw Assault LP, 2009 (Japan)

09. ARSEHOLES “Manmade extinction” from PHL 2019 one-sided flexi EP, 2019 (U$A)

10. DESTINO FINAL “Este dolor” from Atrapados LP, 2009 (Spain)

11. HORRENDOUS “Ain’t no worthless scrote” from War Is Still… 12’’ EP, 2015 (Sweden)

12. REALITIES OF WAR “When will we ever learn?” from Constructs of Life EP, 2011 (England) 

13. NO FUCKER “Bodies in a pile” from Conquer the Innocent EP, 2008 (U$A)

14. KRASH “Devastation” from Devastation tape, 2020 (Canada)

15. MALIMPLIKI “Tiu estas mia” from Elasta EP, 2015 (Japan)

16. DEPORTATION “Wolnosc agresji” from S/T split EP with CONSTANT STATE OF TERROR, 2010 (Netherlands)

17. DISDAIN “Talpuk Alatt Fütyül a Szél” from Alászállás split LP with CRÜEL NIGHT, 2022 (Hungary)

18. TOTAL BANXAT “Kami dengan apa adanya (PEACE OR ANNIHILATION cover)” from Shadow of Death on Dying Planet CD, 2008 (Indonesia)

19. VÄGRA “Drone warfare” from 8 Tracks Demonstration tape, 2016 (U$A)

20. MAQUINA MUERTA “Tormento de hastio” from S/T split LP with DHK, 2016 (Mexico)

21. VISIONS OF CHAOS “Sick traditions” from 10 Tracks EP tape, 2022 (Germany/Greece)

22. DISPLODE “Children’s comes first” from Apocalypse Approaches/The Face of War split EP, 2012 (France)

23. INFEKZIOA “Baxurdea” from S/T demo tape, 2013 (Spain)

24. DISCOVER “Systemet ska bort” from S/T split EP with ANGER BURNING, 2008 (Sweden)

25. MASSACRE DIVINE “Beijando a morte” from Beijando a Morte EP, 2013 (Brazil)

26. GIFTGASATTACK “Hellish inferno” from 8 Track EP, 2009 (Sweden)

27. BURNING//WORLD “Surviving Hell” from Peace Is No Reality LP, 2022 (U$A)

28. DISABLE “…slamming in the depths of Hell” from …Slamming in the Depths of Hell EP, 2020 (U$A)

29. WARVICTIMS “Ceremoni” from Rå-Punk Militia tape, 2013 (Sweden)

30. WARCRY “Burning society meltdown” from Not So Distant Future LP, 2008 (U$A)

31. SKROT “Karlatornet” from This System Has No Heart LP, 2022 (Sweden)

32. DESPAIR “…and they still ignore” from Visions of the Inferno LP, 2018 (Canada)

33. DESPERDICIO “La ciudad portuaria pequeño” from ¡Impulso De Destrucción! EP, 2011 (Japan)

34. LIFE LOCK “In Hell’s inferno” from 2018 EP, 2019 (Singapore)

35. DISJAWN “After the bomb hits” from Blunt Smoke Night tape, 2018 (U$A)

36. KAWAKAMI NIGHTMARE “Hiroshima” from S/T split Cdr with Нулевой Эффект, 2012 (Ukraine/Belarus)

37. REGIMEN DE TERROR “Guerra total” from S/T EP, 2023 (Spain/Finland)

38. DISHUMAN “Victims of war” from S/T demo tape, 2021 (Portugal)

39. NIGHTFEEDER “Asylum” from Cut All of Your Face Off LP, 2022 (U$A)

40. KRIGSSYTEM “Gas attack” from War Profit? demo tape, 2023 (Greece) 

41. KRITIK “Eget slaveri” from Damaging Distort compilation tape, 2021 (Sweden)

42. ULTIMATE DISASTER “Ruination” from S/T demo tape, 2024 (U$A)

43. FORCLOSE “Hunger” from S/T split tape with DROGATO, 2021 (U$A) 

Volume one

Volume two:

01. ANGER BURNING “Leftovers of war” from When LP, 2012 (Sweden)

02. BETOE “Miedo” from Caminando Sobre Ruinas split tape with DHK, 2014 (Venezuela/Brazil)

03. ANGUISHED LIFE “Bloodstained death” from S/T one-sided flexi EP, 2022 (U$A)

04. DISLICKERS “Final apocalypse” from S/T split EP with GIFTGASATTACK, 2007 (Sweden)

05. EARTH CRUST DISPLACEMENT “Wall of destruction” from Distruction Never Ends split EP with ANGER BURNING, 2014 (Germany)

06. TOTAL SILENCE “The price of war” from Mass Death and Sorrow LP, 2015 (Brazil)

07. DISKOBRA “Sorvadas” from No Hope in Future, No Future in Hope split LP, 2017 (Hungary)

08. DISPUTA “Disaster” from demo recording, 2007? (Spain)

09. BESTHÖVEN “Death don’t choose” from Tomorrow’s Hell EP, 2020 (Brazil)

10. DECADE “Prelude to war” from A Deadly Game of Make Believe EP, 2018 (Canada)

11. DISTRESS “Делай, Что Тебе Говорят” from S/T split LP with SUBURBAN SHOWDOWN, 2009 (Russia)

12. GLORIOUS? “City of cruelty” from Who Are They to Impose Restrictions? LP, 2016 (Sweden)

13. FOSSE COMMUNE “Humans are dead” from S/T tape, 2017 (France)

14. NIETOS DE PUTA “Disyuntiva” from S/T demo tape, 2012 (Spain)

15. MISERÄBLE “Anti portazo” from Dbeat Maniacs tape, 2016 (U$A)

16. DECLARATION “They controlled it” from What Is the Reason For Tomorrow? tape, 2020 (Singapore) 

17. ASPECTS OF WAR “Existence/Extinction” from A Look Into the Nightmare tape, 2017 (U$A)

18. DISEASE “Neverending war crimes” from Neverending War Crimes 12’’ EP, 2016 (Macedonia)

19. LÖCKHEED “In the wake of the blast” from 4 Track demo tape, 2019 (U$A)

20. ELECTRIC FUNERAL “Realities of hell” from In Leagues With Darkness tape, 2010 (Sweden)

21. PHYSIQUE “Why survive” from The Evolution of Combat LP, 2018 (U$A)

22. DISCLONE “Armed children” from Once the Genocide Started tape, 2018 (Austria)

23. PISS SNIFFERS “Επιλογή” from Piss or Annihilation tape, 2020 (Greece)

24. SVAVELDIOXID “Som Något Ur En Mardröm” from Första Dagen Efter Sista Bomben LP, 2021 (Sweden)

25. THISCLOSE “The nightmare is real” from One Foot in the Grave LP, 2014 (England/Scotland)

26. FINAL BOMBS “Reality and truth” from There Is No Turning Back CD, 2010 (Japan)

27. BOMBARDEMENT “Warriors of the night” from S/T LP, 2019 (France)

28. LANGUID “Apocalyptic scars” from A Paranoid Wretch in Society’s Games LP, 2021 (Canada)

29. BLOCKADE “Trenches” from Dead Beat At War demo tape, 2017 (Australia)

30. BIPOLAR “Darkness” from Death By Desperation split EP with NUKELICKERS, 2023 (Greenland)

31. SKELETON “Burning Hell” from S/T split EP with SVAVELDIOXID, 2019 (Canada)

32. BÖMBÄRDEO “Guerra nunca más!” From La Vida Es un Infierno split tape with DHK, 2016 (Chile)

33. KRIGSULVAR “Weapons of destitution” from S/T digital demo, 2020 (U$A)

34. MANIA FOR CONQUEST “Endless bloodbath” from Are We Doomed to Repeat the Mistakes of Our Past? tape, 2015 (U$A)  

35. PROCESS “The spectacle continues” from Our Future? What Future? 12’’ EP, 2014 (U$A)

36. DISSEKERAD “Maktspell” from Inre Strid LP, 2021 (Sweden)

37. PROFOSS “Min egen profoss” from S/T EP, 2018 (Sweden)

38. ATENTADO “Todo Está Oscuro” from Todo Está Oscuro EP, 2009 (Spain) 

39. DISHOPE “Death awaits” from Peace Is More Than the Absence of War tape, 2014 (Germany)

40. BONËCRUTCH “Atomic bomb” from Triumph or Tragedy tape, 2019 (Indonesia)

41. BORN “Before” from Belligerent Onslaught Relentless Noise tape, 2023 (U$A)

42. ELECTRIC MASOCHIST “Are you ready to survive?” From 10 Track Demo!!! Tape, 2022 (Berlin)

43. DEATHTRIBE “In many nightmare” from 3 Track EP plus support/警告 split Ep with KRIEGSHÖG, 2008 (Japan)

Volume two

  

Last Night a D-Beat Saved My Life (part 21): REGIMEN DE TERROR "S/t" Ep, 2023

This is going to be the last part of this wonderful series and I won't probably be writing about d-beat for a good few years because I have officially run out of epithets and attributes to qualify this peculiar emphatically and crucially redundant punk subgenre. And to wrap this all up, I would like to introduce you to what was undoubtedly my favourite d-beat record of 2023: Regimen de Terror's second Ep. 

A couple of years ago I did a compilation entitled The Beat to End All Beats (that was incidentally removed from youtube for "inappropriate content" which is pretty hilarious considering all the turds floating around on this platform) illustrating the explosion of the d-beat trend from the early 90's to the mid 00's. Well, if you will pardon a self-reference, this Ep could be considered as "the d-beat to end all d-beats". From all the records that I tackled in this series, Regimen de Terror's is not just the one that sounds the most just like Discharge, as it can be argued that it is not humanly possible (I shudder at the thought of what AI could do to our D) to sound closer to Discharge (in the present case to Why). The quest has never been deprived of contenders, some very talented ones getting undeniably close to the Holy Grail, but this two-piece might take the cake and have almost achieved something that is both the ultimate goal to reach and yet an unthinkable taboo: actually sounding just like Discharge. Do we really want a band that actually sounds just like Discharge? Or just love the idea of it? Do we just want bands who strive and crave to achieve the unachievable, something both romantic and rather unreasonable that cannot and must not be achieved? Isn't the journey and the struggle, the process, the cult, the quest the whole point? What happens if the coyote finally catches the roadrunner? A feeling of pointlessness or the sentiment of victory and satisfaction? 

In any case, Regimen de Terror is a two man operation run by Mikel from Spain and none other than Janne Jutila, a d-beat legend (he's on the drums obviously) who played in Time Square Preachers or Dismachine and owns D-takt studio. He was in charge of the mixing and mastering and you can tell he knows how to express his abundant love for Discharge. I mean, the man lives and breaths d-beat, he probably had "Decontrol" as his wedding song for all I know. To be fair, strong, energetic and dynamic is the actual Discharge beat on this Ep and he does not stray from the canonical path (the one and only "undischargy" moment is the Japanese style opening roll on "Visiones del futuro" but I am being picky). The riffs are straight out of Why and are played with conviction and aggression. The vocals are in Spanish, which, because of the sonorities and scansion of the language, brings some classic local dis-bands to the table, but to be honest, they sound a lot more like Cal holidaying in Barcelona than MG15. The accentuation is superb and confers to the songs a genuine and almost disturbing Discharge vibe. Inside the paroxysmal restrictive obsession of d-beat, Regimen de Terror manage to create an even narrower path, almost touching the last pint glass that Cal drank out of during the last gig of the Why lineup (the d-beat equivalent of the Holy Grail for Christians). The quest might be a shibboleth but if it were to be achieved, would the gates of Hell actually open?

This very fun, very angry, very energetic raw d-beat Ep was released on La Vida Es Un Mus (because Paco deep down loves his "just-like-Discharge" d-beat) and I am sure you can find it easily. 

Regimen de d-beat terror 

Last Night a D-Beat Saved My Life (part ): SMELL CORPSES "5 track" tape Ep, 2022

If there is one thing that punk taught me - beside the fact that poor hygiene can be considered a proof of one's dedication to the movement by platinum punks (to my mother's eternal despair, I must say) - it is that it's an international movement. One that we should value for it. While the random wanker on the street will probably only listen to popular mainstream American pop music and its local equivalent (because who doesn't want to be American?), the proud punk, the one who cares, who connects, who is blissfully oblivious to basic tuning and fiercely unbothered with dodgy musicianship, will fearlessly strive to discover noisy music that most people won't listen to anyway, done by fellow punks all around the planet. The knowledge that we are part of a worldwide DIY underground movement always felt quite glorious and vertiginous at the same time. Sycophantic me, I know.

But how is that possible in a world that looks so fragmented, polarized, dislocated, dangerous, rooted in prejudice, fear and high shipping costs? There is no easy answer to this but I am sure clever people who have been provided with grants from official institutions to explore this issue as part of their PHD program and publish a thesis that no actual punks are going to read will come up with something major. In the meantime here is my pissant take on the subject: punks basically share a common language. In spite of all our differences, we understand the language of punk. Because of the tremendous diversity of backgrounds, we all have specific stories to tell and there is no denying the very real impact that historical processes, to be understood materialistically, have had on all of us. Living conditions, gender, race, poverty, national origins, all define and sometimes divide us and even I am not enough of a naive zealot to believe that owning a Doom patch suddenly makes everything alright. And yet, we share a tacit common language, a common set of cultural references, shared DIY practices, a penchant for spiky hair and the habit of being chased down the streets by hard blokes on mopeds. And we all love Discharge, right?

Whenever I hear the average vapid Joe (or Olaf or Carlos or Piotr or Jean or however dull people are idiosyncratically known as in your area) claims that he listens to "a bit of everything" when what he really means is that he listens to any old crap that he is subjected to when shopping at Asda, I feel like getting my Smell Corpses tape out of my pocket and make him listen to it while patronizingly explaining that this is my version of listening to a bit of everything: the usual d-beat raw punk formula tastefully done by a punk band from Thailand. I'm sure this was what Marx meant when he claimed that workers of the world should unite.   

So Smell Corpses are from Thailand, from Phisanulok to be accurate, in the North of the country (not that I would initially have known since I have never been) and this delightful recording of d-beat raw punk seems to be their first gift to the Gods of D. Or is it? The band also appeared on a DVD compilation released in 2018 entitled Kawakami Forever 2017 and including Singapore-based bands like Lifelock or Braincëll who have already been dealt with on Terminal Sound Nuisance. Of course, I am going in circles but who isn't? As for the present recording, it was originally self-released as a cdr in 2018 and reissued on tape first in 2021 on the Japanese label Harimau Asia (who also released material from The Rebel Riot from Burma) and then in 2022 on Full Force Hardcore Destruction, a reliable label responsible for tapes from Lifelock or Declaration, both bands that already paid a visit to this series. As I said, going in circles.

With such honourable connections, the careful reader will have understood that Smell Corpses deal in noisy d-beat with a taste for distortion and for the Japanese style. The production is, indeed, quite raw and unpolished but it conveys a sense of urgency and direction that fits the genre. I am reminded of the early days of D-Clone and Contrast Attitude in its most primitive form (the vocals do not lie) but the band still keeps that nightmarish hypnotic vibe that characterizes the Disclose sound or indeed that of Disease. Of course I like it a lot. The last two songs are sung in the Thai language and I have to say it is the first time I hear a punk band in this language and it sounds great and completely d-beat compatible. 

This tape is for the d-beat raw punk diehards, for people who like it noisy and genuine and who support the international d-beat mafia. If you are brave enough the band the Thai label Inhuman Assault released Smell Corpses' second tape Slaughter Still Continues in 2023. Trigger warning: it might harm posers.

SMELL CORPSES

Last Night a D-Beat Saved My Life (part 19): BURNING//WORLD "Peace is no reality" 12'' Ep, 2022

Great men, when faced with uncertainty and chaos, are know to take hard but just decisions while staring mysteriously into the horizon burdened with a truth only they know. This kind of shit. I cannot be called great by any stretch of the imagination, unless you are weird enough to associate greatness with owning a massive albeit rather childish amount of Antisect shirts (unsurprisingly my mum does not belong to that category), but when I dived into the substantial d-beat section of my record collection - it does take at least half of it - in order to select works for this series, tough choices had to be made and I stood tall and made them, cold-hearted, with unshakable resolve. So in a sense, I was kinda great I suppose. However some picks were easy indeed and Burning//World might have been the very first name I wrote down on my list for several reasons upon which I shall presently elaborate.

Peace is no reality, for all its d-beat brilliance (it didn't win the D-Beat of the Year award in 2022 for nothing), did not enjoy the same publicity as other bands dicking around in the same school yard and therefore it felt like a logical choice to rave a bit about the band on Terminal Sound Nuisance what with it being the blog of the underdogs and all. This said, and this is very interesting and revealing, Burning//World still attracted enough attention to garner a number of dithyrambic reviews, actual reviews with arguments, with points being made, analysis, genuine narrative description and unbridled passion (one of them by none other than Jackie Crust War and he knows his shit). In a world where people can't usually be arsed to communicate with much more than memes or emojis or, on the contrary at the other end of the spectrum, offer ridiculously pseudo-intellectual descriptions of punk records "reinventing the punk narrative" in order to sell them at high prices, it was nice and, yes, fun to read decent punk reviews that felt honest in their enthusiasm and read as both very earnest and yet not deprived of ironic self-awareness. I mean, we're dealing with a "just-like-Disclose" band not a Debussy-inspired free jazz orchestra. The label Blown Out Media compiled them on the bandcamp page of the recording so you can take a look for yourself. This very relative abundance of thought-out praises for a simple and very niche d-beat record only confirmed what I instantly knew: Peace is no reality is bound to become a minor d-beat classic in the years to come and not just because the world will actually burn.

I am for once not going to delve on the specifics of the music because others already did it with accuracy and I basically agree with all the terms of endearment. Burning//World go for the Disclose-covering-Disaster-with-Framtid's-intensity-and-Disease's-boundless-fanaticism and they hit very hard, so hard that this might be what set them a little above the friendly and non-hierarchical competition. Heavy riffs, superb distortion, pummeling drums, Kawakamish vocals, this is an artfully made relentless barrage of noizy d-beat raw punk that mirrors the horrors of a world that never stopped burning, it has the ideal length and the songs tell a great story together. 

One does not just stumble upon Burning//World's sonic attack of perfectly executed homage to Dis culture while casually looking for the latest fancy hardcore band online. There is no hype just pure love and anger. You already knew what you were looking for, no need for surprise, there was a hole in your heart that needed to be filled with D love and this is your therapeutic dose. This record is something one seeks for militant confirmation and cultural affirmation, there is no coincidence here. Peace is no reality is a dog whistle for Disclose fans, it is both perfect and cryptic in its reiteration and if it is to become indeed a classic for the initiates, it will be one that unites an already close circle. It is always perfectly in control of what it aims at achieving and for whom (I assume it is a studio project precisely for that reason) and I cannot find any flaws to this record. I mean, it even has a bloody obi.

This crucial confidential record was released on Blown Out Media, a label from Albuquerque I have been following very closely for a couple of years (I mean, they do use the Disaster font and I am an easy man to please) that displays taste for passionate niche raw hardcore punk like Svaveldioxid, Krash or Forclose (yes). If you ever bump into this jewel, grab the fucker immediately.

Burning//D-Beat World

Last Night a D-Beat Saved My Life (part 18): LANGUID "A paranoid wretch in society's game" Lp, 2021

Although I am mostly a man of logic and Cartesian rationalism - even if it means rationalising stuff that I probably shouldn't such as my overconsumption of 6 minute long d-beat records - I know how to recognize a sign when it comes crashing into my mailbox. Indeed, I received the brand new Languid Lp today and since I had already planned to blabber on about these craftsmen of the D, I instantly thought that the Gods of punk were urging me to get off my lazy arse and finally get to it.

A simpler mind would be tempted to state the obvious when talking about A Paranoid Wretch in Society's Game, namely that it is quite possibly the best d-beat album of the past 10 years (and if it does not make it at least to your top 5 you're clearly in the wrong room amigo) and be done with it and just get on with a boring life made worth living through the acquisition of objects that give meaning to the big great void and alleviate the existential pain. Just ask any nerds that collect Star Wars toys. Languid's feat with this album cannot be taken lightly, after 30 years of devout Discharge imitators' monomania (also known as "playing d-beat") they still managed to produce a significant record of some length (24 minutes) that captivates the listener by offering a genuine, tasteful collection of Discharge-loving of songs that sound both extremely familiar, in the best possible way, but also meaningfully better than most bands who try to do exactly the same thing. To be fair, this Lp is close to perfection. It feels seamless but I would guess the boys gave some serious philosophical thought to the raison d'être of the ultimate d-beat song. What constitutes a memorable d-beat song? One that must fundamentally sound exactly like a predetermined pattern? Vertiginous shit. You know when Miyamoto Musashi fucked off to the countryside in order to watch potatoes grow and think about life, well my bet is that Languid did a d-beat version of that that includes cider and a hair-charging workshop. 

It has to be pointed out, cheekily perrhaps, that Discharge cannot be considered as Languid's main influence. They are all about Meanwhile really (it wasn't mastered by Kenko for nothing), a band that turned Discharge love into Discharge lore and tried really hard to sound like Stoke-on-Trent's renegades. Languid do the same thing with the Swedes musically but that doesn't really make them sound "just like" Discharge but more like a band that strives to sound like Discharge, so it is basically the worship of the worshiper rather than the worshipee. Know what I mean? They sound like the brilliant soundalikes if you wish and when you are a modern d-beat band I suppose that is the best you can wish for. To "sound just like" with gusto, finesse and a tendency to crack your brain up. Languid have everything going for them here, the great Swedish-style dis riffs like Meanwhile or early Disfear that are classic but not generic, galloping drums that would prompt a legless man to steal a bike and ride in the sunset, a singer that does not growl or shout like a hyena on speed but rather uses a hoarse anger-driven but comprehensible Cal dialect, but perhaps more importantly, and that's probably the main feat here, one that I cannot quite put my finger on, it can have to do with the overall dynamics and balance for all I know, but Languid manage to rock without playing rock-n-roll. There is no flashy solos or thrashy bits or Motörhead nods or garage sound or anything, it is just pure fucking impact and moshing power. It would even make my dad's foot tapping. Granted, the members of Languid do have great hair so that might enhance the rock power too.

2017's Resist the Mental Slaughter was really promising and upon hearing it, a strong "just like Discharge" force I spotted; 2018's Submission is the Only Freedom was a confirmation and the settling of a strong Meanwhile d-takt style; 2021's A Paranoid Wretch in Society's Game was the crowing glory and a band at the top of the league (I skipped the Ep because it is one I have actually never grabbed for some reason, probably because it has a white cover). I predict that this Lp will still be talked about and revered in 20 years time and it stands as a genuine modern d-beat classic and an instant addition to an already glorious and fascinating canon. I know some are a little torn over the band's visual aesthetics and I agree that, at first, I was of the opinion that it was more fitting for an orc-themed crust band that love Bolt Thrower or Cimex fanatics like Guided Cradle. But because the band has stuck for it and used a similar theme and template, I have grown fond of it. 

This jewel was released on none other than D-Takt & Råpunk in Europe and Desolate Records in the U$ of A. 

A paranoid beat in society's game

         

Last Night a D-Beat Saved My Life (part 17): DISABLE "...Slamming in the Depths of Hell" Ep, 2020

Surprisingly, only two punks bands, to my all-encompassing knowledge, went for the name "Disable" despite the very punk-compatible implications of the meaning and the presence of the crucial dis prefix: one from Łódź and one from Atlanta (which we will cover today). It is unlikely the latter ever heard of the former since the Polish Disable were mainly known locally and only released a cdr demo in 2003, although they were also active for a little while in the mid-90's (it had members of Homomilitia and Lost so it's quality stuff and was recently reissued if you are not a poser). Therefore our Americans must have felt pretty good about themselves with this apparently still available moniker. And if you will allow a cheesy dad joke I take full responsibility for, Disable are definitely able to Dis.

I don't know whether the Atlantans are still going strong - they hopefully are - but their first demo was released as early as 2010 so that they can be said to have been relatively experimented in the D-game when this Ep came out. Arguably, Disable is a perfect example of a typical 2010's d-beat band. They could never be said to be main-eventers - like a Physique for instance - but they certainly belonged to the upper-mid-card if I may use a wrestling metaphor. This might have to do with their town of origin, Atlanta, which, from an outsider's perspective at least, cannot really be said to have a "punk town" status and nowhere as authoritatively cool as New York or Portland or Richmond these days. In any case, they enjoyed some nice records and notably a split with the ever prolific Warvictims from Sweden but I see ...Slamming in the Depths of Hell as their crowning glory, and not just because of the unsubtle Discharge reference in the title.

The past decade saw a formidable shift in the d-beat subgenre and the roots of this evolution that took this hardcore punk philosophical praxis by storm can be found in the 00's, with bands like No Fucker or Contrast Attitude for instance. This transitional decade was not particularly rich in strict "just like" d-beat bands, possibly because everybody had gotten bored with the 90's d-beat wave that had heavily lost steam by the 00's and I suppose people just did not see much point in mimicking Discharge beside a couple of nerd-focused exceptions like Warcry. The glorious comeback in the 2010's was different because, whereas bands mostly concentrated on Discharge imitation before, the new breed went heavily for Disclose's and distortion and a cult for the band and Kawakami rapidly developed. They became a legend. A band whose d-beat style was once rather unique suddenly turned into a significant source of inspiration and I believe Disable illustrates this move (they don't use not one but two different Disclose fonts for nothing) along with bands like Disease or Aspects of War which we have already tackled in this series.

Disable started out as a much rawer and primitive affair and guitar player Jeremy (who left the band at some point) originally handled much of the vocals while on ...Slamming in the Depths of Hell bass player Ben is in charge of the shouting and screaming during and possibly after the gig. To be honest, I prefer Ben's voice to Jeremy's as it is lower-pitched and sounds closer to the original Discharge impersonators and bands like Cracked Cop Skulls and even Hellkrusher or Final Warning or maybe Varukers (a British vocal vibe, but I could be going deaf too). And you know I am a sucker for doubled vocals in my d-beat and in this case it confers an old-school feel to an otherwise pretty modern take on the distorted d-beat style. There is a lot of Disclose in the mix ("duh" as Gen Z's would probably agree) but Disable do add some dis-crasher influence as well, especially in the drumming and the use of pedals and Japanese bands like D-Clone or Contrast Attitude are lurking in a quite visible background. I like it a lot and the mid-paced "False flag" is a wonderful idea although it might have been wiser to put it on the other side. A very solid Ep released on Brain Slash and Audacious Madness, a then very young label I am very fond of.  

Finally this writeup would be incomplete if I did not mention the split with Warvictims. It did sound odd when I listened to it for the first time and for good reason (so I am not completely deaf after all). As the band explained on bandcamp "the songs were all sped up in order to compensate for the excess length of the tracks" which is one of the punkest I have ever read about a record. Noise not music indeed.

Slamming in the depths of dis