Discharge ‘Protest and Survive: The Anthology’
Album Review By Adam McCann
BMG Records/Hardcore Punk
Dig beneath British punk bands like Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned and you’ll find later additions to the scene; a plethora of bands which although never hit the same commercial heights but all added something darker, twisted and noisier to the punk tone. One of those bands are Discharge, a band who helped pioneer the mantra of ‘noise not music’, inspiring metal bands like Metallica and Celtic Frost, as well as the likes of Rancid. This year has the British band from Stoke-On-Trent releasing ‘Protest and Survive: The Anthology’, a compilation celebrating 40 years of Discharge.
Unlike a lot of compilations devoid of love, robotically manufactured by record companies in an attempt to boost records sales (usually in the event of a death within the band), ‘Protest…’ has been excellently compiled, spanning two discs with a beautiful gloss booklet, this compilation has everything that any fan of Discharge could want over 53 songs. Furthermore, this anthology digs into the deep cuts, providing demo tracks, rare songs and the unreleased ‘Descending Into Madness’.
For the hardcore Discharge fan, there is probably nothing here that they have already not heard or own. However, what they do get is an exceptionally good compilation. For the passing fan or those looking to get into Discharge, ‘Protest…’ provides a treasure trove of goodies that show Discharge at their best. There is plenty to digest here and if this compilation proves anything, it shows just how influential this band actually is and just how criminally underrated and overlooked they are.
Rating : 85/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
