Discharge

"Will the rich rock star ever cut their inspirer a cheque? Hell no, they'll just talk about them a lot. Doesn't pay the fuckin' bill though does it?" Who would have thought this one bit of dialogue from cult Canadian flick Hard Core Logo could so perfectly encapsulate the legacy of British punk/hardcore/metal quartet Discharge? Almost single-handedly responsible for the most vitriolic, aggressive and uncompromising music this side of well, anything, their influence is still resounding decades after their first crushing fits of angst came pounding out. And while few will actually give this band the time, attention and praise they deserve, there are some who get it. Candlelight is apparently one of them, opting to issue this collection of 16 tracks pulled from a variety of the band's stronger releases, boasting a few live tunes to boot. It's a sort of homage-meets-introductory lesson as to exactly who spawned the term D-beat. Call it a "greatest hits," if you will, the handle doesn't really matter. What does is that these songs are fast, furious and incredibly enthralling. Few albums are enduringly great, but even though it's only assemblage of previously released material, Desensitise/War Is Hell is one of them; it's crucial to truly understanding the history of extreme music.