Discordance Axis

Lore & Background

Discordance Axis was originally formed in 1991 by Jon Chang under the name Sedition, after recruiting guitarist Rob Marton and drummer Dave Witte. The band did not have a bassist and changed their name to Discordance Axis in 1992. They commonly avoided photographs and live performances. Steve Procopio played with the band live on a few occasions and recorded guitar on the Necropolitan EP (1997). In 2000, the band released their third and final album, The Inalienable Dreamless, which was acclaimed.

In April 2001, Discordance Axis announced that Rob Marton would be leaving the band due to severe ear damage, resulting in their breakup. The band's final show is commonly cited as May 12, 2001 at ABC No Rio, with Procopio filling in on guitar, though the band simply ceased activity without a widely documented final show. Following their disbandment, Chang formed Gridlink in 2004, while Witte became known for his role as a drummer in other bands such as Human Remains, Black Army Jacket, Burnt by the Sun, and Municipal Waste. In 2019, Chang and Marton reunited in the band No One Knows What the Dead Think, who released their first and only album in September 2019 through Willowtip Records.

Reader's Guide

Discordance Axis holds a significant place in grindcore history for their distinctive approach. Initially playing straightforward grindcore influenced by Napalm Death, they later developed a more original style. Robert Marton's guitar lines were both technical and dissonant, with creative overdubs, while Dave Witte added complex rolls, fills, and jarring rhythmic shifts to the usual blast beats. Jon Chang alternated between a shrill shriek and a 'gastrointestinal' roar, basing most of his metaphorical lyrics on novels and anime. The band had no bassist, and their full-length recordings were released in DVD cases rather than CD cases, accompanied by unusually large booklets with long liner notes for each song. Their avoidance of photographs and live performances added to their mystique. The band's breakup in 2001 due to Marton's ear damage marked the end of a notable chapter, but their influence persisted through members' subsequent projects, including Gridlink and Municipal Waste.

Did You Know?

• Discordance Axis was originally formed under the name Sedition in 1991.
• The band had no bassist throughout their existence.
• Their final show was at ABC No Rio on May 12, 2001, with Steve Procopio filling in on guitar.
• Seth Putnam of Anal Cunt jokingly accused them of plagiarism in a song titled 'Stealing Seth's Ideas' from the album 'I Like It When You Die'.