Jeff Janiak

Jeff "JJ" Janiak (born November 4, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of hardcore punk band Discharge and darkwave band False Fed. He was also the vocalist for Broken Bones, Dead Heros and Wasted Life. Janiak has contributed to various other musical projects and has toured internationally. His vocal style has been described as shouting, harsh and guttural.

Life and career Jeff Janiak was born in Livingston, New Jersey on November 4, 1976, and spent the first years of his life in Irvington, New Jersey until moving to Toms River, New Jersey in the late 1970s. Janiak is a relative of the actor William Campbell.

Janiak's introduction to playing music began at the age of 12 when he taught himself how to play the drums, then at the age of 14, he started his first band Chaotic Discharge.

After an eight-year hiatus, Janiak returned to writing and playing music. Janiak made his come back not as a drummer, but as a vocalist. He had joined the band Dead Heros in 2002. In 2003, Janiak recorded his first release with the band at Twain Studios with recording engineer Bob Both and producer Marty Munsch who would teach Janiak the basics of recording production. In 2008, Janiak left Dead Heros. He then left the US and moved to Stoke-on-Trent, England. and in 2014, Janiak was recruited by punk band Discharge. In 2016, Janiak made his vocal debut with Discharge on the End of Days album which was released by Nuclear Blast Records. The album reached number 10 in the Official UK rock charts and number 23 in The Indie Charts. In October 2016, Discharge did a North American tour in support of the album.

During the corona virus pandemic in 2020, Janiak formed the Darkwave / Post-punk band False Fed and was joined by members of Amebix and Ministry. The band recorded their debut album "Let Them Eat Fake" on Neurot Recordings and it was released in October 2023.

Influence Janiak has stated that Jim Morrison of The Doors was the biggest influence on his vocal style.

Discography

False Fed Studio albums Let Them Eat Fake (2023)

Discharge Studio albums End of Days (2016)

Singles New World Order (2016)

Live albums Live 2014 (2015)

Music videos New World Order (2015) Hatebomb (2016) The Broken Law (2017)

DVD Discharge – Legends of Punk Vol. 1 (2019)

Broken Bones EPs Vigilante (2013) Dead & Gone (2013)

Music videos Tread on Me (2014)

Wasted Life

Studio albums Weapons of Self Destruction (2013) It Means Nuthin' When You're Dead (2011)

EPs Wasted Life (2009) The Zombie Sessions (2018)

Music videos Bad Habits (2014) Why Me ? (2013)

Dead Heros Singles Schizophrenic (2008) Dead Heros (2003)

Live albums Live at CBGB's (2004)

Compilation Nothing to Lose

Demos 2008 Demo 2002 Demo "Same Story, Different Page"

Chaotic Discharge Demo 94 (1994) – Cassette

Collaborations

+Jeff Janiak studio collaborations Year Song Artist 2017 "Let's Hang" Suspect 2019 "Alphabetty Spaghetti" Paranoid Visions 2019 "Conspiracy" Blitzkrieg 2020 "Free Speech for the Dumb" Deafbrick 2020 "Deflated" Star Control 2020 "Pharamaceutikill" Unholy Alliance 2025 "Am I Seeing This Clearly" Kirkby Kiss

Live

with Cavalera Conspiracy on "Protest & Survive" and "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" at O2 Academy 2, Birmingham, England (2019) with Conflict on "The Serenade Is Dead" at Rebellion Festival (2019), at The Underground, Stoke-on-Trent (2018 & 2019) with Blitzkrieg on "Conspiracy" at Rebellion Festival (2019) with The Take on "It's My Life" at Temple of Boom, Leeds (2019) with Vice Squad on "Last Rockers" at The Box, Crewe (2010)

Film and TV appearances

Discharge – Legends of Punk Vol. 1 (as himself) (2019) Rock and Roll (episode 8 "Anger"; Sky Arts documentary) (2017) Rascal - Punk in Belfast. As it WAS, as it IS (documentary) (2017) Waxx (TV mini-series as himself; guest appearance on Ace of Spades) (2016) Oatcakes ! (documentary; as himself) (2014) Wasted Land (short film; as thug) (2012)