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Avg: 4.5 (198 ratings)
- Date Released: June 1, 1984
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Punk
- Label: Dischord Records
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We Say...
As the flagship act for the Washington harDCore scene, Minor Threat distilled their rage with a ferocity that paralleled (some say surpassed) the mighty Black Flag. But instead of raging out of a need to articulate disgust and combat ennui, frontman Ian MacKaye saw to it that the band brought a sense of personal responsibility to their light-speed subterfuge. Minor Threat were the architects of "straight-edge," a movement that advocated abstention from drugs, alcohol and casual sex. The band's legacy in punk history was built on a value system not usually found in a genre that routinely celebrates decadence: That, and guitarist Lyle Preslar's ability to throttle his guitar faster than a severed hand spinning in a blender. Minor Threat's entire output could fit on one side of a C-60 cassette, but the marks they left on punk (from the blink-and-miss-it aesthetic to the code of straight-edge) are still relevant today. (Their contributions on the vibrant DC compilation Flex Your Head — which includes a cover of Wire's classic "12XU" — are also worthy of your genuflection, as well.)
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They Say...
The only official album Minor Threat ever released was a mere eight songs -- but that was enough. Building on the promise and fire of the band's earlier singles, Out of Step instantly became iconic for American hardcore, not to mention for the D.C. scene, for years to come, as well as any number of bands who conflated personal and social politics. That any number of restrained turn-of-the-century emo acts could refer to songs on Out of Step as much as fiery punk's-not-dead revivalists is demonstration enough of the record's impact. By this point the band had moved beyond the straightforward explosions of sound that characterized the earliest numbers. Songs like "Betray" and "Little Friend" contain sudden, heart-stopping pauses, with full-bodied production that's as much thrash metal as it is trebly punk squeal. Lyle Preslar and Brian Baker both have at the guitar this time through and do the instrument proud, creating memorable, snarling riffs that rip out of the speakers without apology. Jeff Nelson's drumming is equally powerful, but Ian MacKaye's outraged performance provides the real killer touch. Even if it requires the lyric sheet to catch what's being said in particular, there's less in the way of declarative statements of purpose and more expressions of looming worries, his conversational asides adding a touch of melancholy even at the most high-volume moments. Besides a re-recording of "Out of Step" from the In My Eyes EP, other high points include "Look Back and Laugh," an uneasy but ever-more-tightly wound confrontation with the reality of growing apart being entangled with growing up, and the powerful "Think Again." There's a secret highlight, though -- "Cashing In," appearing unlisted at the end and showing that MacKaye and company had a definite sense of humor, pokes fun at their own glowering image even while rocking out with aplomb (and including, of all things, a concluding burst of strings).
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| 01. |  |
Betray |
3:04 |
|
| 02. | |
It Follows |
1:50 |
|
| 03. | |
Think Again |
2:18 |
|
| 04. | |
Look Back and Laugh |
3:16 |
|
| 05. | |
Sob Story |
1:50 |
|
| 06. | |
No Reason |
1:57 |
|
| 07. | |
Little Friend |
2:18 |
|
| 08. | |
Out of Step |
1:20 |
|
| 09. | |
Cashing In |
3:43 |
|
09 Total Tracks, 21:36 Total Length
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Credits
- Minor Threat - Main Performer // Steve Hansgen - Group Member // Jeff Nelson - Group Member // Ian MacKaye - Group Member // Lyle Preslar - Group Member
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