Review Summary: Ian MacKaye is a superb human being and Minor Threat is the classic DC Hardcore band. The discography is a breezy listen that aptly shows the evolution from punk band to punk staple.
Ian MacKaye is a superb human being. His lyrics may make him come off as a bit of an asshole, but it’s all a lot more personal than his lofty punk persona would make people believe.
Mostly he’s a superb human being for being in superb bands. He started a movement with Minor Threat, and help shape the beginnings of two subgenres- emo and post-hardcore- by appearing in other bands (Embrace and Fugazi respectively.)
I mention Ian MacKaye because that’s what you feel like you’re listening to when you listen to Minor Threat. Just Ian MacKaye and a backing band. It’s not a bad thing, though. The guitars, drums, and bass for the first part of the album are standard punk fare. Blistering fast power chords on the guitars, guitar-line on the bass, and a 1 2 beat on the drums.
That’s not a drawback, because everything is so tight and aggressive that it serves as the perfect backdrop for Ian’s lyrics about feeling isolated from the world. Most of the songs deal with the things that piss him off because he just doesn’t understand them on a basic human level. His singing is so perfectly off-key and almost sounds like spoken word at times, although at others he sounds supremely pissed off.
The second part, consisting of the Out of Step LP, Minor Threats only full length album, has Minor Threat evolving into the band that their EPs hinted at. True, most of their powerhouse songs (Straight Edge, Screaming at a Wall, In My Eyes) are all from EPs, but Out of Step sounds so much more rehearsed and adult. It also sees a vast improvement in presentation and musicianship from the acquisition of a second guitarist and a new bassist.
The third part is the Salad Days EP, which was release posthumously and hints at what would have happened if tensions in the band hadn’t bubbled over. Everyone but Ian MacKaye wanted to take a direction similar to U2, which is most evident on the last song, entitled Salad Days, which puts to use harmonics and even bells. Ian MacKaye refused to play anymore and the band broke up because what is Minor Threat without Ian?
Minor Threat are one of the most important bands of all time. They spawned plenty of copycats and a lifestyle choice that’s not necessarily advocated by most of the band. Minor Threat will always be overshadowed by Ian’s later achievements with Fugazi, but their mark on the music industry and the world is still felt today. Hell, without Minor Threat there would be no Dischord, so they deserve some credit for that at least. Aside from being important, it’s just great, fast hardcore punk. If you want to get into hardcore punk, give this a try.
that's the best hardcore I've heard, even better than this.
