Easily the best Fugazi album ever for me!
It’s incredible how much emotions & atmosphere they evoke here with just a guitar, bass & drums. It’s hardcore punk-rock but the songs don’t fit the industry standards, they just define a new set of rules all by themselves...
The guitars sound avant-garde without being arty-farty, ranging from subtle chords to raging riffs & the rhythm-section is as funky as hardcore can be. I like how they fit all these different moods into a 3,5 min song, like Tool, but even less theatrical.
Also in the instrumental tracks, these true musicians don’t lose themselves in long solos, but work together as a well-lubricated machine, aiming for your belly. All this without hi-tech studio-wizardry of course, I don’t think they sound a lot different “live“ than in the studio.

The vocals are sometimes whispered sometimes screamed. The lyrics are important here, mostly easy to comprehend & understand. Ian MacKaye is not just an angry teenager, who’s mad at the world! No, he grew up together with Henry Rollins & he shares his analytical view on the problems of our modern society. Personal frustration remains a never ending source of inspiration & political slogans a morphed into great sing-alongs.
“Never mind what’s been selling, it’s what you’re buying!”

I remember my excitement when I mail-ordered this from the USA & my parcel finally arrived, that feeling never quite went away…
Favourite tracks: the whole album!