13 Songs - Fugazi

Advantages: Its by Fugazi so you know it's gonna be good
Disadvantages: Not as good as they can do

...Fugazi are the kings of hardcore guitar music and even though this is their weakest album it is still obvious why they remain on top of the 'wannabe shaven headed nutters' that churn out albums of noise on a regular basis. Fugazi are one of the few hardcore bands that understand that melody and structure are just as important as sounding very pissed off. Neither of the two singers from fugazi can actually sing but they manage to rant with such amazing confidence that it really doesn't matter in the slightest as their voices are ideally suited to the music. Fugazi have once again pulled off the amazing trick of doing something with a guitar on every track that nobody else would ever even think of doing. This results in all the songs sounding original in the same manner that nirvana sounded original even though they were only playing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Cheap, Great intorduction to the band
Disadvantages: I cant find any fault, all the tracks are; for me great, but all very different

...of Black Flag. Additionally, Shut The Door, with it's almost Police like tranquil rhythm section, and, then the complete opposite crunch of guitars, and shout of 'She's not breathing!' The other albums by Fugazi are: 13 Songs (1989) (combines Fugazi and Margin Walker) Repeater (1990) Steady Diet of Nothing (1991) In on the Kill Taker (1993) Red Medicine (1995) End Hits (1998) The Argument (2001) All the albums were released on The Dischord label, owned by Ian MacKaye and Minor Threat band mate Jeff Nelson. The band doesn't usually charge more than $5-$10 for a show, and they allow fans of all ages to go. They don't sell merchandise, and all their albums were sold at around $10. Also the band will not do interviews for magazines with alcohol or nicotine advertisements, as MacKaye is straight edge. Out of the other Fugazi albums I own for me... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: One of the best hardcore albums. Amazing guitar work. Aggressive and mellow
Disadvantages: You can buy it from Fugazi's label for $8 and yet HMV still want £13!

...'In On The Killtaker' is in my opinion Fugazi's finest album of aggressive hardcore punk shouting and surgically precise yet messy guitar noise. This album is one of the few hardcore albums I have ever heard where the essential self indulgent artiness (if thats a word) of hardcore guitar music is allowed to mesh perfectly with the aggression of punk and good songwriting skills to produce a sound that many bands attempt but few ever achieve. As I said in my other Fugazi opinion, this band have an amazing skill of doing stuff with guitars that nobody else would even consider doing. As a result we get riffs using the guitar as a percussion instrument, riffs using insane trempicking (guitarists will know what I mean) and riffs that would appear to be just a collection of random picking and harmonics but work in the context of the song... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful