Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Shades of the ruts, bits of dead kennedys and a splash of killing joke.. and not a clicktrack anywhere to be seen.. Fuckin loved it.
I get what they're going for and this is probably very well respected in the punk community but it's not for me. At least it's short.
I didn’t realize this was their only album. A short 22 minutes of punk goodness. Fast, loud, and angry. I like it.
Not a punk fan
good that it's an EP. i wouldn't of been really able to listen to much more of it... it's just noise to me, sorta punk i'm not really into. though really can see an audience for it
Small, but nice little punk album that is enjoyable with simple brilliance. They would be brilliant hearing them live.
I really liked this. Hardcore punk isn't normally my thing, but this hit just right to be something I enjoyed. My only complaint is that it was really short. 4.5/5
3.9 Nice. Always liked a bit of 80s American punk. NOFX was my gateway drug as a teenager. A worthy inclusion on this list, can't remember heading anything from this exact genre yet.
Stepping out. Punk greatness.
YEAAAAAH
Punk
Early punk
some hardcore rock music! nothing really stood out but for sure a head banger
What a wonderful perfect 10 album from my youth. Still holds up.
Bæsj på leggen, du er en dårlig Turboneger Eggen
уважение к первопроходцам но это альбом не попал под зонтик "начала жанра не так тяжело слушать как секущей этап", просто много громкого панка не для меня
Time and time again, bad singing ruins a band's otherwise fine (even good) instrumental section. This is one of those times. The vocals sound drunken, half-baked, and horrendously produced. The lyrics are presumably important, but they're so buried in the mix (mostly obscured by the crash-heavy percussion) that all you can hear is vaguely melodic moaning. It brings the record down at least one full star. I do like that the guitar and bass kind of "flow around" each other. Together, they're large and in charge; chunky yet funky. They make certain elements of the music, like the riff in Cashing In, really pop. Unfortunately, not all tracks are created equal in this way. Despite the album's runtime being a mere 20 minutes, the consistent, aggressively high energy really starts to drag around the 10-minute mark (with the only upside being that the final track is a solid album finisher). Earlier songs like Betray and Look, Back & Laugh are also mild standouts. 2/5 Key tracks: Betray, Look Back & Laugh, Cashing In
Love the album art
Not my cup of tea
Despite having heard Fugazi's music before, I never really circled back to Minor Threat, not even despite the fact that their discography is basically like 45 mins on a discography compilation and realistically just 3 really short EPs, so while I got this I also took the time to listen to those eps (and by took the time I mean just 9 and 7 mins while I was prepping dinner). Honestly, the sound for the first 7" are fine, nothing too mindblowing but it has the exact type of energy and drive that good Hardcore needs and it's no wonder that so many people took to Minor Threat, I think the S/T suffers from the fact that these feel like VERY rough songs with little in the way of something too distinct, In My Eyes by comparison has more interesting ideas and all around sounds louder which I like but still is held back by being so short in length. Out of Step though I think delivers on the promise of what In My Eyes was doing with a longer length and better concepts/sound, it's not just these guys banging at the guitar real hard, there's some great drive behind the music and how they play, so many of the songs venture into some weird riffs like in Betray or Little Friend and it stands out so much in a good way. All of this leads to an ep that's not only more consistent but has more to give from Hardcore than Just anger and self-righteousness; one that I don't mind at all, the last song even reminds me a bit of the Dead Kennedys in its mockery which is always a plus. I think it was a good idea to circle back to these 3 EPs because it gave me a better sense of their growth from scrappy punk band to less scrappy punk band that has even better ideas, to the point that I see how from here they'd make something like Fugazi's first two eps only a few years later. It's the kinda progression I'm a sucker for in discographies and obviously: This EP is great, 20 mins of solid hardcore is nothing to sleep on
🎧Wtf this is an EP, not an album
1/9, 11%
custom_rating: 6.5
If I'm not mistaken, this was one of the bands that really helped shape and inspire the American punk scene, along with kind of being the forefathers of the Straight Edge movement. Anyway, like most punk, this is extremely basic. It sounds like any group of 3 people who are minimally competent with their instrument of choice, and a random singer/yeller who could literally be anyone. That aside, it's not terrible. some of the songs are pretty catchy, actually. I'm never blown away by the technicality of any of it, but it's fine. It starts to get a little same-y, but one thing I love about punk is that the album is only 22 minutes. That's not nearly enough time for me to get super annoyed. 3 stars is about right.
Pretty solid punk rock. Not quite the Clash, maybe closer to eth Ramones without anything catchy.
On paper I should love this. Punk is in my number 5 loved genres, but this just didn't move me. Maybe because I didn't get a word the singer was saying. Will revisit someday. For now a 5. Nothing against it not in favor of it. Null.
Meh. Two stars.
7.5/10. This is such a short album, and it features a load of energy.
Unlistenable, frankly. It's a tough exercise because I just can't with certain genres but it might be the best of it's kind
Major ugh!
I wish I had realised sooner how much I like punk. Great album, spiky, harsh, angry, vibrant, powerful. If you don’t like this you’re probably part of the establishment.
Very grunge heavy not a terrific album to listen to the whole way through.
1/6 terrible
Short and shouty, perfect to set me up for a day's hiking.
Hard to extract much in terms of melody from the dissonance. Still, it's more my lane of punk than the last two records I had (Ramones s/t, Crossing the Red Sea w/ The Adverts). Minor Threat/Black Flag is inseparable in my head from the Freaks and Geeks episode where James Franco tries to go punk. I've read Our Band Could Be Your Life, I understand the significance of these bands and this scene, but in 2025 it all feels just a bit like caricature to me.
Listening to this album I thought it not out of the ordinary but then I looked at the release date and they were ahead of the times.
I get that this album may have its place in history, but it has no place in my history.
Not my thing. Fine, punk, short.
Too fast
I haven’t listened to this album in years and that’s a damn shame. As good as it gets in the genre.
# 440 : 20/03/2025 : Reminds me of a high school band trying too hard and not really in tune with each other.
I understand the historic/musical importance of hardcore bands like these, but it’s hard to listen to. Luckily it’s often over before you know it. 21 minutes is completely fine
The best part of this “album” is that it’s only 22 minutes long (hardly a full length LP). Nothing interesting happening here, can barely understand the lyrics. It sucks
not for me
not bad but still just kinda whatever punk
Really awesome and concise album full of anger and discontent that manages to stay pretty relatable and fun. Cuts straight to the point and seems pretty ahead of its time for hardcore punk. Surprisingly catchy and groove heavy at points and pretty solid songwriting for hardcore especially when it comes to the lyrics which are often pretty basic across hardcore and punk. Energetic and just fun to listen to, especially at just 21 minutes long, I actually just stuck it on twice more afterwards. Production isn’t great but I love it and it kind of adds to the album experience as a whole. 4/5
Meh. When’s it’s more melodic and not just out-of-sync yelling it’s pretty decent but that’s not much of the record. 4/10
Comes in, does what it intends, snotty, angry, intelligent, tuneful and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Kind of a pure punk aesthetic, not a dull moment, wasn’t looking for hardcore punk when this came up this morning, but shit it had me grinning after the 1st play. 4 Star, a great 21 mins,
Classic punk record. One to spin all day.
Super fun song structures, riffs, and bass lines. This was excellent. It also was high energy and short which was nice. Minor Threat is one of those bands I haven't listened to much of but I should have and still should. I listened to so much "straight edge" music in high school I probably should have spent more time with its roots.
In every art form or genre there is an artists that defines the culture. In rock climbing, this was Royal Robbins or Yvon Chouinard. In Jazz, its Miles Davis. In punk, its Ian MacKaye. And while Ian did that again and again with many bands, it all started with Minor Threat. I can totally empathize with someone who listens to this one time and absolutely hates it. When I first heard this record in 9th Grade, I couldn't understand why it didn't sound like blink-182 or even the more raw sounding Rancid. Its brash, heavy, aggressive in ways that most bands at the time weren't. Even the hardcore bands that I grew up with had high production values and effects behind their vocals to make the screams more palpable. This record is so raw, but I think its absolute perfection. Its the turning point of punk music. It's about something. It's social, politics, ethics, morals. They were truly trying to say something and define something in this music, and they did it in a way that most artists at the time couldn't. This is an essential album for anyone that enjoys punk in its various forms.
Pretty short album. Most of the songs sound similar to each other; no stand outs. Festival background music type music. A bit of a boring album. Wasn't bad but wasn't great.
This sent me on an exploration of the difference between hard core and punk. Not sure I absorbed it, though
Fast, aggressive, angry, beautiful Short and sweet A4 for sure
Didn’t even have to listen to this one…..but I did! Loved this album and band since high school. Angry, brash, loud, and awesome. And some hidden melodic elements too, which made it different from some of the other bands of the era. This is the smart punk Henry Rollins wishes he could have come up with! Love Cashin’ In. Always thought it leaned towards what Fugazi would end up doing.
(I wrote this review for this album and then accidentally left it on Def Leppard Hysteria instead so…) Shout out to the album cover. That's the best part. The fact that 8/10 of the similar artists section on Apple Music also have black and white group band profile pics that look the exact same as theirs says a lot about how unique and special this music is. I honestly struggled really hard finding a song I’d be happy having in my best of playlist. Just boring and loud.
You know, at least this album was really short. It was really just a headache though. I was 4 songs in and didn’t even realize I was they all sounded so much the same.
Essential
NOISENOISENOISENOISENOISE!!!!!! And all the better for it.
The best thing about this album is it's length. I was pretty bored the whole way through, but at least it was short so that's nice Standouts No Reason Cashing In 2/5
American punk album where it all sounds the same. Gave up after 3 songs
Unimpressed
Like most punk, this one unapologetically shits the bed. Usually I can at least enjoy the musicianship of a punk album but this time I genuinely don't know when a song ended and a new one began. EVERYTHING sounded the same throughout. Noise for the sake of noise
Hard-core punk
Regular punk. Boring.
Overall: 10/10 If anybody ever asks me to describe hardcore punk to them, I'm just going to take them to the nearest music store and buy them this album. The vocals are perfect, the riffs are aggressive and the drums are classic punk rock. Plus, it's an incredibly short album so you can listen to it sooooo many times in one day. In fact, you can listen to Minor Threat's entire discography in less than an hour! Fav Song: Think Again Least Fav Song: Sob Story
Quentesential hard punk. All fat trimmed, only righteous anger and powerful sound remain
Short and sweet. 3/5
I don't remember listening to it but it must have been chill
Noise
Favorite Track: Cashing In
Just noise
Punk seems to either click for me or not. At first this was the latter but then it really started to work. It's just the kind of music you have to be in the mood for. I recommend for vacuuming
While not the earliest major punk release - Misfits have them beat by a few years - Minor Threat were Ian MacKaye's first band, who would go on to shape punk in his own image. The music itself is pretty great! I tend to think early hardcore is pretty quaint by today's standards, but the riffs here are legit and the drumming is awesome (especially on the first track).
I loved that we finally got a punk/hardcore record on this list. It was over so quickly that I don’t have a ton of thoughts, which is exactly how I like it. Ian MacKaye’s vocals and Jeff Nelson’s drumming stand out most to me, but the guitars trading off riffs was cool as well. This album is a great example of DC Hardcore at its best.
Somewhere between the ferocity of Minor Threat’s first seven inches and the melodic focus of Fugazi’s debut lies this oddball of hardcore. It’s not the best as the songs and lyrics don’t have the power just right; they’re still being mixed like a live hardcore band. But there’s a glimmer there. MacKaye’s vulnerability is what shines through on this record, pushing beyond the straight-edge manifesto of “Out of Step” and into deeper feelings. There’s ambivalence where there was once dogma, and it’s like watching someone grow up on real time. Unfortunately that means that the songs are scattershot in quality. “Look Back & Laugh” and “Out of Step” are classics, while “Betray” and “Little Friend” capture some of the hardcore vibes. But the value here is seeing a band in flux, and that’s not enough to get a ton of stars.
kinda rips. idgaf about straight edge culture but the bass tone is pretty silly
As a fan of fast aggressive music, I enjoyed this one. Nice and short too.
You can tell from the album cover that they do not go with the flow! I had an OK time listening to this album. I have never liked this genre much as I'm more of a melody/harmony enjoyer than an energy/evocation appreciator. Vocals are good and they are impressively consistent. The few melodic vocal parts help pace it out and offer some respite from the shoutin'. There's something to be said about how honest and genuine the lyrics are, even if I wasn't sold on how it was articulated. In "Think Again" it was interesting how the bass guitar came in and out of the mix and was an interesting way to vary the dynamics. Again, I haven't listened to much punk, but I struggle to see how this would have pushed the envelope in any way.
Just a cool 21 minutes of groovy punk to make you want to buy a skateboard. This one flew by. Ending a song on “boo fucking hoo” - you love to hear it. Shout out to Cashing In for having the most polite opening lyric in punk “How do you do, I don't figure we've met My name is Ian, and I'm from Minor Threat You know I tell them, usually, to be at their best”. This is at its best when the bass takes the lead and switches up the sound a little, big fan though. 5 songs added to my playlist, 8 added to the 1001 playlist
What's the point in saying anything, these guys don't care what I think! Nothing much to say about it, having largely blurred into a fairly likeable background noise. Sounds like Green Day borrowed (in homage of course) the chord progression at the end of "Cashing In" for the bridge in Holiday. It might just be that it's simple enough that they came up with it independently, but with the duality of the lyrics between the two songs,it fits. Serendipitous to have listened in close succession I suppose.
Solid album throughout but it is missing any standout songs. Ain't no Waiting Room here. What this is though is a vibe, and a strong consistent one. It's gonna be in my regular rotation from now on though. It's short, it's punchy, there's a lot to dig in as this is not a punk band made up of kids still learning their chops. Highlight: Think Again
I just discovered I don't like punk.
A lot going on, I was overwhelmed. Speedy, snappy, and aggressive. Why so much shouting? Not a tuneful melody in sight. Not my thing personally, too hardcore lol. Glad it was short.
I'm happy this album was short. I'm happy it was short because of how bad I wanted it to end. The vocals were annoying, and everything was very repetitive. I did like some of the heavy bass lines, especially at the beginning of the first song, so it gets some pity points for that. This album gets a "The Next Day" by David Bowie out of 5. 1.25 Favorite Song: Cashing Out just for the cool bass line Least Favorite: Everything else
Hard and fast, just how I like em!
Good stuff. Not as good as Fugazi, though.
Could probably copy and paste my Fugazi review. Not my thing, but I like the ideas.
Annoying punk. Luckily it's only 21 minutes long
Please stop giving me albums where they just yell at me - although this yelling wasn't as bad as the previous yelling.
Punk is probably my least favorite genre.
Cool stuff.
Well, it was short. Very punk-y. Punches you in the face, then gets out as quick as f**k. Kinda respect that. Top tracks: "Betray," "It Follows," "Cashing In"
When I first listened to this album (a few times) last week, I enjoyed it a fair bit. This week, upon returning to it, I find it a bit abrasive or too DIY. That's probably not too surprising given the lead of Minor Threat, Ian MacKaye, went onto form Fugazi. Both very DIY. And while I think these guys bring a different level of depth to their sound than most 80's punk, it's still very rough sounding. Also, looking back at other reviews, I didn't really love post hardcore except for Fugazi's Repeater. The rest is just a little too raw for me. So is this. I appreciate how we got to post-hardcore (or straight edge) from this hardcore punk band but I think I have to give this album a 3. Cashing In was a great song, but the rest were...shrug.
Very cool music over mostly cool screaming (I didn't like when they doubled the vocals and he was out of tune with himself). But generally this is a great example of "less is more" - a full LP of this would probably be too much, but 21 minutes is just about right (I was feeling a little exhausted by Little Friend and Out of Step, but really liked Cashing In). Enjoyed rocking out to this album. Favorite tracks: Betray, No Reason, Cashing In (I didn't like the out of tune singing in the chorus, but it was just a really fun song).
Fast-paced, energetic, just what you want from a punk album. Pretty bog standard for one though
Solid early hardcore punk.
How do you do, don’t figure we’ve met. My names Ian, and I’m from Minor Threat. Out of Step is a great sobriety song
A great early punk album
Hardcore straight edge noise ain’t for me. No hate just nothing to hang my hat on here
Dan - Shouty punk. Not a fan
I don't love Minor Threat as much as some of their contemporaries but still a solid entry in this list.
Пиво - круто Ебаться - круто Кладмен - мудак 7/10
I feel this to be an exclamation mark of an album (!). But, despite the energy, I found it a little tiresome. It's like too much of a good thing makes you feel a little sick ... well, this was not enough of a good thing - played very loud and fast ... making me feel a little bored. Not even the fun of the too much bit before I got sick of it. Maybe calm down and think about the lyrics. And melody. Then speed it up. Don't start at 100mph and crash into a wall. Pointless. Just saying. 5 for energy. 2 for interesting content.
Thrash Punk? Maybe they were influential but this is crap!
Christ
This delivered a much needed speedball energy hit at 9:30 on a Monday morning in the office. Power chords baby!
Ok
1001? That's as many people that showed up to their live shows over the course of their career. Yeah! A band that was super influential to a shit genre of music. Whooopie! The people that need to listen to this already have and they have shite taste in music. I deserves less stars than I can give it.
It was only 21 minutes long, but completely wore out its welcome for me in 15. Not terrible, but one-note and extremely tiresome to listen to.
A solid album, but I'm coming to realize that a lot of the punk I like just happens to be the mainstream stuff. That said, this was still pretty enjoyable, with wild instrumentals and somewhat distant vocal work. It does come off a bit samey, but I like energy. 'Look Back & Laugh' was my fave from this album.
Straight shouting for 20 minutes.
minor threat rocks
dit is voor mij te hard.
Rocks pretty hard. Not for the faint-hearted.
Absolute classic!
Well according to Wikipedia this is an EP, which sounds about right as it's only about 20 minutes. It's certainly in yet face.
Raa raa raa something
Angry noisy can hear a lot of pop punk in hear man.
Fast and furious fun. Hits hard then does one, perfect hardcore punk
These boys are very angry about ... Umm ... Something? I did listen to the album and read some of the lyrics, but I couldn't tell you whether they didn't get enough pocket money when they were little or they were getting about the injustice of the capitalist machine.
Short and sweet, screamy shouty, punky punk, pulling no punches, what's not to love?! 🤘 ...cup of tea anyone?
No no no. 1?
круто
I cannot tell you how little I enjoyed listening to this once or how much I don’t want to listen to it again
that was fine, it didn’t really catch my attention at all until the very last song.
Fine idk I don’t care about this kind of music
Very little distinction between tracks, could just as well been a 21 minute rant. True to the hard punk genre this album was a presentation of angry yelling & when the “artist” was seemingly at a lyrical impass the “F” word was inserted liberally. Understandably clear why this was their one & only release.
This feels like the type of album Nirvana and Green Day listened to nonstop during the 80s. It's good, it's punk rock, not too much else to be said. In my initial review I said this was british punk rock, not realizing that this was in fact American. Therefore, by my scoring metrics, it receives an additional star.
Kicks so much ass. Every band member is on their A-game here. Constant forward momentum over a brief 21 minutes. Probably could have put the complete discography compilation on the list.
I've seen the storyline played out so many times before. Oh, that goes in there, then that goes in there, then that goes in there, then that goes in there... And then it's over. Oh, what a hell of a show, but what I want to know, what exactly do you do for an encore?' Cause this is hardcore
old punk. 'tis what it is.
cool punk record. didn't really do anything to compel me to love it but it's short and sweet and full of attitude. it was a fun ride, I almost wish it was longer!
Nothing like being screamed at for 30 minutes
Bien !! No es mi predilección
21 minutes of thrash.
Well that was different. Rapid-fire delivery, the entire thing was over before it began. The drummer is amazing. The rest of it is, sadly, too punk for me to enjoy, but I appreciate it.
Noisy post-punk. I wasn't really in the mood, but I didn't hate it.
Not my jam
pretty cool EP by ian mckaye and the boys. this was apparently a pretty influential album in the straight edge movement.
Full of bright and powerfully directed energy!
Does this achieve what it is trying to achieve? Yes, i think so. Is this made by people under 25 for people under 25 who probably consider themselves angrier and more marginalised than me? Yeah most likely. Is it well performed and produced? I would also say yeah, I think so. Was it brief? Yes most definitely. It almost seemed to me like the album was recorded in order, and their musicianship improved as they went along, as I thought the final 3 songs were the best. The final song, Cashing In, was probably in my opinion the strongest. I'm not entirely sure what to give this as I probably won't come back to it, but I don't think it deserves a 2. I'm gonna give it a 3, but If I was in the target audience, or a bigger fan of the genre, I could see why others may get more from this.
So I haven't done a review on here in a long while because I found RYM but I had to comment on this because Minor Threat is one of my favorite bands of all time. You may ask why then did you give this three stars and that is because this is easily the single worst project they ever released and for some fucking reason it is the one that Robert Dimery picked for the book. I originally assumed no Minor Threat project would be in the book because they never released an album just EPs and singles but Robert made an exception for this project and missed out on putting their self titled EP which is easily the bands most critically acclaimed and most beloved project by fans. It has so many of the most popular tracks like "Minor Threat", "Straight Edge", "Seeing Red", "Filler", "I Don't Wanna Hear It" and "Screaming At A Wall". Instead you pick this EP which is nowhere near on the same level and has just one track that I think most fans would put as a top tier Minor Threat song in "Betray". It is just illogical to pick this EP when the self titled is literally there. I think it is probably because this project is closer to album length but who cares. You are already making an exception since it is an EP you might as well put the bands best project in the book. If you wanted to do it this way then you should have just put the bands Complete Discography compilation album. I get if you don't want to put compilations but this is a different circumstance since the bands whole catalogue is basically the length of a regular album. Just a baffling decision that really does a disservice to one of the greatest punk bands of all time.
This goddamn book keeps feeding me punk, and I keep asking it not to :(
Just read Our Band Could Be Your Life, so this was fun. Real solid punk.
Solid punk record - given it is on the American punk side I’m not the biggest fan - I’m more of classic UK punk - but this is still quite a solid record throughout
The difference I’ve noticed between American and British Punk over my years of listening to both is that America seemed to do Proto-Punk better, solidified sound and then sort of stuck with it, while British Punks moved on from the sound pretty quickly, incorporating different sounds and influences into a Punk framework, pushing forward a more innovative Post-Punk scene. American Post-Punk bands did exist, but for the most part, the US’s Punk scene doubled down on the hardness and sounded quite a lot like Minor Threat. Out Of Step is a good album, it bounces through it’s 22 minute runtime enjoyably, is full of interesting riffs and righteous anger at the state of the world. My only issue is that, comparing it to where British Punk had gone by 1983, it, and quite a lot of the Hardcore scene in general, seems a little conservative. This isn’t Minor Threat’s fault, and I still like it as music, but heart belongs to the restless experimentation of BritPunk
pikkusen tota.. pikkanen uhka nämä heh.. uskomaton allegorinen konsepti... musta lammas... juoksee vähä toiseen suuntaan näätkö? smart music... tämä on meidän vastaus monimutkaiselle musiikille!!! extended play albumi ja lyhyitä mätkäisyjä huutaa ja rummut pam pam pam kitara trumm trumm trumm... mitäs sanot tähän? ei ole paljoon vastaan sanomisia ja jos on niin haistaakaaaaa kukkaneeeen kukkaneeen haistakaaa kukkaneeen keskisormet ylhäällä haistakaaaa kukkaneeeeen haistakaaa kukkaaneeeen keskisormet huojuu ja heiluu ylhäällä haistakaaa kukkaneeeen haistakaaa kukkaneeeen hei kaikki liittykää mukaan: haistakaaa kukkaneeeen haistakaaa kukkaneeeeeen haaistakaaa kukkaneeeeen!!!! think again
Very much enjoyed
I like this kind of thing in short bursts maybe but man a full album of this is way too corny.
I had to think about why I like this record when I dislike most hardcore albums. I think it mostly boils down to 1. liking the bass grooves and guitar licks 2. the yelling not being completely atonal and 3. the drummer being incredibly talented.
Good solid punk album
I really liked the sound of this album, mainly because I also really like minor threat! It wasn't very long though, which is not weird because most punk songs are only 1 or 2 minutes long. Will definitely listen to this again!
Another great album to play Tony Hawk Pro Skater to
5/5 Consistently memorable riffs, great change ups and a solid sound produce an amazing album. The rawness and realness is refreshing, as well as the shortness and simplicity. Betray 4.5/5 It Follows 4.5/5 Think Again 4.5/5 Look Back & Laugh 4.5/5 Sob Story 5/5 (FAV) No Reason 5/5 Little Friend 5/5 Out Of Step 4.5/5 (LEAST FAV) Cashing In 5/5
One Minor Threat song — pretty good Two Minor Threat songs — ok I get it Three Minor Threat songs — ok thats good enough for me for now Album ends — actually I came back around on it
Ok...the EP is better. And Fugazi is FAR better. 3/5
1. betray - 1.5 2. follouuz - 1 3. think - 1 4. look - 1.5 5. ztory - 1 6. reazon - 1.5 7. friend - 1.5 8. ztep - 1.5 9. cazhing - 1
A rough and rowdy hardcore punk EP that is a lot of fun and fizzing with energy, but nowhere near as interesting as MacKaye’s later work with Fugazi
Cashing in was a great tune. I had to wait to the end of the album to get to a song with meaning and not just noise. I did not enjoy this album. No Melodies and pointless lyrics. Favourite song: cashing in Least favourite: tracks 1-8 Album artwork: I love the album cover
Twenty two fucking minutes and they still do more than some of the albums on here that are three times as long. Not in terms of range, all the songs blend together with few exceptions, but in energy. I understand it’s only twenty two minutes, but it still has my undivided attention for that time. All members are talented pertaining to both instruments and vocals. Everything is as it should be. Quite a nice little record they’ve made for themselves here. 4/5
Ah to be young. Good stuff
Why on earth is this on this list? Shortest album ever with 21 minutes? I do not know if that's true (there are EPs longer than that). Other than that, this is just some fast punk stuff, and not very good.
No surprise i already love everything Minor Threat since Fugazi is maybe my favourite band of all time. I think a lot of their best songs are all on the EP's they did, but this is fantastic all the way through too.
Pretty good, I enjoyed it
Fast and furious but not for me.
Noise
Some good punk. The album cover and album title are a bit on the nose 3/5
just not my bag, scraped a 2
I don't need something like that. Minor!
angry, nice to work and to be crazy
Not as good as the Fugazi albums I love, but still fun...
Not my thing.
Nice.
Descent effort
wow I like this! I always adore hardcore punk and this album's cool as hell! No single melody found (in a praiseworthy way)! They did release it in 1983, so I guess this made them the pioneer for hardcore sound? Admirable! What an incredible ride, I truly love this. 5/5. The album cover is a work of art too. Iconic.
Non-descript punk. Best thing about the album is that it's only 21 minutes long.
Wow, such an iconic sound without me having ever heard of them. Sounds like The Offspring, but a decade earlier. This album is fast and gone in a blink, but it's very memorable. It's fast punk, an evolution on what The Ramones and The Clash did the previous decade. Really an incredible album. Betray is great.
actually ok. alternative tock with a dash of punk
An extra star for being only 21 minutes long
I have a lot of respect for the energy and emotions that were put into recording this. But outside of going to see bands perform live (which I used to do a lot growing up) I don't really enjoy listening to punk. I can't really see myself going back to this.
sick.
Would I listen again: Best track: Worst track: Surprise awesome track: Weirdest track: Lyrics: No skips?: Cover art cool?: Notes: Kind of scared to listen to this album I know nothing about it or this band other than it’s punk I think? I’m not a huge punk guy even though I love heavy ass metal music. I don’t find ounk that engaging nor do identify with many of themes of punk. I’m anticipating that production will suck. The guitars and drums will sound like shit and the singing will not be pleasant. Uch this is what I was afraid if. The production is better than I thought but I just don’t care about this kind of music. I could t do it. I bailed.
This is everything that hardcore punk does so well. It's got attitude, edge, energy, it sounds angry and it's shorter than 30 minutes. The fact that it's only 22 minutes long definitely works in its favour. It gets in, shouts in your face and gets out again before you have any idea what happened. It's a lot catchier than other punk albums I've heard which surprised me. I'm still not really a punk guy, but I have to say I can see why this is peak hardcore. It's the best punk album I've heard so far and I can't see it being topped any time soon. A 3.5 which I can't do. Probably a 4 on a good day where I need to listen to something fast, loud and rude, but on any other day it's a 3 for me.
The album goes hard, blasts you with all the energy and attitude you'd expect, but also makes time for actual melodies, harmonics, and even guitar solos! A hardcore punk band that actually showcases basic proficiency in playing their instruments? What a pleasant surprise. And after 21 minutes it's all over -short and to the point. If I was more into punk, this would certainly have been a great listening experience. 3.5/5
Minor Threat is definitely part of the canon of the punk music scene. They deserve their place at the table and this album checks off all the necessary "what is punk music" points. Well, THIS is punk music. For me, the absolute most important part is how it is "real" and feels like they just put it out there, no pretension, no bullshit. It is not overproduced or carefully calculated to be successful. It is unapologetic. I wish the punk era never ended because we all need to rage against the machine and be more unapologetic to the status quo.
Out of Step is the sole studio album by Minor Threat, originally released in 1983. I'm a huge fan of the first 2 seven inches by Minor Threat, but I never got around to hearing this one until now. This is way more melodic than their first efforts. It's a pretty big progression. It's also a bit more polished production-wise. That may seem antithetical to the punk movement but it really works with these songs. This record is definitely a more mature effort from the group. I would probably pick the first 2 seven inches to be included on this list, but you really can't go wrong with this album. It's a truly important recording in hardcore punk history.
A solid punk album. I find that I am either in the mood for this sound or it grates terribly. There is no in between. I like Minor Threat and could see myself revisiting this when I am in the mood. Much like Megadeth, I give this 2.5 stars.
This isn't all terrible - but most of it is.
Album 605 of 1001 Minor Threat -Out of Step (1983) Rating : 4 / 5 Hard punk. The album is described as a "bitter, brilliant eulogy for youthful idealism," capturing the urgency and frustration of the hardcore punk movement. Good listen. Quite short and to the point. My appreciate for punk has grown while listening to the list. This is one of the best I've heard. Seems it is considered a classic in the punk scene.
Finally some energy. My rating is probably biased after being starved by too many mellow rock albums in a row, but whatever. Punk's not dead!
Feeling the urgency of this music more acutely as a 41 year old in 2024 than I ever did when I was first encountering it as a young, sheltered rural kid with no context.
joyfully noisy without being repetitive like a lot of their peers
i find this kind of thing meditative (derogatory)
nine tracks. twenty-one minutes. :chefkiss:
3.5 nice brief 22 minute album. Right to the point no fluff
Ill step out on this one
Yep what you’d expect from a hardcore band although I will say it was a little more elaborate than I would expect - like actual structure, cool bass lines, arrangements. Oddly enough this band showed up as a post on my instagram account and I was able to get a little of their background. Apparently one of the first DIY type bands, self promotion etc. Pretty cool stuff.
I recognize this is emblematic of the genre, I just don’t care for the genre. Noise, shock, and bad lyrics. Cool when I was 15, not interesting 25 years later.
Betray - 3/5 liked the riff change at about 2 mins It Follows - 1.5/5 Think Again - 4/5 catchy riff and great bass solo half way through Look Back and Laugh - 2.5/5 Sob Story - 2.5/5 No Reason - 2/5 Little Friend - 2.5/5 Out of Step - 3/5 Cashing In - 2.5/5
Good thing it wasn't very long. If it went on much longer it would've been turned off and given 1 star
Definitely a banger this. Reminds me of lots of music I was listening to in the early 80's. Think I'll always have a soft spot for a bit of punk and certainly enjoyed this album. It's nice to see something like this on the list.
Another one that passed me by back in the day. So glad to discover it here. Normally I don’t really like hardcore. But this is the singer from Fugazi. And this record is well produced. You can actually enjoy listening. There’s no denying the importance of this record.
I was in a packed mosh pit a couple of days ago (The Chats). It’s an experience that often teeters on the edge between an obnoxious testosterone show-off and a deeply communal experience where everyone simultaneously pummels and take care of each other. Minor Threat is a standard bearer for that cultural experience.
Short, explosive, and fun.
Aika kiva. Tiivis kokonaisuus, hyvä. Oman nimen hokeminen vikassa biisissä, erinomaista. Soititmet soi ja huuto ei kuulosta rääynnältä.
Biisit pitenevät ja materiaali heikkenee yhdellä kertaa. LP löytää loppullisen vaihteen vasta edelliseltä EP:ltä kierrätetyn nimikkobiisin kohdalla. Se on lyhyt, suoraviivainen ja tarttuva HC-biisi. 2,5
Few punk bands have garnered such a fervent fan base the likes of which Fugazi has. People are still waiting for that reunion that is probably never coming. They were absolutely instrumental to the evolution of hardcore punk and post-hardcore in the late 80s and into the 90s. But this is not a Fugazi review. That will come later down the line. For now, what I have is Minor Threat. Which some would argue played an even more important role in hardcore punk’s popularity than the band which succeeded it would. The one thing consistent between these two entities is Ian MacKaye. And as far as I’m concerned, he’s just one of the coolest people ever. I know it’s not Ian doing the cool thing, but if you haven’t seen the video of them performing in that gymnasium by now, do yourself a favor and check it out. You know exactly why I’m bringing it up if you’ve seen it. He is everything I look for in a proper punk band front man. Especially with his voice. It’s not too whiny, but also not too deep and booming. Neither of which fit punk very well. He sounds especially young on this record. Even more so than on the debut Fugazi EP or Repeater. Except this almost can’t even be classified as an album or a full length LP. Much like the Circle Jerks album I heard not too long ago, this is very short in length. It’s barely over 20 minutes. Really the bands whole discography could probably be heard in less than an hour. Which definitely makes what they achieved in such a short time even more impressive. This album peaks at its beginning and its end. By far the best it has to offer. And I don’t necessarily take issue with anything in between that. Most of it is pretty good, and the performances from each member are consistently energetic. This knows what it wants to be, and does a killer job at it. The problem with songs in such a short form is that they require multiple listens for me to really grasp them. And I’m not sure if these songs really have that much replay value. But I can acknowledge that this is still a solid album and one of hardcore punks earliest successes. Rating: 6/10
No thanks
Ah youth. This is the soundtrack to diary of ever Gen Xer. In its time and place it was great. Hindsight is a little cringy.
Nothing to write home about, but still an enjoyable listen.
Loud, fun, high energy. Not really my genre, but this was a fun listen, at least once.
This is another band that I've heard about for a long time, but never really listened to. This is a really solid and really early hardcore album. It is very short, but that's also in keeping with the hardcore spirit. Overall it sounds good, and the production could be a lot worse. It's a fun album that definitely made its mark quickly in the punk scene of the 80s 4/5
Hell fucking yeah
First listen. Ok.
Noisy.
Couldn't do it, sorry. Not on a Thursday, not any day.
Sounded all the same and hard to understand the lyrics. Just not my style of music.
Too much screaming
meh. Normally I like the fast punk feel of stuff like this but this didn't do it for me. Really hard to understand the dude, lyrics were okay. Songs just felt very much like copies of each other. Not really a huge fan of this but it was short so had that going for it.
pros-tracks & album are short. they can play instruments cons-too much screaming w vocals. tracks blended in together
Short album. It was fun but there are many other punk albums I would rather go to. I think after a while they started to get really repetitive especially the vocals Favorite songs: Look Back & Laugh, Sob Story, Cashing In
No liked songs. Cons: Why are so many punk/hardcore bands allergic to singing (or screaming) in key? Why does the drummer only know 1.5 songs? Pros: Guitar and bass are competent and even have some interesting things going on. At least it was over quick 1.5
It's low-key absolutely crazy how this sounds like 2000s or later punk. Truly ahead of its time. Aside from that, I don't think it really stands out though. In context of the 80s, and looking at it as an influential album, it's pretty incredible. But musically, comparing it to its contemporaries, it's another punk album without anything particularly special about it. Still good, though! All the songs do kind of blend all together. Favorite Song(s): Look, Back & Laugh
First time hearing this album, but I can already their influences on other bands I've listened to over the years, particularly acts like Suicidal Tendencies and I cannot help but wonder if their sound inspired Chris Vrenna's drum ideas in Nine Inch Nails songs like "Wish" and "March of the Pigs". It feels like Offspring was probably a big fan of this band as well. You can hear this inspiring the earliest years of Metallica's thrash years on albums like KILL THEM ALL. OUT OF STEP is the kind of sound that I respect exists in the world, but also the kind of sound that I don't want to hear daily, so I probably won't be putting this on again real soon. I need a little more melody and harmony in my diet these days, but I probably would have loved this album when I was 13 or 14 and was quite deep into the skating and freestyle world. I particularly would have been attracted to their straight edge mentality. I also respect the rhythmic tightness of this band. Very tidy, given that it is incredibly easy to be sloppy in this genre.
Meh
Minor Threat was the first American hardcore band I heard. My brother played in a few hardcore bands in the early 90's, so I watched bands in small clubs and I became desensitized to the harshness of music and became a fan of several bands. I'm not a big fan of the frenzy and anger at shows, but beyond that the music is basically an elevated state of punk played by underrated musicians that often supported social issues and activism. Out Of Step is Minor Threat at their best and in some ways is a critical part of the punk story. The songs are fine and top to bottom is a solid album. You can't overlook that the music becomes sounding samey and similar to other like-minded bands and honestly wondered if I was listening to the Circle Jerks, Black Flag or Minor Threat?
I respect the DIY nature and spirit of punk music.
I might be incapable of giving a punk band less than a 4 but I'm fine with that! Hadn't heard of minor threat before or the DC hardcore punk scene tbh (though after a bit of research I find it interesting you went for the album that didn't include their more famous songs Straight Edge or Salad days) but I really liked this album, great to mosh to (alone in my living room at least) and nice fast songs. I liked the last song (cashing in) the best I think. The album art is not great.
Too screamy for me (at least it was a very short album!)
The best part of this was that it was only 22 minutes. That, plus a decent energy to some of the tracks, saves this from being a 1. Would love 1.5 if available. Not my jam.
Not my favorite.
Pretty good hardcore album. 3/5
Hardcore in it's purest form: loud, fast, perfectly controlled riffs and screamed-yelped vocals. An incredible artifact of the do it yourself + anyone can do it ethos.
Zu wenig melodisch
This sort of shouty angry stuff just doesn’t do it for me. I would imagine a large part of the appeal of this would be experiencing it live. I’ve never understood the moshing thing though. Aggressive masculine energy. Better than the Black Flag offering though
I love 80s hardcore. They just have the energy. Also learned today that this was an Ian MacKaye band. So cool, what a legend.
Why is this album on this list?
Enjoyed it very much!
I'm just not a fan of hardcore punk, or a lot of types of punk when I think about it. Out of Step is a classic example of hardcore punk. It is brash, with discordant music, harsh sounds and vocals that, as in most punk music, is hard to understand and slightly angry. There is some clear skill on display with the quality of the instrumentals, but I'm just not really into punk as a whole, just elements of it. I think every song ends up sounding the same, aside from the first 10 seconds.
Great time.
Utter dross
boring as hell
A quick Not my cup of tea but it's a banger. Had a good, short time with that one.
Fast and uncompromising. Love it!
my kind of hardcore
I was never a big fan of hardcore punk so I knew exactly what I was in for. Thankfully, at only 21 minutes, this didn't overstay its welcome.
Pretty damn good! It has a definite UK punk vide, and that's just what I like!
I started at 3 stars. But then I recognized that (-1) There are better versions of early punk rock and (-1) The vocals here are annoying. Still I will give 2 stars because it wasn’t bad enough for only 1 star.
I always loved that Minor Threat was a little more technical than most punk bands while maintaining the attitude and energy of the genre. I’m a fan of Ian MacKay’s next band Fugazi and it’s always good to hear where it all started. I always felt like the transition from Minor Threat to Fugazi parallels At The Drive In to Mars Volta.
Right off the rip, I can tell Offspring were fans of these guys. Maybe AFI, too, but the opening song sounds like an early Offspring song. One could say that they were the Offspring of this music. This is a good follow-up to older punk, or even their first album. It's good for what it is. I really have to be in a mood for this. I'll give it a 3.5.
I expected to hate this album, and while I did not love it, it wasn't bad. The singer actually added more melody to the vocal line than what I was expecting, and there were some unique up-beat syncopations by the band, who were tight in a genre that is easy to be sloppy. I wouldn't put it on this particular list, so it loses a star, but the album is not bad for hardcore punk.
Was this technically good music and singing? No. But did I personally enjoy it? Also no. It's hard to know how to approach music, like this type of punk, that absolutely isn't trying to be "good" in any traditional sense. Maybe they achieved exactly what they wanted to with this album. As I listened, I tried to find something that I could grab a hold of, to appreciate. It was very challenging. I didn't find it very engaging, personally, and it was repetitive, loud, sweary, and the singer sometimes sounded like Sam Kinison. I guess the main point of it is to serve as emotional expression, and I imagine that this sort of thing could be really useful to some people in certain situations, but it just wasn't for me. Now the question of how many stars to give it. I was wavering between one and two, so I'll split the difference and go with one and a half. But I round down, bitch!
Punk is not really my thing. I do like some of the more pop punk sounding bands, but this type of I guess gutter punk? Is not melodic enough for me. These guys do have an energetic, raw sound. The guitar sound reminds me a lot of The Offspring guitar tone.
Fast loud and noisy - I just wish it was longer!
харесвам пънк
Kinda harsh on the ears but the playing by the band is so tight and the energy is great
Punk isnt my style of music. I have heard the same again and again and again...
I didn't hate it but it just wasn't my cup of tea fr fr. Top 3 Fav: no bad no good Top 3 Worst: no bad no good 2.5/5
3/5
This record thrashes. Love the energy and mood on on this one. Punk in its early stages and setting the stage for what’s to come. Solid album.
Not very much into it. “You had to be there to feel it” vibes.
Not my kind of punk
Not into punk these days
The only worse than punk, is punk recorded badly.
Nah.
My girlfriend will probably be disappointed in me for this but I just really can’t get into punk music like this. It’s all too quick and rushed for my liking. I did appreciate the short tracks though, not enough of that on this list!
Klein, aber fein.
Sept. 18, 2024 I'm excited for this one because I like the hardcore genre (post-hardcore??), but I've never been able to get into punk, so I don't think I'll end up liking this as much as I want to. Hmmm yeah this was fine, just not my thing I guess. Very classic punk. 3.5/4
I could potentially like the music here but the hell was up with the singer?! He sounded abit like Jan-Willem in meetings to me. With a good singer I might have given it a 3 or 4.
Mhm I liked a lot the guitar and the style, but the voice was too rough and aggressive, it made it hard to enjoy the music.
Too punky. The songs are barely distinguishable
So much respect for minor threat but their later stuff just hits better.
Semana punkie en este reto, también con una banda que tenía agendada. Ya conocía lo posterior a Minor Threat (Fugazi), así que es como escucharlos a ellos pero en una versión más rápida y agresiva. Punk crudo, directo y sin eufemismos, con sus variaciones musicales en cada canción, mostrando que lejos está de ser un género cuadrado. Mi deseo para estos tiempos es que el punk rock o el heavy metal (o ambos) emerjan renovados y canalicen la furia que tenemos bloqueada por dentro.
As someone who doesn't like punk, this album was not for me but I didn't mind it - I'd put it at 5/10 which is a 3 rating. Rating: 3
I love punk, but not my favourite
personally didn’t LOVE but it is not meant to be loved 🐺 i GET IT and that is enough #inspirational straight edge punk is calling. will you pick up? 3/5
Love a bit of energy
short, lots of energy, but the sound is terrible
Not only the music was influential, but also the message. Still sounds angry and energetic by today's standards, unlike a lot of other old "angry" and "energetic" albums (Bad Brains, Iron Maiden for example). Favorite song: No Reason
Been a while since we’ve had some hardcore punk on the list. This album reminded me how much I like bands like this. Minor Threat move at a breakneck pace and can get a little sloppy but there’s some great musicianship happening here. The guitar riffs interlock with the bass grooves, and the drums fire like a machine gun, pushing the band to keep up the relentless tempo. But it’s never perfect — they fall slightly out of step with each other, which is just how I like my punk bands. It feels organic and chaotic and raw when you play like that. I love how the bass takes center stage a bunch of times too.
Tough, edgy punk. I've seen a million Minor Threat t-shirts at metal shows throughout the years but they never really did enough for me to want to don one. There's just something charming and yet also boring when listening to this album and one song ends and another begins. Each song has essentially the same tones, mic placements, production elements, and when one riff ends it sounds like only a second passes before the next riff (and song) begins. It's kind of kitschy in a sense like "hell yea keep this train rolling", but also beckons a "eh here's another one". I respect it but it's not my favorite type of punk.
2,5 als het kon
A perfectly good shouty punk album. Only 21 minutes long too!
I think Ian’s songs were more melodic and enjoyable. Probably won’t listen again
It least it was over quickly.
jävligt gött ändå
It gave me vibes of sick of it all, nice!
I was not expecting to enjoy this album very much, and on my first listen through my mind didn't change. But the album was so short I played it twice and I connected with it more the second time around. It's a solid little album and they might be playing fast, but they hit their notes for the most part. Lyrics are a lacking a little but great compared to most punk.
This is the only studio album from this band, but the lead singer would go on to be the lead for Fugazi. This is pretty hardcore punk, short songs, dirty sounding drums and guitars, loud vocals. It’s not really my thing. I like punk that’s a bit more polished, I struggle with this ‘80s hardcore stuff. I recognize that it probably had a big impact on what followed, but that doesn’t really make me like it that much. Also like their whole thing I guess is “straight edge” punk, so they have all these hardcore songs but the lyrics are how they don’t drink or do drugs or have sex (literally the lyrics of “Out of Step”). A little odd, but sure. I guess it’s different than what was mostly going on. This is also only 21 minutes, and while I appreciated being able to get it over with quick and move on with my life, it’s barely a full album. This is definitely the shortest thing I’ve come across on this list yet, and I can’t imagine much being shorter. Favorite song: Look Back and Laugh Other: Cashing In 8/24/24
Great dc hardcore punk album
All Bad
Favorite: It Follows Least Favorite: Sob Story
This is a glossier follow up to thier self titled debut. This record is a bit more produced and better timed, and you can tell they have not run out of material
Nah
I’m not too deep into punk, but if you are I’m sure this is great. It’s not my thing, but not bad either.
Hardcore punk - but wasn't punk already dead by 1983? More like thrash metal than the punk that I remember.
i cannooot get behind punk i just dont like iittttt :(
Thought I'd hate this, and it'd just be noise. It was definitely noisy, but I actually quiet enjoyed it. I think I'm glad it's 21 minutes long though.
Feel woozy. Not in a good way. Threat level understated.