Reviews (page 4 of 8)
It was fun. Overall, I found the album a bit challenging, but it was also fun. I'll listen to it again. 4/5
Album was ok. I never heard of this group
pretty good album! Enjoyed it a bit and added some songs to liked
I had no idea before I listened but I enjoyed it
I get the mass appeal this band has and it's legacy, these songs feel raw, and get their point across in a great way, it's a staple of punk and it's themes.
Better than other mainstream garbage like the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
This album definitely had that cool grungy sound that defined the early 90s, even though Fugazi came out of the East Coast scene instead of the Pacific Northwest. The raw energy and attitude are there, and you can hear how they helped shape the underground sound that bands later ran with. The problem for me is that no one song really stuck out. It all blended together in a way that made it hard to find a track I wanted to go back and revisit. The vibe is consistent, but it lacks those standout moments that make you hit repeat. Overall, Repeater is solid in style and influence, but it felt more like an important piece of the puzzle than an album I would want to spin again. Respect for the grit, but not much staying power for me.
Great, classic album
Fugazi’s been a favorite of mine since high school. Any fugazi is good fugazi
Great album, great band. Had heard of them but never heard them. Will be coming back to this one for sure.
Solid 3 to start out, becomes a 2. Ok, but not more.
Pretty unique album. If you hadn’t given me the year you could’ve convinced me it was made anywhere between 1980 and 2010. Every time I thought I knew where the album or even each song was going they would subtly subvert my expectations by throwing in a weird chord in what sounded like a standard progression or changing up the timing or something. I liked it, would give it another listen or two. 3.5
4.6 If I were going to be in a band, this is the band I would want to be in (except for the no booze, drugs or casual relationships)
Not my cup of tea. Quite painful to get through.
Music already has this ranked low, but I don't think there was a single sung note in this whole album. That guaranteed no more than 2 stars. Almost lucky it didn't get 1 star but I didn't bother finishing this album. - What is this intro... Are they playing the guitar with a bow? - Oh no, another terrible singer. Flirting with 2 stars already - Song 3 is an instrumental. I don't mind this one
Experts in their field at the top of their game
Beginnings of something heavy, but the album itself didn't rock my world
I think Regurgitator would be a suitable replacement for this crappy band.
I lost my original notes. It was truly the first artist I'd never heard of before. 10th album review. This was heavy rock, kind of fun but not my thing. It felt like the kind of series intro or scene transition music that you'd hear in a Bourdain documentary.
Ni me acuerdo
interesting
Absolute masterclass of alt rock drums and bass. Other than the title track I could have done without any of the vocals. Highlight track : Joe 1
Some cool post hardcore grooves and a good use of dynamics in these songs. Lost me in a couple of parts but never for long - Interested to delve into the rest of their catalogue and see how things develop after their debut
Really unsure of this. I likely would not have enjoyed it much when it was released either: it's kinda-punk, but with none of the inventiveness, spontaneity, nor energy. Perhaps more time needs to pass before the artistic merits of this album and why it might be in a 1001 best list might become further apparent…
Maybe you wouldn’t be so upset if you’d just take a fucking aspirin.
Repeater ___________ Fugazi 1990 Wikipedia. Repeater ___________ Fugazi 1990 Wikipedia Repeater ___________ Fugazi 1990 Wikipedia Repeater ___________ Fugazi 1990 Wikipedia
I got onto Fugazi a bit late as I was only familiar with the compilation 13 Songs I borrowed off of a friend’s brother after I professed my love for At The Drive-In. This album is great, and really put me on to the whole post-hardcore thing (whatever that genre definition means these days). Listening to it now that I play bass, I can really appreciate what the bass is doing and it’s making me want to learn some of these tracks. Great stuff.
Here we have arguably the greatest "indie" band of the 1980s and 1990s, with their tighest, fiercest, cleanest, most impressive collection. For this general genre of music it doesn't get a lot better than this. I was struck this listen by the abundance of powerful rock riffs, which one doeesn't always first think of when mentioning Fugazi, as well as their more signature qualities, like the intensely groovy rhythm section and the wild freedom of the mangled dual guitar sonics. Fugazi were my favorite band for many, many years, and I still love them very much. This is probably their best album (I would put In On The Kill Taker second, 13 Songs third, and Steady Diet fourth, but that's just me).
There’s a lot to like here. Drums and bass are always dialed in, lots of clever melodies and riffs, some fun technical playing. Punky but not trying too hard.
avant garde hard punk interspersed with some laid back grooves
Direct, straightforward, intense, honest, raw.
I understand that people like this. I also understand that I don't.
I tell you what, I won’t be repeating shit from this album.
An incredibly consistent and solid post-hardcore album. Loved the energy and the attitude, but what I liked the most is how melodic and experimental this album can get. Great examples would be the songs 'Turnover0' 'Repeater', 'Blueprint', 'Sieve-Fisted Find' and 'Joe #1' (if we count the Repater & 3 songs version). I also feel the need that the sound of the bass in this album is absolutely fantastic. Some of the tracks that I mentioned are my favourites thanks to it. My only big complain would be that the song 'Repeater' sounds like it has a lower quality than the rest. In the end, this is a fantastic record and one that I see myself returning to.
Fugazi is a cool band, but this is not a full album of no misses. It feels like a first album and there's nothing wrong with that. It's wildly influential in the underground scenes but that doesn't make it a 5/5.
Looking back having not been aware of Fugazi at the time, it’s clear to see the influence they had. It would have been a different story had they succumbed to a major label, but then things would have been different for everyone else too. Around the time of Repeater I was entrenched in death metal… This album holds up. The band have a natural tightness. Comfortable balance of aggression and innovation. Makes me curious to how it would have been at the time of its release watching everything unfold. Worthy of your time.
Post hardcore/alternative rock . Raw sound. Moody bass lines
Exactly what I'd expect from an album release in 1990. Raw, not over-produced. Easy to listen to considering the genre. I have listened to them sparsely since high school, but never really stuck. Really like it.
okay overall, not my vibe
Groovy
Holy shit the opening hits so hard, but it was brought down by the vocals. I knew the Fugazi singles but hadn’t listened to this album before. The vocals did grow on me over the course of the album. It got a little repetitive sounds but this is definitely a heavy hitter. I bet these shows for this tour were incredible. I’m really glad I listened.
It’s good, clear foundation of 90’s alternative.
very good, immaculate rock vibes
A new discovery for me and I was really taken aback. Incredible guitar sound and very tight, complicated rhythmic foundation. Interesting little riffs too. Teenage me would have been very excited to have discovered Fugazi. The lyrics were good enough but the vocals from both singers didn't do it for me and drops a 5 to a 4.
First completely novel album for me. Was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Enjoyed but not to shout about. I do like some post-hardcore (at the drive-in being my favourite) but this was very average for me.
Solid background noise for landing my kickflips
Nah
Ta perron la neta
Real good and real cool. I like what came after fugazi and before. But I hella respect the contribution to modern music.
Not even my fave but still 5/5
Fugazi is great. Prefer '13 Songs' to this album, as it has the classics I love from them. This one is a bit more mellow (for punk), and is still pretty awesome.
## In-Depth Review: Fugazi's *Repeater* (1990) ### **Lyrics and Themes** - **Social Critique & Urban Violence**: The title track "Repeater" adopts the perspective of a D.C. crack dealer during the city's late-’80s epidemic, with lines like *"You say I need a job / I’ve got my own business / None of your fucking business"* reflecting systemic despair. The "1,2,3, repeater" chorus underscores cyclical gun violence and dehumanization (*"I had a name, now I’m a number"*) . Media desensitization is scalded in *"Don’t you know ink washes out easier than blood?"* . - **Anti-Consumerism**: "Merchandise" attacks commodification with the mantra *"We owe you nothing / You have no control / You are not what you own"*—a direct rejection of band merch culture and capitalist coercion . - **Abstraction vs. Literalism**: Guy Picciotto’s songs ("Two Beats Off," "Reprovisional") favor surreal imagery (*"Desire trips me up"*), contrasting Ian MacKaye’s bluntness. "Styrofoam"’s line *"We are all bigots"* is criticized as heavy-handed . ### **Music and Composition** - **Rhythmic Innovation**: Brendan Canty’s drumming on "Repeater" uses a "shuffle groove" mimicking Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad samples, while Joe Lally’s basslines anchor dissonant guitars . Tracks like "Sieve-Fisted Find" feature post-punk angularity reminiscent of Gang of Four . - **Guitar Textures**: MacKaye’s "siren chirps" (inspired by Chuck D’s sirens) clash with Picciotto’s dissonant Rickenbacker harmonics, creating tension between chaos and melody . Instrumental "Brendan #1" highlights their interplay over a locked rhythm section . - **Dynamic Range**: The 5-minute "Shut the Door" shifts from reggae-influenced minimalism to hardcore fury, depicting a drug overdose . ### **Production** Recorded at Inner Ear Studios (July–September 1989) in morning sessions due to producer Ted Niceley’s culinary school schedule . The sound is "crystalline yet sinuous," balancing live energy with precision: - **Clarity**: Each instrument is distinct—Lally’s bass pulses on "Blueprint," Canty’s toms dominate "Joe #1" . - **DIY Aesthetic**: Raw, unpolished vocals preserve urgency, though Picciotto’s delivery is occasionally slurred ("Two Beats Off") . ### **Themes** - **Dehumanization**: Prison systems ("repeat offenders"), media numbness, and corporate control . - **Personal Agency**: Tracks like "Shut the Door" confront addiction, while "Merchandise" champions autonomy . ### **Influence and Legacy** - **Genre Impact**: Pioneered post-hardcore, influencing Rage Against the Machine (Tim Commerford), Metz, and Nirvana (Kurt Cobain scribbled "Fugazi" on his shoes) . - **DIY Ethos**: Sold 500K+ copies on Dischord Records without major labels; $5 shows countered industry greed . - **Critical Recognition**: Ranked #36 on *Spin*’s "90 Greatest ’90s Albums"; #7 in *Kerrang!*’s "50 Most Influential Albums" . --- ### **Pros and Cons** | **Pros** | **Cons** | |-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | **🔥 Cohesion**: 35-minute runtime with zero filler; tracks flow seamlessly (e.g., "Turnover" → "Repeater") . | **⚠️ Lyrical Bluntness**: "Styrofoam"’s "We are all bigots" lacks nuance . | | **🎸 Guitar Innovation**: Picciotto/MacKaye’s interplay redefined punk guitar ("Repeater"’s harmonic screeches) . | **🗣️ Vocal Obscurity**: Lyrics often buried in mix; Picciotto’s abstract delivery alienates some . | | **⚖️ Thematic Depth**: Connects personal struggle to systemic critique ("Merchandise," "Shut the Door") . | **🎧 Accessibility**: Dissonance and irregular time signatures may deter casual listeners . | --- ### **Verdict** *Repeater* remains a landmark for its **furious synergy of politics and sound**, though its unrelenting intensity and occasional didacticism reflect punk’s ideals rather than mainstream appeal. Its influence echoes in every band that prioritizes integrity over commerce—proving Fugazi’s ethos was as potent as their riffs .
Heavy rock/punk sound, with plodding tempos and monotonous atonal yelling. Pick it up, make your vocals more compelling. Otherwise, pass.
Everything was good, especially bass. Vocals wasn't great, but it was decent. I prefer to listen other things, but I could enjoy this album sometimes.
It’s an excellent blend of metal and punk. The drum pushes the entire train along and the chugging guitars generate the steam. The screaming is the conductor yelling at you to pay your $5 fare, you fucking cheap bitch!
When I was a young 'un, Fugazi were cited as a cautionary tale. The stuff you wheeled out when you wanted to scare the horses. Turns out they're just pussycats. Ok, not quite, but the distance between them and, say, Hüsker Du or Sonic Youth (to name two alt contemporaries who got far more airplay and column inches) is rather small, I'd argue.
Fugazi is one of the bands that always gets cited as a major influence on Nirvana, but I'll confess that I haven't dabbled as much as I probably should have (excuse me while I, once again, imagine what my life would look like if music streaming existed when I was in highschool). After listening to Pixies, another band often cited on that list, I was a little nervous about this album. Fortunately, this went better. Your mileage may vary based on your feelings about punk rock, but for me: if Pixies were "fine", I give Fugazi a "pretty good". 3.49/5
Classic
Good.
Enjoyed that more than I thought I would.
RIBENA 🗣🗣🗣
Tense, taught, and explosive songs from the guys who perfected hardcore and invented emo. By taking their foot off the accelerator they found a way to make the music more intense, to capture a wider range of feelings, to reproduce more moods, to express something even more angry, frustrated, agonized, and charged. They shifted from the guys lashing out wildly to harnessing a latent, seething, aggression with a purity of focus. The rhythm section is the key - locked in grooves with surprising funk play against the dissonant thrashing from the guitars and anguished screams of the vocals. The best thing to ever come out of Washington DC.
Big fan of the mid-paced tracks but not as fond and of the punkier songs.
There are some decent parts of songs here, but there is too much random noise in between. 2 stars or D+.
Is this my rating?
not for me
The song Greed sums up this album, fuzzy guitars, devilish vocals and repetitive lyrics…greed, greed, greed. The one song I endured was Brenda #1 due to it having no vocals. This isn’t pleasant music.
Just a solid record. I feel like Fugazi got boiled down to a meme Hot Topic tshirt when I would have gotten into them as a angsty young buck. My mistake for taking another 2 decades to actually sit down and listen to them.
Not really my bag
"Turnover" and "Blueprint" were the real standouts for me. I was surprised how listenable this album was for me. Punk is hit-or-miss with me. I like that they actually wrote songs rather just the same two chords over and over. I preferred the tracks where there was actual singing rather than the "typical" yelling.
Not bad but the early 90s I have to say - I was kind of expecting a grunge-ish type album resembling an early-days Nirvana and I was dreading it. This has some energy and packs a punch.
Absolutely love Fugazi!! They have a few albums I like more than this but the energy is so good!
This friggin rocks. I love the instrumentals. Some epic guitars and also drums.And it is pretty punk
one of the goat of all time bands... just unreal how good this shit is
This rock sucks
Nothing special. More rock than alternative.
Pretty cool sounds! 3/5
A lot of this passed me by, not in a boring sense but in a sense that all songs faded into one guitar feedback-laden soundscape, with a high point in the title track and a fantastic bookender in Shut the Door. This isn’t meant to be a big artistic statement, though, more of a crazed shouting session - some shouting achieved via vocals, other shouting subbed in with guitars that have the same effect, the sort of sound that would make you want to hang upside-down off of a basketball hoop. Another album that would benefit from another listen, no doubt. I guess that’s the same with most albums that are just ‘good’ on first listen, then can become a personal favourite. For specifics, though, Repeater isn’t as high-energy as it makes out to be from the outset. It’s loud, sure, but not necessarily constantly crazed as some of its contemporaries are. Especially in the finale of Shut the Door, it even slacks off in some sections, making the subsequent loud sections an even better payoff than earlier in the album when they’re in constant supply. I do think I’ll be listening to this again, to at the very least have a listen to the lyrics more closely.
• 3/5 • Some great riffs and tight rhythm and guitar work, but the vocals drag it down for me
I liked it. Got a little repetitive, but the energy is great. Definitely a different style of hardcore. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
I like the music. Just not a fan of the "yelling".
Very average gritty music.
not sure i am the biggest punk rock fan. But it was a fun listen and I may listen to it again later.
Loud and messy like a toddler with a tray of spaghetti. Both are fun until you are cleaning up the thrashfest aftermath.
Loved it, I found it brilliant. Angsty, loud, direct. I like that the lyrics are so straightforward, you could say that this album is minimal: the cover, the short titles, the choruses, but at the same time it is so rich of meaning. Insane debut
That was a great album - I realise I didn't pay these guys enough attention when they were around in the 90s. Blueprint and Shut the Door my favourite tracks
another pretty generic heavy rock album. I will never wish to listen to this ever again in my life. utter shite. 2 stars
My 51 year old European ass has had some blind spots when it comes to early 90s US alternative rock - I was aware of Fuagzi and this much revered album but had never sat down with it - so I'm listening to a lot of these for the first time which naturally strips my experience of any emotional connection. And thus, unlike other records I have discovered recently-ish, through this project and related tangents, this particular flavour of brash, angular, shouty punk noise doesn't quiiite manage to be my cup of tea. But I'm digging it enough & can see why it's in here. Keeping "Shut The Door".
Heard of them, never listened to them. It’s ok
Huutamista, punkkia. Ei mitään erikoista kuitenkaan
You know, I used to be an absolute sucker for this type of standard 90s indie rock. And in a way I still am, I gues it's just that as I discover more music, my standards get higher. And so while this is nowhere near as amazing as Radiohead or anything like that, it's still a hell of a lot better than all the other generic shit that I can't be bothered to remember the name of.
>> The Beatles
A punkier, rockier racket than I expected and I really enjoyed the noises.
Eh it was okay. I wouldn't rush back to it. 3.1/10
Goes hard but remains culty. I know it’s cool and the guys were groundbreaking but I always felt a little arms length during the listen.
Uggh. Hate is a strong word, but this does nothing for me.
Finally something I can vibe to!
Goes hard.
I know this artist/album? is kind of a cult classic, I'm not sure if I really get it but it's a cool enough rock album, not amazing, just fun Sort of a Garage Pixies or somethiiiing?
Not too bad. Some songs are a little slow.
Really unenjoyable listening experience, think it came down to the vocals for me. It sounded like it was trying to be something different. I have discovered a lot of punk/ post-punk through this list that I did enjoy but this album was repetitive and I was waiting for it to be over. I appreciate that it was influential so it avoids the 1 star on that basis.
Some nice stuff, nothing too great. 3 stars
No strong feelings, would probably listen again though.
I’ve always appreciated Fugazi on an intellectual level while never really being emotionally affected by their music. On this listen my reaction is much the same. Solid stuff but doesn’t grab me.
Fugazi fucking rule 9/10
DS-1/Big Muff powered, grungy, hard alt rock. Vocal delivery derived more from punk rock presentation as opposed to more melodic vocal styles of popular grunge and alt rock bands of the late eighties/early nineties. Turnover is a strong start to the album. Repeater (the song) reminds of Rage Against The Machine, although several years earlier. Tom Morello definitely heard this song. Other notables include Brendan #1, Merchandise, Blueprint, Two Beats Off, and Shut The Door. Honestly the whole album is pretty good, not a bad song really - probably helped by the fact that some songs are only a couple minutes long and lead into one another well. Really enjoyed this one.
Cool record, not a fan of when it gets noisy and I was a little worried because of the thin buzzsaw guitar tone right off the bat in Turnover but it all worked out (got used to it?)
Punk is not usually a genre I seek out or enjoy listening to, but this album is an exception. I didn't find the vocals to be as "punky" as they usually are, which was a big plus. But the thing that made this so enjoyable for me was the interesting composition and hard-to-miss drums on every song. The lyrics/vocals weren't the forefront, but it all works well together instead.
You Wanted Everything, You Needed Everything 1001 Albums Generator 75 (07/16/2025) Fugazi are a band without whom the history of punk would be incomplete. They were at the forefront of the post-hardcore movement that emerged from Washington D.C. in the mid-80's (the so-called harDCore scene), which took the hardcore punk from earlier in the decade and combined it with artsier, longer compositions and arrangements. Instead of a constant barrage of sound, post-hardcore is built on constant tension and release and took inspiration from post-punk, noise rock, and more at the time. Repeater is their magnum opus and an album that I had not heard before, but I do love some good post-hardcore, so I was excited to listen. I think the key to understanding this album is in the work of the rhythm section, especially bassist Joe Lally, whose melodic playing adds an interesting layer that interplays with Brendan Canty's drum parts wonderfully. This chemistry is obvious from the first song, Turnover, which sees the guitars essentially slowly strumming chords for the verses, while the primary melody that gets stuck in my head comes from the bassist. This continues into the title track, which also has some really crazy guitar feedback that reminds me a bit of Big Black's style of PHC. This song also shows the funkier side of Fugazi that was a surprise to me. After a slightly forgettable instrumental, we arrive at one of the most melodic songs on Repeater, Merchandise. This almost sounds like an Offspring song, which is a good thing to me. This is one of the most popular songs on Repeater, and for good reason. Honestly, I was also surprised at how low the tempo is on a lot of these songs. Blueprint, for example, feels more like an indie song a la Pixies than what I think of when I think "punk". However, that isn't to say there's no high tempo, high energy pieces of music here. Greed has this really strange start/stop intro and rhythm but once it gets going, it's probably the most punishing song here. I love it. Styrofoam also has a really cool guitar part that feels like a precursor to some pop punk stuff, but the chorus is certainly weird enough to ensure that you do not mistake it for a radio hit. I will say that the slower songs do drag this album down at times. Two Beats Off has a kind of cool palm muted guitar part, but overall, it's not my thing. I also don't love the vocals on Reprovisional or Shut The Door, although the latter has a lot going for it that I really do enjoy. Repeater is an album that is a little hard to get into at first. It took till my third listen to really crack this nut, but I get it now. It is a classic, although I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would. 3.5 that I will round up to a 4. Favs: Turnover Repeater Greed Least Fav: Reprovisional
heard this lots of times already, big fan of Fugazi. a review is hardly needed for this, it's just good Turnover - 5/5 Repeater - 5/5 Brendan #1 - 3/5 Merchandise - 5/5 Blueprint - 5/5 Sieve-Fisted Find - 5/5 Greed - 3/5 Two Beats Off - 5/5 Styrofoam - 5/5 Reprovisional - 4/5 Shut the Door - 5/5 Average score: 4.5/5 (rounded up) i cannot stress it enough, they are ESSENTIAL listening for the genre, especially this album in particular. if you're new to discovering this group, please check out the rest of their discography, you won't be disappointed
Grew into this album still not grabbed me though. Some incredible ideas just not executed as well as it could be
would have given this 3.5 if it was possible!! no particular song stood out to me but i really like this band's sounds
I probably write this a lot but this is the first time I have ever heard a Fugazi album. I obviously know the name of the band but didn't know what their music sounded like at all. Their sound is a lot less hardcore rock and more post-punk and I did not expect this. I guess I should have expected some of it since this band contains members of Minor Threat. I may explore more of Fugazi's discography here in the future, as I enjoyed this sufficiently to do more. Pleasant surprise. Turnover Merchandise Blueprint Two Beats Off Reprovisional Song 1
Never heard of this group, but fun.
Disco entretenido, buen sonido y buenos riffs de rock.
starts off annoying but gets a lot better
Super fun album but loses steam multiple times throughout the album.
Knew of the group, kinda, thought they were metal, was pleased to see they are listed as alternative. Track one was pleasing, went downhill after that. 2.5 rounded down. Not a great week so far.
I respect these guys so much for their ethos, but this album doesn’t do it for me. Much prefer 13 Songs and In on the Kill Taker.
Nearly 4 - great treat of a find. Rocks
Not my favorite style of vocals, but I dig this sound.
Solid post-hardcore album from front to back.
Awesome
While there is fantastic drum work all over this project, and a good amount of variation, it’s quite unmemorable to me.
Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. It did feel all a little bit like noise by the end. I probably would have liked it more if I’d heard it in the nineties when this was more my thing.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Really strong album throughout. I was already familiar with Fugazi and many of their songs. But this was the first time I sat down and properly consumed this album. A real beast of hard core music, I can understand why Fugazi has such a devout following. Particularly enjoyed tracks: Repeater, Two Beats Off, Blueprint I'll definitely re-listen to this; this album requires multiple listening to get the best out of it. Overall, really glad to have checked this out. A 1001 album generator success.
Oh hell yes
Not bad, not spectacular.
Fire
Fugazi could easily be one of my favourite bands if I'd listen beyond this album, but I never do. Their catchy but aggressive aound satisfies a specific itch for me The sound of this album is impeccable. Their energy is captured so well, it makes me wish I had seen them live The album starts and ends very strongly, theres a slight dip in the middle for me but there's nothing I dislike Very close to a 5, could by brought up in future Highlights: Repeater, Merchandise, Turnover
Meh
Starts really strong but gets a little long by the end. Like a lot of punk, a lot about a vibe as much as the music, but there's also plenty of good rocking happening here.
THIS IS NOT A FUGAZI REVIEW.
Straight edge is the antidote to toxic masculinity. Post-hardcore or post-punk or whatever you want to call it but if you aren’t hooked after the cut from Repeater to Brendan #1, get out of the pit! I am probably a bigger fan of 13 Songs, but this album kills, too! I just want to crank it and jump into a mosh pit. Notable bangers: Repeater, Brendan #1, Sieve-Fisted Find, Greed, Two Beats Off, and Reprovisional.
Not much to say here. The first bona fide masterpiece of this project for me and the first that lives somewhere in my own top 100/head canon shortlist. Just 11 straight shots of pure adrenaline to the system. Every time I revisit it, it gets better, and that's like 25 years of revisiting at this point.
Repeater was another album that I bought after seeing it listed in the initial 1001 albums book. It sounded like it was right up my alley, so I scooped up a copy, and gave it a listen. I’d love to tell you that I fell in love with Fugazi on that day, but that’s not the case. I don’t remember hating Repeater, but I’ve never listened to it since then, even though I’ve been meaning to give it another shot. I’m happy that Repeater repeat day is finally upon me, and I’m hoping that I’ll discover a new appreciation for it, now that I’m considerably older, but only slightly wiser. As much as I respect Fugazi for their dedication to their art and their cause, Repeater just isn’t really my jam. I love the lyrics (easily the most hardcore part of their post-hardcore label), but musically, I just like things a bit more melodic. And if traditional melodic structures aren’t there, then I want something weird and wild, like Einstürzende Neubauten. However, neither of those were really present on this album. I’ll do think the rhythms on this album were excellent, almost to the point where the band sounds so cohesive, as if they’re one singular organism, which is an impressive feat. For a post hardcore album, I don’t think Fugazi’s sound is inaccessible, but most people will probably find it a touch boring. Naming this album Repeater, as a contrast to Revolver and revolutions is incredibly brilliant, and I enjoyed how a lot of the songwriting fell in line with that theme. One thing that did surprise me about this album is that enjoyed Guy Picciotto’s vocals much more than Ian MacKaye’s. I’ve always had the impression that MacKaye was the heart and soul of Fugazi, so I was shocked that his vocals weren’t my favorite. I can’t say that I had a favorite song on this album, but there also wasn’t anything that I had a strong dislike for either. Repeater is an interesting album, and a blistering social critique, but it’s not something I’m incredibly fond of listening to.
Grata sorpresa, no los había oido antes, seguro daré un par de vueltas.
Fed!
Kombinationen af post-punk og hardcore havde aldrig ramt så hårdt før, shit det lyder fedt. Fedt at have den her så tæt på Minor Threat, der er ikke særlig mange år imellem men jeg ville aldrig have gættet på det var samme forsanger hvis jeg ikke vidste det
Pretty cool! They sound angry.
Sick album Inspired many other great artists
I'm sure this album is important in the evolution of rock music, but I found it to be a bit of a slog and not as good as I was hoping.
This rocks. Very punk and fast-paced. The music is quick and flows together well paired with the scratchy vocals. Solid record from a band that I know is coveted, but I'd never really listened to before.
Fubarzi
over and over and over
For as raw as it is, the album is extremely polished, well put together and thought out. Knowing nothing about Fugazi, I thought the album was alright, reading more, I thought they are awesome. Wish I knew about em in era.
- hat mich leider nicht wirklich abgeholt
just great all around
Keep this on repeater.
Get vinyl
Good old punk, but nothing stand-out
I had never heard of these guys but will definitely be listening more. Didn’t like all the songs but there were some good ones.
Frantic. Energetic. Raw
will listen to again
This is one of those bands I grew up knowing existed but never gave them the time day. I suppose I never really thought this would be my kind of music but the fact is, this is quite good. I can see how these guys have been a big influence on the post hardcore genre itself. This would have been amazing live in it's day too. Some cool melodies and even cooler riffs here. Kinda want a skateboard now.
Not for me! Did not like!!
Yeah this was a really enjoyable post-hardcore album. Only a few songs really grab me but this record still kicks ass. Very high 4
Good choice for a workout
Nu har jeg hørt albummet 3-4 gange, men den mangler måske noget genkendeligt stadig. Det ér dog virkelig godt!
Det burde ramme mig spot on, men gør det ikke helt. Jeg kan ikke sætte fingeren på hvad jeg mangler, men et eller andet gør at det bare ikke er helt perfekt. PS: på nogle numre lyder vokalen som tidlige D-A-D Jesper Binzer
Not my style
It's pretty close to being a great record, but I think upon another listen I would get a better idea if I enjoyed it or if I thought it was worth repeat listens. 3.5/5
Scuzzy.
Interesting one this, I think I vibed with it but I'm also pretty sure I was going to give it a 3. Then I went on lunch and it just happened to be playing again and it just kinda hit me a bit. It can't be a 5 because frankly it's just not that good, but it's better and deserves more than a 4. I then did something I never really do and read the comments before grading it and the top comment really stuck out to me as Mr Fugazi seems like a good dude and the comment was written by someone who helped produce the album
Good post-hardcore punk by Fugazi. I enjoyed this album very much!
I know Fugazi is supposed to be important to the history of punk somehow but after listening to this one three times I have got absolutely nothing for you. It's . . . fine but completely unmemorable.
Indistinguishable from scores (hundreds?) of other post punk albums.
Fugazi and this style of music in general is not for me, I'm afraid. This was 42 minutes of annoying background noise that I couldn't wait to finish.
Love this album, though the two EPs that were released before this album, still rise above this for me. Fugazi’s incredible rhythms and lyrics always move me. I never feel yelled at by them, more invited to stand next to them and add my shout.
82% Best: Turnover; Merchandise; Two Beats Off; Styrofoam Must-Hear? Sure
Didn’t really do it for me. Just something not very satisfying about the sound
This started well then I got increasingly bored. At The Drive In they are not.
This is good. But I feel like I'd rather be watching them live than not quite feeling the aggression and bite while lounging about in my living room. Still sounded like they were singing about Ribena. Makes me thirsty.
1,5 von 5
I will not include the 3 Songs EP that is added to this album in subsequent releases. Oh hell yeah, this was a nice surprise to get! For those who don't know, Fugazi is a post-hardcore group consisting of Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye, Rites of Spring members Guy Picciotto and Brendan Canty, and bassist Joe Lally. These were friends who had each done time with other hardcore punk bands and wanted to try something new together. They released a couple of EPs, which turned into the 13 Songs compilation, and that was my introduction to the group. Then, when it came time to work on their debut, they all decided on a jamming approach, writing songs together instead of MacKaye being the sole songwriter. The result was their debut, Repeater, and I cannot begin to express how awesome it turned out. Right from the get-go with opener "Turnover", the band effectively carried the ferocity and aggression of hardcore punk alongside catchy guitar riffs and more complex bass and drum play. Even when there are no vocals, such as on "Brendan #1", the instrumental compositions come off as intricate and chock-full of miniature hooks, so it's not a problem when no one sings. When Ian and Guy do step in with their lyrics, they trade off bars with pure fiery angst at the various problems that plague society. From the mass ignorance of "Turnover", to gun violence on the title track, to anti-consumerism sentiments on "Merchandise" and "Blueprint", to the poisoning of our planet on "Styrofoam", to the traumas of war on "Reprovisional", to the deep contemplation over the loss of a life to addiction on closer "Shut the Door", these guys went through several issues with the profoundness and poignancy that they deserve in highlighting what's going wrong. The only song that didn't have well-thought lyrics was "Greed" with the repeated lines "You wanted everything/You needed everything", but even that was given the same amount of high-energy aggression that other tracks had. There's no beating around the bush; Fugazi's Repeater absolutely rules as a debut. In a way, these guys captured a sound that predated the alternative rock boom that would happen a year later, and they effectively played in that pocket.
Finally some jam songs from the 90s. Brendan #1 is excellently orchestrated, reminds me of some jam songs by Ride a few years later. I was expecting this to be more shoegazey since their big hit (I'm So Tired) is like a legendary song in the shoegaze community. While this album wasn't as good as I was expecting since Fugazi is so highly respected online, I still really enjoyed the sound of the album, and it sounded much more mid-90s than early. So 4/5.
Start of the album: loving this combo of vocals/intrumentals. I can rock with this. Shout rock isn't generally my favorite (see: my black Flag review or my le tigre review), but when the band really knows how to use their instruments, maybe I can be convinced. First song is so good, but things go downhill a little from there. This is a 3.5, rounded up.
I want to start off my review by saying I do not like this and it is not my jam. In part because the singer just lacks any tonality and just sings in the same monotone the entire time. However, there came a moment in this album where I realized that he wasn't changing his tone, but his intensity. And that made it more interesting again.
this was genuinely a ton of fun. I think what I've been waiting for honestly
Fugazi were omnipresent in the local DIY scene in pretty much every town and city in the early-mid 00s. Certainly were in my town anyway. If you weren’t into Fugazi, you were gonna struggle with many local gigs. Luckily I quite liked Fugazi and still do. Been a long time since I listened to this record and I probably enjoyed it more years ago. Dont get me wrong, it’s still great, and yet another huuuugely influential record on the list. Perfect blend of noise and meaning, and still sounds fresh. But I think I prefer 13 Songs. Or at least I do now. 4.5
Really want to love Fugazi, Ian MacKaye is the most legit person in music and they are so influential on loads of my favourite bands. This album particularly sounds like early Cursive. Still feel like they are in the good but not great category, feel like such a heathen. Maybe it hasn't clicked yet and you need to hear 40 tracks to get it, like olives. But I still don't like olives and I'm yet to love Fugazi, so maybe I never will.
Sounds very timeless. I really didn't mind listening to it - however my spotify went on to 13 Songs which was so much better. Much more dynamic and aggressive. This is on the mild side, couldn't recall many/any songs from it after listening twice. Okay all right - Turnover was all right. Can't say I ever heard this down the B&Q when I was younger.
Fugazi are a band I've heard of a lot, but never given a listen to and didn't know anything about. Much more hardcore and punk than I was expecting, which makes sense given the minor threat connection which I wasn't aware of. I didn't think it was all of the same quality, but it was all at least good if not better. I think I preferred the more hardcore sounding ones. Reminded me (or voice versa) of rancid or similar. Think my favourites were merchandise and break in Overall really good and I'll be back 4.5
3.21
Can definitely tell this is an incredibly influential album. Very ahead of its time, sounds kinda like if you mixed Modest Mouse with Red Hot Chili Peppers (heavier of the Modest Mouse though) and one of the singers were Jello Biafra from the Dead Kennedys and maybe a little Beastie Boys style vocals here and there too, haha. I enjoyed it though, moreso when they were in their post-hardcore sound as opposed to a more standard punk sound. Will have to listen again.
3.5
3.5
I really liked Piccioto songs the most in fact a lot. Some of Mackay songs were to screamy for me, but there were a few of those I dug pretty well. I actually liked this more than I thought I would. At times it's kinda punk meets grunge, even though the big grunge breakthrough hadn't happened yet. They must have had their ear to the ground 8.4 ★★★★
Not the biggest fan of the screamy vocals, but have learned to appreciate it more with time. I like the playing on this album a lot. 4 stars
Fugazi has always been a bit of a blind spot for me despite seeming like a band I should like a lot. I know a little bit of their stuff, but have never heard this. I thought it was pretty good overall, kind of catchy, kind of punky, but nothing earth shattering. My favorite tracks were "Turnover" and "Blueprint". 3.5 stars.
All the flavours of post-hardcore. Plain.
Passed me by at the time .. I think I would have liked it back in the 90s, but not so much now.
Eh. Fine but nothing particularly special or interesting to me. (1.5 stars)
You can really hear the influence, tho I can’t get over the vocal or the production enough to actively enjoy this.
Not for me.
Straight edge never sounded so cool.
OK
A band I always mean to give more time to.
I appreciate what this is and enjoy it somewhat. I think this would be a lot better with better singing.
I can see where it was innovative and the instrumentals are interesting but it's not my thing
Soort van de soundtrack van m'n jeugd zonder dat ik ooit dit album heb geluisterd. En nog steeds mag ik graag dingen uit grofweg dit genre aanzetten. Dit past heerlijk in m'n straatje en daarom ga ik 5 sterren uitdelen. Het materiaal is een tikkeltje ruw, zeker vergeleken met de bands uit de 2000s (waar ik iets bekender mee ben), maar desondanks is meer dan prima aan te horen. Lekkere gitaren, bas en drums, een lekker schreeuwtje tussendoor. Soms wat chaotisch, soms even een lekker stukje ingebouwde waarbij de basgitarist het grootste gedeelte van het werk op zich neemt. Daardoor is het ondanks dat het herrie is niet vermoeiend: De stukken herrie worden keurig gedoseerd en het is geen schelle bende. Anyway, zoals gezegd dus 5 sterren.
It’s just not for me. Objectively, it’s a solid album, but I personally didn’t enjoy it much. Out of all the songs, I only liked Brendan 1 so I was disappointed to find there was no Brendan 2. The band was tight, and there’s no question they’re talented. It just didn’t get me.
No son de mi agrado. Mucho ruido y pocas nueces
oh hell yeah, love fugazi love what they stand for and love the album
ehh
Album 772 of 1089 Fugazi - Repeater (1990) Rating : 3.5 / 5 Nice album. Tight musicianship. Great songs whose lyrics could probably use a closer look. Some good tracks here. A keeper, for sure.
"Repeater" is the full-length debut studio album by Washington D.C. post-punk band Fugazi. They had released several EP's before this LP album. The band formed shortly after the dissolution of the bands Minor Threat and Rites of Passage when Ian MacKaye (vocals, guitar, piano) joined with Guy Picciotto (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canty (drums). Bassist Joe Lally rounds out the group. The name Fugazi was an acronym taken from Mark Baker's book of short stories on Vietnam War veterans "Nam:" Fucked Up, Got Ambushed, Zipped In (a body bag). An interesting description of the band and album is "an angrier American update of Gang of Four's "Solid Gold."" The album has themes of greed, violence, sexuality, privacy, drug abuse and death. It also received very high critical praise labeling it as the definitive album of post-punk and a landmark of rock music. A long droning sound opens the album and the song "Turnover." Angular guitar and a melodic bass. Picciotto on lead vocals who sounds a lot like the Afghan Whig's Greg Dulli. The songs speeds up. Great guitar interplay and, of course, an ending in feedback. It's a song about kids shooting each other in the crack cocaine violence. The self-titled "Repeater" starts out ridiculously fast. Scratchy guitar. MacKaye on vocals yelling and repeating "Repeater" which is a gun in a song again about the crack wars. More scratchy guitars in "Merchandise." Underlying bass and guitar in an evil sounding song about being not what you own. A melodic guitar strumming starts "Blueprint." Picciotto singing and repeating "I'm not playing with you." Power chords in an absolutely fantastic song about making a conscious choice to buys things and not letting industry dictate that to you. Modest Mouse has based an entire career on the first minute of this song. They crank up the speed in "Styrofoam." Heavy metal-esque guitars and driving music. MacKaye vocals excel in a song about hatred. The music speeds up even more for the outro. I saw Fugazi for $5 in 1993 at the Anaconda Theatre in Isla Vista, CA, and it still is the most intense concert I've been too. The music on this album just plain rocks: intense, urgent, driving, melodic. In-your-face vocals and lyrics. These are very talented and accomplished musicians: the guitar interplay is great and the bassist and drummer steal the show in a number of songs. This is the definitive post-punk album with its tempo and angular guitars laying the groundwork for bands like Slint and Modest Mouse. A very high recommendation.
Alternativ rock, Lidt for meget lyd, lidt for lidt go vibe
Good album.
J'ai l'impression que j'aurais du aimer ça, et en fait non.
Love the pace of the drums and bass, provides a great energy to the songs. Can really see why the band is held in such high regard. Powerful lyrics delivered well with a great energy.
Whole album sounds like the demo track to a band that never made it
4.5/5
Really enjoying Fugazi at the moment. 2 decades too late lol
Rocking heavy rhythm and lyrics
Good album with a sound that feels like a mix of rock, punk, grunge.
I kinda like it. It's what I expect from Punk. Also, it's short, so the constant driving snare drum doesn't go on for an hour and a half.
Better than I thought
This was an interesting one- not really my style but I can see how it was influential. It had the hardcore sound of the early 2000s over a decade earlier. Some songs were decent- I didnt love the singing but I did enjoy the instrumentation. Overall- 2.5/5
Who chooses these albums?
Tight production, no filler. This album is great, and Fugazi only got better from here.
Hadn't really listened to Fugazi before so this was a great introduction. Sounds like a nightmare soundtrack to our times. Great, angry, and righteous.
Pretty glorious at its heights, especially enjoyed repeater and greed.
Loved this album!! 5 stars.
Ok, catchy light punk
Boring
Did I enjoy this album: yes Will I seek this album out in the future: no Reminds me of a lot of punk I listened to growing up, so much so that I was surprised I didn't recognize the name.
It's ok. I just need to digest more the songs. It's always interesting to hear what was rock music like in the 90s pre-grunge. Still, I don't really like this kind of punk vocals. Unfortunately, I've heard too much of it from this list.
Fugazi is a weird one. It's a band I should like but doesn't really do much for me. I liked listening to this but if I never heard it again it would be fine too. But on paper it should be one of my favorites. But it's just not
I usually listen to albums in this genre like “this is absolute garbage” and give it one star. But, I have to humble myself and remember that I do find a couple offspring sings lit, so therefore I wouldn’t say this album was complete garbage, but maybe like a bedside trash
Great album, not as rough/punky as I thought they would be
Hard rock, punk rock, mostly instrumental Good musicians
background music rock
13 Songs is the only Fugazi you have to hear before you die.
I had a friend in college who was a huge fan of Fugazi, and while I liked the band's name I realize now that I never listened to them, and had just assumed that they were along the spectrum of Mudhoney, pre-Nevermind Nirvana and other bands like that. I'm a bit relieved to find out that latter impression was at least somewhat accurate (relieved mainly because I no longer have to worry that I might have missed out on a unique sounds all these years). But I'm glad I finally got a taste of the DC band, and I'm impressed how they clearly had more talented musicians than some of their fellow semi-hardcore/not-exactly-grunge ilk. The opening track "Turnover" is a great opener for the album, and I also enjoyed "Blueprint" and "Two beats back" (plus "Song #1" from the extras). Overall, they're not really ground-breaking, but the combination of tight music played almost punk style makes for an interesting style and sound, and the lyrics are (when I could actually hear them) reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine's political leanings. I hadn't appreciated until now that they were *way* more Pearl Jam than PJ ever was in terms of giving the middle finger to corporate music structures (record labels, Ticketmaster, even merchandising), and I really admire that they eschewed selling *anything* when they toured, they chose their own venues, and basically prohibited slam dancing, all in the name of trying to keep their ticket prices to $5 a head, which they largely did for over 15 years. I have a *lot* of respect for that, and I kind of wonder if that was part of the reason my college friend followed them so closely.
I was pretty wasted and stumbled into a club where this band was playing (this was 1991) and I thought it was Fugazi but they were really different than I thought they'd be but it turns out they were the Fugees, which is what I wish I'd been listening to instead.
Two Beats Off
Too Red Hot’ish
Rock mit viel "Wums". Die Stimmen kurz vor Geschrei finde ich nicht so attraktiv, aber das Album hat definiziv viel Ernergie. 3/5
My second favorite Fugazi album. You say I need a job Well I’ve got my own business You wanna know what I do? None of your fuckin business!
One of those bands at the start of the UK/USA schism in music so absolutely new to me. I like the sound, the energy and the attitude but it's slightly short on the songs.
American post hardcore, hmm, something I'll file away as do not listen to.
Fun and energetic. Didn't know these guys before, but I enjoyed this album.
Ok
Even for someone not really into post-hardcore, Repeater is a familiar album and for good reasons. Historical impact aside, the record is packed to the brim with energetic tracks and equal attitude.
Legendary band, legendary record. If you haven’t already you should definitely go read up on the history of Fugazi.
The instrumentation and sound is amazing. riffs are amazing. Singing is very punk-esque, even thought the instrumentals feel like much more. I feel like they would be insane to see live. Favourite songs: all of them. Overall around 8/10 (so close to 9)
Gonna sound like an old man but this is just awful noise, and not the good kind of awful noise.
I know Fugazi influenced many bands I like, but I never actually listened to an album or song of theirs. Really enjoyed it, especially the first half of this album. 4*
There's parts here I appreciate and everything is more polished than I expected - in a good way. Lots of riffs and energy. Turnover is a solid rocker and I like Merchandise, although the shouty chorus doesn't totally do it for me. Still, nice guitar and bass parts and the low end really shines in the mix. Blueprint is my favorite thus far, mid-paced and melodic, but Sieve-Fisted Find and Two Beats Off outdo it with some really cool basslines. It's a mixed bag, the vocals often hold it back for me but there's some great riffs here. Enough that I'd play it again.
maybe i would have liked it if i'd heard it when it came out, but too noisy frantic fury for me ! 2
Nothing special
Pretty good. Enjoyed it.
Meh didn't really like it.
This was fine. 3.1
Must admit, I didn't have time to give this the attention it deserved today. A lot flowed over me, so I'll need to give it a second spin. Sounds solid but of course it would.
I thought I would like it :/ but couldn't finish it
Heard it before. Fugazi were my number 1 artist last year so listening to this album again just felt like any other day. My 2nd or 3rd fave album from them 4/5
Turnover 4 Repeater 3.3 Brendan #1 3.5 Merchandise 3.5 Blueprint 3.7 Sieve-Fisted Find 3.5 Greed 3.3 Two Beats Off 3.6 Styrofoam 3.6 Reprovisional 3.5 Shut the Door 4.1 Score: 3.6
Not my jam
dont like the vocals
Can't say I enjoyed this one.
Somehow this band flew under my radar, now I know why. Album had few decent songs but overall just sounded like slightly heavier punk rock.
Un álbum increíble, pionero del post-hardcore. Creo que el libro lo describe perfectamente: "una forma innovadora y sutil de abordar la ira". Es capaz de mantener la esencia punk al mismo tiempo que despliega una gran complejidad técnica. Parece mentira que sea del año 89. Muy buen descubrimiento, me lo guardo.
От этого альбома я прям кайфанул. Это просто замечательно - труевый пост-хардкор без всякого эмо. Музыка чтобы бить в щщи и крутить вертухи. Шумная, грязная, душеразрывающая и определённо стоящая внимания. Берите скейт и расшибитесь на нем под этот альбом. Пропишите бону в табло. Побрейтесь налысо и прыгайте в слэмомош, потому что именно это и есть жизнь.
Managed to make me miss house shows, which is really saying something because post-hardcore generally does not work for me these days. Ahead of its time and devoid of bullshit. Through no fault of the album, I still can't say that I'll revisit in full.
Not bad. Enjoyed a few tracks, but wasn’t blown away.
pronouncing "shoegaze" like "fugazi"
Band can whip up a storm of energy, but each of the tracks feels less like a song than a series of disconnected riffs glued together. Doesn't help that the singing is monotonal and colorless either.
4 stars
Whatever
Some decent guitar playing but not my jam
Don't get punk, shouting over reasonable good music is not my thing. Very poor recording.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I've heard of this band a million times but I don't own any of their records, and I haven't sat down and listened to any of their stuff before now. I'm going to give it four stars with room for growth.
I've grown to love hardcore more and more over the years, though didn't appreciate (or even know about) it at the time. This album is solid. Mid 3s
Dude Repeater is such a banger of an album. I've widely dismissed it for some reason, which is a crime in itself, but what's even worse is that I DID listen to it a while back and STILL stood by that opinion. At its core, rudimentary and angry punk, so to say, with some very passionate delivery, and tons of inspiration in each song. Turnover and Repeater have a memorable riff to them, with a great rhythm backbone, and songs like Blueprint and Shut The Door evoke the emotional side of punk. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really enjoyed but the vocal wore me down after awhile. 4.5
Never really loved Fugazi, but this record was pretty good.
A killer record. Ian Mckaey is the boss
I’ve heard of Fugazi but I wish I never heard Fugazi. 2/10
- Huge respect for Fugazi's ideals and their commitment to them. When I think of artists using their platform in effective ways, Fugazi is always in the front of the pack. - Like the underlying sound. Hard-hitting without being frenetic. But I do wish that their political stances were more clearly apparent in the songwriting. Yes, there are references, but I would not be shocked if it went completely over the heads of those who listened. - Like a lot of punk, many of the tracks start blending together.
Fugazi, though never my go to, were my favourite bands’ favourite band. It starts in early 2003 with Finch’s “Letters To You” and Funeral for a Friend’s “This Years Most Open Heartbreak”. Then it’s The Used’s “Blue and Yellow” and “Maybe Memories”, back to FFAF for “Juneau” and “Escape Artists…”, over to Glassjaw, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Alexisonfire, My Chemical Romance, then Underoath, Saosin, Blood Brothers, Daniel Striped Tiger, across to Modern Life Is War, Converge … And then, when not even the production line on MySpace could keep up with my appetite for faster, heavier, sadder fare it was back in time, hunting down the primal scene of the hurt: Saetia, Cap n’Jazz, Drive Like … Jehu, Neil Perry, American Football, old Converge and a thousand bands listened to by less than a thousand people (A New Kind of American Saint?). Which is to say, for 23 years now I’ve been, sometimes before anything else, an emo. And while a person could fill a day debating the term “emo” and how it functions within the specific context of a person’s musical preferences (see: the members of Fugazi), I’d rather not. Instead, I’d rather put on record the gratitude I feel to Ian, Greg, Joe and Brendan for their contribution to the genre we broadly know as “post hardcore” – a giant stylistic leap forward in the history of punk rock that carried hardcore and post with it and turned the mix into something infinitely fecund and genuinely thrilling. “Repeater” is full of ideas on their way to becoming the tropes. Angular guitar lines – some reminiscent of Gang of Four, with whom Fugazi share a particular art punk sensibility – paired with choruses that The Buzzcocks would have been proud of. A fondness for rhythmic ostinato that cycles through four bars, often used to deepen the melody through a song (or to develop a sense of weightlessness when the cycle breaks). Stop-start dynamics that open up spaces to be filled by swooping and frantic runs of octave chords up and down the fret boards. Interchanging, interweaving vocals layered atop a tight but expressive rhythm section that offers its own, more subtle style of call and response. (Listen to 2003’s “Seven Years” by Saosin, potentially the most hyped post hardcore song ever released, to hear how embedded these tropes were to become in 00s alternative music). Technically, Fugazi ranks among the most talented groups ever to have played punk of any description; how effortlessly they pull disparate points of influence – a couple of decades of punk, yeah, but also rock, dub, reggae – into a cohesive, dynamic sound set the standard for millions of genre hopping, genre inventing punks to come. The songs on Repeater showcase this fantastically. There are as many grooves as there are bombastic pit-baiting, jump around clashes of sound; as many rumbling drum-led attacks as there are quiet moments where the vocals stand, intimately, almost alone. It’s hard to précis such a legacy without lapsing into fawning hyperbole, so I’ll keep the scale small and say that when it comes to my musical taste, it wouldn’t be far off to characterise it as songs that strive to recreate, build on and reinvent the feeling of “Sieve-Fisted Find”. Fugazi is simply the first word in post hardcore; a band whose influence is probably still under-acknowledged (received wisdom is it’s always been OK to like Fugazi, but not necessarily the bands they inspired). No matter, though – despite the protestations of smug parents and the magazines and cultural critics that sound like them, none of this was ever just a phase. Blame Fugazi.
Does absolutely Nothing for me
Fun, but not really vibing with it.
Fun album 💿 Favorite track: Merchandise other picks: repeater, turnover, blueprint, two beats off
Interesting start of the album though it turned into drunk pub karaoke rock pretty fast. Apparently post-hardcore.
Ok, but not my sort of thing
Oh, at times I thought I was listening to the Gang of Four. Not a bad album, but it did seem a bit derivative.
aftur. 3,.5
Lol, i accidentally don't listen previous album(The Madcap Laughs Syd Barrett) and give review about this album. My bad. I wish i can rewrite my review(however i think, score would be remained same). Second try: i more like instrumental in this album that singer. Drums and guitar is exceptional.
I don’t know why I was expecting this to be electronica, but it was a pleasant surprise! Angry, punky, original.
Good to see some Fugazi on here but they really missed the ball if the list does not include The Argument or 13 Songs
Music was pretty good. Not a big fan of the vocals but it was mostly listenable. I would not put this in my main vein of listening.
I get it but I didn’t care.
1 2 3 Repeater! Great album.
This is always tough. I can hear the talent, but I just don’t care for it. I didn’t enjoy listening to this album. This is where I give two stars and feel guilty. But I will give special props to the drummer! That was my favorite part. The vocals were not my jam.
Weird to listen to a record that 20 something me would have picked from a deep pile. Things lost, things gained. Mortality. Still a lot of this still gets me. Some, not so much. The part of me that doesn't love this anymore feels treacherous. Lots to think about.
I enjoyed this more than I expected. You can tell this would have been a great concert.
Not putting this on repeat. 2.2