minor threat

first demo tape

'When labels began sending CDs addressed to me this past year, the concept of reviewing a Minor Threat album seemed ludicrous.

Maybe if Dischord felt generous and I was having one of the luckier days of my life, I would have received the "20 Years of Dischord" Box Set. Unfortunately, that never happened. Still, you can imagine my surprise when a new Minor Threat release showed up on my desk.

"We're just a minor threat," ironically chants lead singer Ian MacKaye on the opening track also titled "Minor Threat." About 10 minutes later, this eight-song demo is over. Writing songs not much longer than the blink of an eye, Minor Threat was born and the face of hardcore was torn apart, only to be hemmed back together in the same sweeping motion by the newborn faction of straight-edge hardcore. MacKaye's words, albeit rough-sounding, unmixed, and left to collect dust somewhere in a studio closet, had more of a lasting impact than anyone at that point could have imagined.

After 22 years, the demo tape that was abandoned for a similar sounding 7-inch recorded a month later was finally released. From a studio shelf, it started it all.

Rumor has it that Dischord has sold two million records since their birth over 20 years ago. That same rumor also mentions that one million of those records sold were Minor Threat records, 500,000 belonged to Fugazi and the rest of the bands on the label made up the remaining 500,000. As hard as it is that such a reputable label has only sold two million records, it is not surprising that the majority of those records belong to Minor Threat and Fugazi, two MacKaye-led bands.

So, there is only one question you need to ask about the "First Demo Tape." If you are a Minor Threat fan, is there any reason not to own this seminal and previously shelved work? One million records worth of sales proves that answer is no.