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Ignition

by The Offspring

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It seems like the terms catchy and punk shouldn't go together, but for the Offspring, they do. Listening to Ignition, one gets the sense of rage tightly controlled, powering the band's uptempo, driving material. While their sensibility is firmly punk, the Offspring have clearly borrowed from heavy metal for their chord progressions and guitar sound--check out the solos on "Nothing from Something" and "Forever and a Day." While this album didn't have the major-label success of its follow-up, Smash, all the ingredients that made that record a hit are here, if not quite as refined: angry, incisive lyrics; fast-driving rhythms; and--dare one say it--melodic chord progressions. It's easy to hear why Ignition was an underground hit and why the Offspring's later records, while somewhat diluted, have been so successful. --Genevieve Williams