The Offspring
Ignition

THE REVIEW

Once upon a time, in a far, far away basement, there was a band formed by four friends united by their passion for bands such as Social Distortion, T.S.O.L, Black Flag...

Dexter, Greg, Noodlees, and Ron, these are their names. After releasing their self-titled album on the small label Nemesis Records, in anticipation of their second work, they managed to sign a contract with Epitaph Records, owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz.

The four entered the recording studio with producer Thom Wilson, already known for his work with bands like Dead Kennedys and Vandals, and unveiled their second work with the prophetic title "Ignition," in which it is already possible to glimpse in nuce what would later become the distinctive elements in the band's sound: Greg's pulsating and always at the forefront bass, Ron's precise and powerful drumming, Noodles' guitar gallops and oriental melodies, as well as Dexter's unmistakable slightly nasal voice.

This sonic blend on this occasion reaches its peak in songs like "Kick Him When He's Down" (the first and only posthumous single), "Get It Right" (a punk shard comparable to the more famous "Genocide"), "L.A.P.D" (with strongly polemical lyrics against the L.A. police), and the final pair composed of the excellent "Nothing From Something" and "Forever And A Day": a special mention for "Dirty Magic", where a riff with an almost grunge origin is accompanied by Dexter's suffering vocals, in this case intent on lamenting male submission to the fairer sex (the same themes that we will find in "Self Esteem").

The reception of the album is decent and will allow them to embark on tours with already established bands like Pennywise and No Doubt, although it is with the subsequent and unparalleled "Smash" (stylistically not very far from its predecessor, but commercially light-years distant by virtue of 14 million copies sold) that the name of Offspring will go down in history for breaking the sales record for an independent label.

But this, as they say, is another story.......