In On the Kill Taker
By far the most unrelievedly aggressive of this seminal D.C. foursome's seven albums, this 1993 collection assembles all the essential elements of Fugazi's aesthetic--strafing melodic tension, dynamic shifts, and unrestrained lyrical fury--and drives them into the psyche with nary a hint of sonic subtlety. That might sound one-dimensional, but somehow Ian MacKaye and company manage to wring a full spectrum of emotional impact out of that small patch of territory. From typically vociferous political plaints ("Smallpox Champion") to decidedly personal missives designed to provoke self-examination ("Great Cop"), the songs invariably cut to the bone. The highlight? "Cassavetes," which stutters and swells with remarkable grace, paying oblique tribute to John Cassavetes, an outsider director who was to Hollywood what Fugazi is to the music industry.--David Sprague