Ignorance - 30th Anniversary
I first heard Ignorance at a friend’s house in the summer of 1988, and I thought this was the direction thrash metal should have taken. The Phoenix, Arizona band seemed to represent a new step forward as opposed to the Metallica and Slayer clones I saw popping up. They were one of the bands who channeled no small effort into redefining the genre, making it more primal and hardcore driven. The only band that came close to the energy captured there was Wehrmacht on their underground classics Shark Attack and Biermacht, though there are several honorable mentions to speak of like Cryptic Slaughter. I still have to ponder what went wrong with a style of music that made the age of new wave more bearable, but now I’m treated to a sudden blast from the past that makes me think of what could have been. The band were active into the mid-1990s, and as far as I know never changed their approach for a bigger paycheck. Metal Blade’s thirtiest anniversary release of Ignorance comes with the original cover art, remastering by Patrick W. Engel, and formats on digipak CD and vinyl with additional tracks. Both formats have Sacred Reich’s recording of Ignorance which appeared on Metal Massacre, a compilation series released by Metal Blade. The digipak format includes bonus demo tracks from their 1986 tape Draining You Of Life. I never heard these bonus tracks so their inclusion is a pleasure to listen to. The album itself has been referred to as everything from impressive to intelligent to a bitchfest. Whether or not its hardcore-tinged thrash appeals to you, one can’t disclaim its potential for giving thrash an intense push forward in the right direction. Death Squad, Layed to Rest, Violent Solutions, Administrative Decisions are the first openly political lyrics penned by a band of this caliber, showing more in common with Dead Kennedys, Corrosion Of Conformity and the precedingly mentioned Cryptic Slaughter than anyone else. No 80s metal collection is complete without this so if you’re a vinyl or compact disc collector, order a copy from Metal Blade as soon as possible. It’s history in the making. -Dave Wolff
Digipak CD track-listing:
1. Death Squad
2. Victim of Demise
3. Layed to Rest
4. Ignorance
5. No Believers
6. Violent Solutions
7. Rest in Peace
8. Sacred Reich
9. Administrative Decisions
10. Ignorance (Metal Massacre V)
11. Draining You of Life (Demo)
12. Rest in Peace (Demo)
13. Sacred Reich (Demo)
14. No Believers (Demo)
Vinyl track-listing (Police Blue Vinyl - USA exclusive, limited to 200 copies!)
SIDE A
1. Death Squad
2. Victim of Demise
3. Layed to Rest
4. Ignorance
5. No Believers
SIDE B
6. Violent Solutions
7. Rest in Peace
8. Sacred Reich
9. Administrative Decisions
10. Ignorance (Metal Massacre V)
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