Sergio reviews Ignite’s Our Darkest Days.

Artist Name: Ignite
Album Name: Our Darkest Days
Year: 2006
Genre: Hardcore Punk

I’ve known about Ignite for approximately 4 years now, and it has taken me that same amount of time to get hold of Our Darkest Days. In the meantime, I’ve managed to wear out all my Metal Hammer complimentary CDs, which have featured the band – so, a big thanks to MH for the good times!

Soaring anthems, overdriven power chords, and punk beats make ODD an archetype for the new age of hardcore punk. Forgetting about breakdowns and never compromising on melody, Ignite make sure that you’ve always got something to sing along to in every track – tracks such as ‘Slowdown’ and ‘Bleeding’ will linger in your mind and heart for days. Whilst entertaining and memorable, the messages conveyed are also very political (it’s punk after all – did you expect anything less?) and urge you to take more awareness of the events happening around you.

Much like Tim McIlrath from Rise Against, Ignite vocalist, Zoli Teglas, has been gifted with a unique voice, capable of raising the band’s profile to another level – it’s no wonder Pennywise chose him to replace the departing Jim Lindberg on their last tour. Teglas often proves to be the catalyst, turning average instrumental music into a monster of a song.

If Rise Against is one of your favourite bands, you’re likely to enjoy Our Darkest Days immensely. Personally, I found it passionate and genuine – a rarity in music today.

Best Tracks: ‘My Judgement Day’, ‘Slowdown’, and ‘Bleeding’

78/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
www.twitter.com/scpereira
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