The legendary MINOR THREAT’s iconic first 7” has been repressed and is officially available for order today via Dischord Records’ website and Bandcamp.
Vinyl enthusiasts can expect it to hit stores soon as well. This freshly pressed 2024 edition is a faithful reissue of the original 7” and uses the cut created for the Dischord 7” box set.
MINOR THREAT burst onto the scene in 1980, reshaping the landscape of hardcore punk with their self-titled debut EP, followed by the equally ferocious In My Eyes later that year. In 1984, these foundational recordings were compiled into the legendary First Two Seven Inches LP.
When The Teen Idles disbanded, Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson formed Minor Threat, with Ian on vocals. They recruited Lyle Preslar, who moved from singing in the Extorts to guitar, and bassist Brian Baker, completing the lineup in November. The band debuted a month later.
Minor Threat and SOA were part of a new D.C. punk wave, often rejecting drugs and alcohol, with Minor Threat’s “Straight Edge” coining the term for a substance-free lifestyle. After playing regularly, the band broke up in summer 1981 when Lyle left for college, but reformed in April 1982 when he returned. They expanded to a five-piece that fall, recording and touring until mid-1983, when disagreements about their musical direction led to the band’s dissolution.
Ian went on to form Embrace, Fugazi, and Coriky, while Jeff joined Three and the High Back Chairs. Lyle played with Samhain, and Brian formed Dag Nasty and currently plays in Bad Religion.
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The original cover art—featuring Ian MacKaye’s younger brother Alec—became an enduring image in punk culture, later echoed by bands like RANCID on …And Out Come the Wolves and even controversially referenced in Nike’s “Major Threat” campaign.
With “Straight Edge“, MINOR THREAT inadvertently gave rise to a movement. Ian MacKaye’s lyrics, originally a personal declaration of abstinence, ignited a philosophy that rejected drugs, alcohol, and casual sex—a stark contrast to the rebellious hedonism often associated with punk.
Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the legendary Buff Hall show in Camden, NJ, featuring Minor Threat, SS Decontrol, Agnostic Front, FOD, and Crib Death. Organized to unite the East Coast punk scene, the night was unforgettable.
Ian MacKaye was hit by a car before the show, SS Decontrol’s van was wrecked, and local kids were getting attacked—until the Ghetto Riders biker gang stepped in to secure the venue. Despite all of this, every band delivered blistering sets.
SSD just reminded us why Buff Hall remains iconic.
