From the loud swearing in the beginning of "Session", it's not hard to tell what kind of album this will be. In your face, angry at the world, make no apologies punk rock. And believe it or not Dexter Holland and company are behind it all.

Listening to an album like "Ignition" makes me start to long for the sound of early 90's punk. This is the kind of punk that sadly died long ago along with grunge and premature 1990's metal. But I suppose we must hold on to what we have left, and cherish it.

Like I mentiod in the title, this is gritty and raw rock, nothing more and nothing less. The sound quality is great if you go by the standards there were when it was released (1992). Some may say the guitar work is not spectacular, and in that case they may be right. But, the fast riffs and slamming drums pretty much make this album what it is, which is brought together by Dexter's vocals, that are a split between whining and screaming.

Now for those of you who think the title of this review is me accusing the modern Offspring as being sellouts, that's not it at all. What I am stating is The Offspring have evolved greatly, and left their punk rock roots behind, not a bad thing at all.

Great album, from a band who is no longer what they used to be.

folks, this would have been their best CD if not for several glaring oversights. regardeless of that, it's their second best recordiong, tied with "Smash", with "Ixnay On The Hombre" in first (and "Americana" and that god-awful self titled in fourth and last, respecivley). there are a grand total of three songs I hate on this album, and those, my freinds, are real stinkers. they are, just to get them out of the way: "Take It Like A Man", "Get It Right", and "Burn It Up", all of which lack any real substance or direction to make them worth listening to. and, as I've said earlier, the glaring oversight in this album is: the mixing/editing. I don't remember the drums being *that* loud. but it's an underground, so I'll give it brownie points.

thankfully, the album's strong points overcome the weak ones, and this album contains such classic Offspring songs such as "Session", "Kick Him When He's Down", "Dirty Magic", and of course "No Hero". but there are other great songs, too: "Hypodermic" (up until the end), "L.A.P.D.", "Nothing From Something", and "Forever And A Day". "Kick Him When He's Down", the "Come Out And Play" of Ignition, is right up there with The "Meaning Of Life" for the best Offspring song ever. this is an absolute must for Offspring fans (and anyone who likes punk, as well). now, quick! go count up how many songs I said I liked! nine, right? would it suprise you if I told you there are twelve songs on this album? five stars.

This album is real punk, if u like adrenaline rushes and real punk this is for you. I've been listening to offspring since this came out and i own all their CD's. They used to be my favorite band until that day when "ixnay on the hombre" was released, from then on offspring have become so mainstream, they might as well start going on tour with NSYNC and the spice girls. I bet anyone who enjoyed ixnay or americana would not even regognize this as offspring, either that or they would try playing it at abnormally slow speeds so they don't become dizzy and pass out. If u want punk, and i mean real punk, and not the new fly bull Sh@t get this CD, smash, and the offspring the rest as far as i am concerned is almost worthless.

Let me just get this off the bat- if you liked Smash, then you'll like Ignition. This CD was basically the underground hit of the Offspring, and most of the ideas for Smash came from here. It's punk at its best, and it is a solid CD. Anyway, here is the run through of the songs:

Session- This is a good song, about a guy who's in trouble with sex. 10/10

We Are One- A song about not losing your individuality no matter what obstacles you face, pretty solid, but very little singing in it. Nice instrumentals, though. 8.75/10

Kick Him When He's Down- Perhaps the one major hit that is still occasionally played on the radio, this is a good song about a guy who gets into fights and his way of dealing with it. 9.25/10

Take It Like a Man- This is a song about dealing with problems and how you'll handle it. Pretty good riffs in it. 8.75/10

Get it Right- This song talks about the problems of living and how nothing ever seems to go right, all with a great sound. 10/10

Dirty Magic- This is a song about dirty, twisted love. Even though he gets abused, he sticks with his girl. Sounds similar to some of Nirvana's work. 9.75/10

Hypodermic- A song about drugs and what effect they have on you. Awesome song, except the part at the end kind of lacks and is different from the rest of the song. 10/10

Burn It Up- A song about a pyromaniac who burns up everything and everyone he sees. Overall nice feel. 9.5/10

No Hero- This song discusses the pain and frustration of dealing with a friend's suicide. It was the first song I heard on the CD, and it's still good. 9.5/10

L.A.P.D.- This one's about the brutality of the police force and the rebel against it, but I don't like it that much. It just doesn't sound very good. 5/10

Nothing From Something- An execellent song about running away and the trouble that goes along with it. 10/10

Forever and a Day- A great song about finding your way throughout life. 9.75/10

So, if you're a fan of the Offspring, I suggest you buy this album. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

That lyric pretty much sums up the attitude of "Ignition," the 2nd studio album released by the Offspring. This album is fast, unapologetic and angry, yet it remains somewhat tongue in cheek and playful. The kick off to the album, "Session," starts with someone dropping the f bomb many times in succession. While the album speaks of some very serious subjects, it also adds in some Sublime-esque grooves/laid back lyrics to break things up. The result? The Offspring's best album, far and away -- even trouncing the likes of "Smash" and "Ixnay on the Hombre." The combination of punk, rock 'n roll, rebelliousness and playfulness make for a varied, extremely engaging listen. On "Dirty Magic," the middle-eastern esque guitar riff works wonderfully, a la their mega hit "Come Out and Play." "We Are One" is a boisterous tune about a band of trouble making punks rebelling against conformity. The lyrics are catchy, and the song blazes along at a breakneck clip. "LAPD" is very much like Sublime's "April 29, 1992," talking about the Rodney King riots, and general corruption of the LAPD. The Offspring use a much harder riff and lyrics to convey their point, but both bands seem to share a similar view. "Hypodermic" is also similar of Sublime's many druggie songs, talking about shooting up and the like. The overall feel of the album is much, much edgier than their later work -- even "Smash" can't match the intensity of the lyrics and riffs present on "Ignition."

The album flows very well; never am I inclined to skip a song, even after listening to it many times. The song quality is quite good -- no super crappy sound quality that plagued their first release. This is not the same band that released "Americana," "Conspiracy of One" etc.; even if you're annoyed by those releases, as many are, I'd really recommend giving this a shot. If you love those releases, you definately owe it to yourself to check out where the Offspring came from. Best tracks: Session, We Are One, and Dirty Magic (my choice for best Offspring song ever).