Embrace
Embrace was an emocore band from Washington, D.C from the summer of 1985 to the spring of 1986. The group was primarily noteworthy because of its well-known members, Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and the Teen Idles, Michael Hampton, Ivor Hanson, and Chris Bald, all former members of the pioneering band Faith. Hampton had also played in S.O.A with Henry Garfield (later known as Henry Rollins). All four members had been involved in popular and influential bands in the nascent D.C. punk scene since the late 1970s.For hardcore icon MacKaye, Embrace represented a transitional project between the short and fast sound of his youth and the later melodic tones of his current work (after his often maligned Egg Hunt project with Dischord Records cofounder Jeff Nelson, and the Ministry crossover Pailhead, of course). While most fans know that MacKaye eventually teamed up with former members of Rites of Spring to form the perennial punk outfit Fugazi, guitarist Michael Hampton first played with Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, as well as Embrace’s co-producer Edward Janney, in One Last Wish. Bassist Chris Bald moved forward with the band Ignition, and drummer Ivor Hanson paired up with Hampton again in 1992 for Manifesto.
The 1987 self-titled LP Embrace was the seminal emocore group’s singular, posthumous release. Dischord Records number 24 was compiled from the only two studio sessions the band recorded. The first eleven tracks were laid down in November of 1985, and the other three were done in February of 1986. All of the songs were recorded at Inner Ear Studios and featured the same lineup. Originally released on cassette tape and vinyl, it was released on CD in 1992 as Dischord number 24CD. In May 2002, the CD was re-mastered with two extra tracks, previously unreleased alternate versions of "Money" and "Dance of Days" taken from the first recording session.
Track listing
Recording details
