Minor Threat are perhaps the one band from “back in the day” that has not soiled its good name with nostalgia-ridden reunions or questionable comeback records with a ‘new’ sound. At the same time, they were also one of the few bands from the early 1980s that have shaped and continue to influence hardcore and punk bands that came afterwards.

Personally I find tribute records to be hit-and-miss affairs; often they tend to be a collection of songs covered by a variety of artists where the quality in execution and production varies greatly (the countless “Punk Goes…” CDs are a prime example). In the rarer occasions where a band commits to a full-length release of covers (like Operation Ivy covering the Ramones), I am often left thinking what the point is. Unless you are doing something original with the source material (like, say, the Gimme Gimmes or Easy Star All-Stars), why even bother at all and not just listen to the originals?

Which brings us to Πενιχρή Απειλή, a two-man tribute to Minor Threat, sung in Greek. Although there never was anything resembling a straight edge scene in Greece, many bands from the as early back as the 1980s would address the destructive nature of drugs (heroin, in particular). Musically the local scene drew greater influences from the more atmospheric and politically-charged British punk and hardcore, such as Amebix, Heresy and the Clash, than the US scene (with the notable exception of the Ramones and Dead Kennedys). As such, a band going for Minor Threat’s no frills, fast punk rock hardcore sound is a somewhat fresh addition to the contemporary Greek scene.

The band has opted to cover most of Minor Threat’s material, meticulously imitating the guitar tone and production values of the originals. The English lyrics are translated almost word-for-word in Greek and are performed with a similar youthful and passionate approach as Ian MacKaye. For those wondering, the band’s name in Greek translates as “Meager Threat”, while the song “Minor Threat” is translated as “Underage Threat”. Also, the song “Straight Edge” is translated as “Clean” and I am curious to see if any local bands will opt to cover this version.

Interestingly the band did not shy away from covering “Guilty of Being White”, one of Minor Threat’s more controversial songs and arguably the only blemish on their otherwise stellar discography. Should this have been covered twenty years ago, I could see many being confused by the song’s perceived racist undertones, but in 2018 I suspect everyone realizes the context and intent of the original. I now half-expect (and look forward to) a Ray Cappo figure to emerge in 3-4 years and bizarrely introduce the Greek scene to Krishna Consciousness.