In the maze of Fugazi’s illustrious catalog sits a black horse waiting for a sliver of the recognition it deserves. An album filled with experimentation and innovation that might’ve been too far ahead of its time to be appreciated upon release. April 28, 1998, 25 years ago today, saw the post-hardcore icons Fugazi release their fifth studio album, End Hits.
The album saw wide commercial success, marking one of Fugazi’s highest debuts on the charts but the reviews were mixed, to say the least. The critics had a field day with the band’s nose dive into complex song structure and syncopated melodies, claiming that the elongated material felt disjointed. However, hearing a creative force like Fugazi explore new areas of their imagination should’ve come as no surprise to the music journalist of 1998.
While we now have the context to look back at an album like End Hits and appreciate the sonic risk taken to achieve the album’s expansive soundscapes and intricate musicianship, there is something about the 13 songs recorded for Fugazi’s fifth outing that sticks under your skin. The way they bend and twist through tempos while keeping a steady tone of murky chords and muddy vocals gives the album a cohesive feeling while still allowing Fugazi to explore new territory.
There is one song in particular that sums up the newfound creative direction. “Closed Captioned” is arguably one of the more experimental songs in Fugazi’s entire discography and doubles as one of the best songs on End Hits. The arrangement of this song is centered around unpredictability, the band used a particularly challenging song structure to give this track a loose feeling. Ian MacKaye’s elastic voice sounds more cartoonish than ever over the sparse instrumentation, allowing his words to act as an anchor for the spastic playing that comes in spurts of fury. That is until his vocals lose control of the instruments about three minutes into the track, allowing soaring guitar loops and head-turning drum patterns to take control to bring this song in a whole new, minimal direction. Moments like this give the album a relaxed feel despite the more challenging tracks like the searing guitars that make up “Floating Boy”. While the aforementioned songs were abrasive upon a first listen, every time End Hits gets played back, this sense of freedom rings in the air.
While the album was one of the riskier moves in Fugazi’s legacy, it’s hard to argue that those leaps didn’t pay off tremendously. Whether it’s the wavy vocal filter that gives the hook of “No Surprise” an otherworldly texture or the layered echos of the guitar solo that closes out “Floating Boy”, these studies into the more avant-garde rock are what make End Hits so memorable. The way the band was able to freely throw themselves into their most absurd ideas allows the album to feel loose and more than anything, fun. Looking back, Watching a legacy act like Fugazi attempt new outlets for their creativity shows their passion for music was still at a fever pitch, they allowed themselves to shut out expectations from the public and piece together unforgettable moments which speaks to the artistic integrity of the band.
The album may be defined by its risks, but there are some moments of textbook Fugazi that shouldn’t be overlooked. The band returned to form on songs like “Caustic Acrostic” and “Five Corporations”, two examples that can stand toe-to-toe with songs from Fugazi’s more popular releases. Their ability to weave in moments of nostalgic chaos in the midst of a full deconstruction of their sound forced them to find a balance between the two. A song like “Guilford Fall” is the marriage of these two pursuits, Fugazi’s trademark distorted punk is matched with a guitar solo that gives the whole song an ominous tone. This felt like Fugazi was proving something to themselves, that even if they felt the need to return to their typical sound after they toyed with whole new realms of music, they were still able to create something new and exciting for themselves, and it ended up paying off not only in that regard but adding to the overall message of End Hits. It’s not an album that is meant to be more than a veteran band confidently aiming at a whole new target and retroactively hitting the bullseye.
End Hits may never get the shine it deserves, although it has seen an increase in popularity from the general public years after its release. 25 years later the album is more than a fan favorite, it’s a statement piece from a band who never outgrew their love of art. Fugazi tackled some of their most challenging music with a warm welcome and a thirst for new sounds, giving the album a timeless feeling. While it may never live up to the more straightforward records from the band, End Hits will always have a seat at the table when discussing the impressive longevity of Fugazi.
