Self-titled albums can be something of a double-edged sword (just ask Suicide Silence…) particularly when you’re jumping in twenty-five years into a career and following a significant line-up change, Zoltán Téglás having departed in 2020 after over a quarter of a century behind the mic stand. Understandably, there is always caution and concern about such an integral part of a band’s sound changing, let alone that happening this deep into their innings. Here, though, Californian punks Ignite benefit from never having been the most prolific of outfits – Ignite (Century Media) being only their sixth album overall despite the band debuting in 1994 – and the fact that their last outing, A War Against You, was not their strongest. More melodic than his predecessor, though not to the detriment of any gusto, Eli Santana (actor, guitarist for Holy Grail, Incite, ex-Huntress) is the voice of their return to competitive action some six years on, and fits in seamlessly.

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