Review Summary: The Holy Grail of Hardcore Punk
Artist: Bad Brains
Album: Self-Titled
Date: February 1982
Genre: Hardcore Punk/Reggae/American Underground
H.R.-Throat
Daryl-Basses, Backing vocals
Earl Hudson-Drums, Backing Vocals
Dr. Know-Gits, Backing Vocals
There was the hardcore punk movement of the early ‘80s and then there was the band Bad Brains, the difference being, they were probably the most original band of the entire movement. There’s numerous Reasons; They were a four piece band of religious Rastafarian African Americans, they possessed real talent unlike most of their peers which meant they could play more than 3 chords, (Check out the solos on “Banned in DC”and “Jah calling”), and the biggest difference is in the sound of the music, they played a mix of Hardcore Punk with Reggae. These differences gave Bad Brains a legendary cult status and their Self-titled debut is considered by many fans the best album of the genre.
At the time of its release it was considered the fastest album ever, and while it’s surely been surpassed in terms of speed, it’s still as raw, intense, and powerful as it was back in 1982. Therein lies most of the power of Bad Brains, it hasn’t lost much of its power over the years, and it’s also still impressive how the band can switch from furious hardcore punk to beautiful and slow paced reggae, often in the same song. The band possessed great talent with vocalist H.R. being able to shriek, shout, scream, and also sing beautiful reggae styled melodies that fits the music perfectly, but as good as he was, the real power of Bad Brains lies in the musicianship, Guitarist Dr. Know possesses a powerful talent of being able to mix his great punk riffs with a reggae sound that often gave the music texture and a sense of balance. The rhythm section is solid with bassist Daryl performing great rhythms, and during the slower parts his bass is absolutely beautiful. Rounding off the band is drummer Earl Hudson who has great power and speed that was often missing in most hardcore punk bands.
This is definitely the best album ever put out by the band; it has all of the classics, “Sailin’ On,” “Banned in DC,” “Pay to Cum,” “Right brigade,” and every track on the album is strong in its own right. The album possesses a feeling of controlled chaos throughout and it’s truly powerful, most songs will blow your mind and make you want to get in the pit, but the blow is lightened by some great slow tracks such as “jah Calling,” “leaving Babylon,” and “I Luv I Jah” the latter of which is probably the greatest reggae tune the band ever put out. It’s a truly powerful performance that speeds though 36 minutes of mesmerizing hardcore and reggae and by the end you should be convinced that this is the holy grail of hardcore punk.
Highlights
• Sailin’ On
• Banned in DC
• Pay to Cum
