Zer0

If there was ever a band that could be called 'unique', out of all the bands that have graced us in the past 30 or 40 years, it surely has to be the Bad Brains. Here we have a group of four black, dreadlocked Rastafarians hailing from Washington D.C., surely they’re some sort of funk or reggae band? Yes there was a bit of reggae here and there, but most incredibly they were one of the most ferocious, pioneering and downright important hardcore-punk bands to emerge from the USA in the early 80's. But while a lot of punk bands in both the USA and the UK were spreading the message of nihilism and anarchy, Bad Brains had a more positive message: P.M.A. or Positive Mental Attitude, as immortalised in the third song on this album 'Attitude'. Basically their belief was that with a positive mental attitude you could achieve anything.

The album opens with the magnificent 'Sailin' On', with frontman H.R.'s intense, manic and determined vocals being driven on by Dr. Know’s speedy guitar riffs and Earl Hudson's super-fast drumming with utter conviction. This conviction and determination is what makes tracks like 'Banned in D.C.', 'Attitude', 'Big Take Over' and 'Pay To ***' American punk classics, with 'Pay To ***' providing us with one of the most energetic and adrenaline-producing guitar-riffs ever heard along with H.R.'s blur-speed vocals. Even by lowering the tempo slightly they could show their heavier side as evident on 'The Regulator' and 'Right Brigade'.

While a lot of the album consists of the most passionate hardcore-punk ever committed to tape, the punk blitzkrieg is broken up by some blissed-out, bass-heavy reggae tracks such as 'Jah Calling', 'Leaving Babylon' and 'I Luv I Jah'. While these tracks provide the listener with moments of calm, they also make the loud, fast punk songs sound heavier and more pronounced, and while also reinforcing their Rastafarian beliefs. As a result the album never sounds like an all-out punk assault but rather a more restrained, controlled and fully-formed album. Their influence lived on not just in punk, but also with bands like Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins citing Bad Brains as a key influence. This album is essential listening for anyone discovering early 1980's American hardcore punk.

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