Bad Brains - Build A Nation
Artist profile:
Bad Brains
Release Date: 25/06/07
Label: Megaforce
Rating: ****
The Sony Walkman, the mobile phone, and the supercomputer. What do they have in common? They were all invented in 1979, the same year four inhabitants of Washington D.C. joined up to form Bad Brains, a landmark band that more than any other has grown to epitomise the hardcore sound. And yet hardcore is but a part of Bad Brains' musical vocabulary. They embrace metal, reggae, funk, and normal punk tunes just as lovingly, as shown in their ninth studio album, 'Build A Nation'.
The first impression of this new effort is its mellow tone. Gone are the days of pure hard riffs and fierce rhythms whilst you imagine H.R. dancing around like a schizophrenic dervish having a fight with himself. The reggae influence was always prominent, but has increased considerably from their earlier days, so much so that some tracks are nothing but. The outlandishly named 'Natty Dreadlocks 'pon Mountain Top' is more conventional reggae than the Skatilites, but this can be forgiven because of two reasons. Firstly, few other songs in the album are as unswervingly one-tracked as this, and secondly, it's still very good indeed.
In a way, it's good to see a band whose originality and innovativeness have inspired countless others (from Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana to Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Beastie Boys) over the years, still making music to please themselves above anybody else. There are no concerns about markets and appeal, just making music they want to make. Having said this, hardcore punk fans will still enjoy some of the faster, brighter songs. Tracks like 'UniversalPeace' and 'In the Beginning' run rampage in a forest of musical wilderness, obliterating the foliage of easy hooks and obvious riffs that were seeded by other modern bands like Blink 182 and Good Charlotte.
Probably the most furious song is 'Let There be Angels (Like You)', with a classic punk riff and a growling heavy metal bass line providing the concrete background for H.R.'s colourful vocal tiles. Nonetheless, it seems a little restrained and less carefree and chaotic than some of their previous efforts. You can't help but feel the sheer hellacious fire of early-Bad Brains has gone forever. Elsewhere, 'Expand Your Soul' is the most accessible tune in the bunch, with an abrasive but not too harsh punk soundtrack to a more tuneful vocal outing, but if you're looking for accessible tunes then you're reading the wrong review. Bad Brains have historically been accessible in a way, but their mellowing coupled with a more reggae-based direction means quite a few listens are required for an ultimately more rewarding experience.
Indeed, 'Build A Nation' seems to lack any weaknesses. Nothing in the track list stands out as below average, and yet there are some wildly disparate directions between some of the reggae-inspired mellow tunes and the rocky, metal-influenced stuff. The only shame is that there is no outstanding hit that rises above the rest to make you press repeat a hundred times. All it requires is an instant behemoth like Bad Brains' own classic track 'Pay to Cum' for this to be the wild card contender for album of the year. As it is, 'Build A Nation' is still a very good album by a band that can never live to up their own mythology, but don't care either.
Muhammad Odeh
Bad Brains Official Site
Bad Brains Myspace
Buy Bad Brains CDs | Buy Bad Brains mp3s | Buy Bad Brains Tickets | Buy Bad Brains Merch
Release Date: 25/06/07
Label: Megaforce
Rating: ****
The Sony Walkman, the mobile phone, and the supercomputer. What do they have in common? They were all invented in 1979, the same year four inhabitants of Washington D.C. joined up to form Bad Brains, a landmark band that more than any other has grown to epitomise the hardcore sound. And yet hardcore is but a part of Bad Brains' musical vocabulary. They embrace metal, reggae, funk, and normal punk tunes just as lovingly, as shown in their ninth studio album, 'Build A Nation'.
The first impression of this new effort is its mellow tone. Gone are the days of pure hard riffs and fierce rhythms whilst you imagine H.R. dancing around like a schizophrenic dervish having a fight with himself. The reggae influence was always prominent, but has increased considerably from their earlier days, so much so that some tracks are nothing but. The outlandishly named 'Natty Dreadlocks 'pon Mountain Top' is more conventional reggae than the Skatilites, but this can be forgiven because of two reasons. Firstly, few other songs in the album are as unswervingly one-tracked as this, and secondly, it's still very good indeed.
In a way, it's good to see a band whose originality and innovativeness have inspired countless others (from Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana to Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Beastie Boys) over the years, still making music to please themselves above anybody else. There are no concerns about markets and appeal, just making music they want to make. Having said this, hardcore punk fans will still enjoy some of the faster, brighter songs. Tracks like 'UniversalPeace' and 'In the Beginning' run rampage in a forest of musical wilderness, obliterating the foliage of easy hooks and obvious riffs that were seeded by other modern bands like Blink 182 and Good Charlotte.
Probably the most furious song is 'Let There be Angels (Like You)', with a classic punk riff and a growling heavy metal bass line providing the concrete background for H.R.'s colourful vocal tiles. Nonetheless, it seems a little restrained and less carefree and chaotic than some of their previous efforts. You can't help but feel the sheer hellacious fire of early-Bad Brains has gone forever. Elsewhere, 'Expand Your Soul' is the most accessible tune in the bunch, with an abrasive but not too harsh punk soundtrack to a more tuneful vocal outing, but if you're looking for accessible tunes then you're reading the wrong review. Bad Brains have historically been accessible in a way, but their mellowing coupled with a more reggae-based direction means quite a few listens are required for an ultimately more rewarding experience.
Indeed, 'Build A Nation' seems to lack any weaknesses. Nothing in the track list stands out as below average, and yet there are some wildly disparate directions between some of the reggae-inspired mellow tunes and the rocky, metal-influenced stuff. The only shame is that there is no outstanding hit that rises above the rest to make you press repeat a hundred times. All it requires is an instant behemoth like Bad Brains' own classic track 'Pay to Cum' for this to be the wild card contender for album of the year. As it is, 'Build A Nation' is still a very good album by a band that can never live to up their own mythology, but don't care either.
Muhammad Odeh
Bad Brains Official Site
Bad Brains Myspace
Buy Bad Brains CDs | Buy Bad Brains mp3s | Buy Bad Brains Tickets | Buy Bad Brains Merch
Comments
No comments yet
