by Bad Brains
ROIR, 1971

the sound: The debut album from this iconic punk quartet comes sprinting out of the gates with “Sailin’ On,” featuring hyper-fast guitar, bass and drums, impishly snarled vocals and, lo, a guitar solo—that instrumental rarity of hardcore music. The sheer rapidity of the less-than-two-minute song is breathtaking, and yet it’s quickly trumped by the second track, “Don’t Need It,” which roars into action with manic drums and frenzied guitar. The quick transition into “Attitude” is barely noticeable. “Don’t care what they may say / We got that attitude / Don’t care what they may do / We got that attitude,” singer H.R. growls. “The Regulator” slows things down ever so slightly, if only to add a darker, more sinister component to the melody, but the speed and fury return a minute later with “Banned in D.C.” You can almost picture H.R. crouching, pouncing, bouncing off the walls of the studio as he sings, like a toddler on a sugar high. But this visual image only adds to the bafflement that ensues when the song inexplicably lapses into “Jah Calling,” a relaxed, instrumental reggae tune. It’s a short respite, as the album devolves into chaos once again with “Supertouch/Shitfit.” “Leaving Babylon” wades right back into reggae waters, this time with vocals, but then it’s back to the anti-conformist blitz of “Fearless Vampire Killers,” “I” and “Big Take Over.” By the time the album reaches it’s most infamous song, “Pay to Cum,” you’re mentally exhausted from trying to keep up. Despite its occasional forays into mellow Rasta fare, the 16-song album plays like an adrenaline shot jabbed straight into the brain.

the background: Trained in the jazz-fusion discipline, Bad Brains formed in Washington, D.C., in the late 1970s and soon established a lineup of H.R. on vocals, Dr. Know on guitar, Darryl Jenifer on bass and Earl Hudson on drums. In the early ’80s, the group dove headlong into punk, becoming one of the few hardcore bands with genuine songwriting craftsmanship and instrumental talent. In true DIY fashion, “Bad Brains” originally came out on cassette only, sending instant shockwaves through the hardcore underground. “Pay to Cum” was the band’s first single, and it opened people’s eyes to the raw possibilities of just how fast and riotous punk rock could be. Along with seminal acts like Black Flag, Dead Kennedys and Minor Threat, Bad Brains endured as one of the most respected hardcore acts of the ’80s, and their debut album is still considered one of the greatest ever to come out of the genre.

the significance: The ’70s punk rock of The Ramones and Sex Pistols was fast, but not this fast. Bad Brains took the music to a new, breakneck velocity that helped set the parameters of the hardcore movement and also informed the genres of speed metal and thrash. Bad Brains was one of very few African American hardcore bands and probably the only one comprised of devout Rastafari followers. They can take credit for implementing reggae into punk music, paving the way for later bands like Sublime, who often covered their songs at live shows. Other tracks from “Bad Brains” have been adapted by No Doubt, Moby, 311, Living Colour, Hatebreed and others. Portsmouth hardcore veteran Al Barr, now lead singer of Dropkick Murphys, has cited the album as an early influence. Despite several breakups and reunions, Bad Brains is still active. They recently played a handful of gigs in the Southeast, and they announced in March they were at work on a new album.