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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Bad Brains’ Build A Nation
Wednesday 27 June @ 13:14:58 |
 
CD Review:
by LOREN GREEN
Twenty-five years ago, Bad Brains were among the most important hardcore bands in the world. They inexplicably fused reggae with faster and more technical punk than their contemporaries. Over time, they changed styles, replaced and reintroduced members--even changed monikers. Build A Nation is the group's first release since 1999 (as Soul Brains). It has been billed as a return to their early days, despite having explored new styles over the years.
With the first track, "Give Thanks and Praises," Bad Brains presents their mission statement. Not only do the lyrics clearly express Rastafarian spirituality, but the opening metallic guitars build to an onslaught at the one-minute mark. Then the vocals start. Vocalist H.R. isn't screaming--he's singing in a slower style somewhat akin to his reggae vocals. It doesn't sound very good, but at 2:25 it's over and you're ready to forgive and move on. Again, the hardcore is interrupted with vocals that just don't work. You can and should expect musical changes as time passes, but the new style mutes the energy. Instead of anthemic chaos, songs like "Build A Nation" and "Let There be Angels (Just Like You)" seem bogged down. When group choruses are in effect the energy is undeniable but, when H.R. pipes in, they lose focus. When the group-sung title track dissolves into "Expand Your Soul," instead of maintaining the ferocity, it feels like your radio droned out of reception. In between scattered frequencies, there are mediocre reggae songs holding on to maintain the theme.
While it’s likely that H.R. just can’t scream like he used to, to me, this new singing technique combined with the fact that this is essentially a reunion album stinks of one thing—releasing a record to capitalize on a brand name.
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