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Album Details

• Artist: Bad Brains
• Album: Black Dots
• Label: Caroline
• Year of Release: 1996
• ME Rating: Indie Classic
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2006-11-11

These 1979 demos already contain the blueprint for what would soon become the greatest hardcore setlist in punk history. Kicking off with the first song they ever wrote, “Don’t Need It”, this is a relentless set of energy and anger, and features Brains classics “Pay To Cum” and “Howe Low Can A Punk Get?”, as well as some cool treasures like the Pil-esque “Regulator” and “Why’d You Have To Go?” It is almost impossible to contemplate the energy here, as it always with Bad Brains, at least through 1986 or so. This is fast and brutal, glorious as well as historic. Dr. Know’s guitar and Earl Hudson’s drums are blueprint for all serious rock that came after. And say what you will about HR personally, there has been no more imposing a frontman since, save for maybe Rollins in the “Damaged” era. Throw away that shitty Ocasek-produced “Rock for Light” limpness and get this, and the ROIR release.

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