Bad Brains
Build a Nation

Megaforce 2007

By ignore staff

If we put the Stooges, Dinosaur Jr. and Bad Brains on trial for their latest get-all-the-guys-together efforts, the latter two acts would walk. But maybe the Brains should be forced to pick up Hardees wrappers along your dad’s morning commute. This isn’t terrible, but they didn’t go for it. At least they’ve ditched the “we’ll call ourselves Soul Brains so we can get higher on stage” schtick.

So, this isn’t a vintage return to form with Black Dots falling from the skies. Even with the Beastie Boys MCA producing, Build a Nation is very much akin to the sometimes cheeky speed-metal take on their classic D.C. rasta-hardcore that they started doing in the ‘80s, on live albums and Quickness. The heavier tones are matched with reggae cool downs, some of which are superb jams. But there’s really no such thing as a washed-up Rasta. HR’s voice is easily pushing the age of Uncle Junior, and he’s more restrained, while Dr. Know lets his guitar wyle out. That’s a gimme though.

I’m sure lots of mags with call this one a tosser, but this isn’t at all like when they linked up with the guy from the Cars and rubbed God of Love out for Madonna’s label. If these guys want to leave the compound up in Woodstock, New York for a few months for a little touring, that’s not a bad thing. And making a punk album that still pops and never makes you think of baldness and steak-bellies is probably the biggest fuck you can hand the culture, besides being an all-black hardcore band that emerged from a sea of worthless skins and lorded over them. They’ve survived gracefully.

This discourse of Bad Brains' s Build a Nation is written by the staff of ignore Magazine, copyright 2007.