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Staff Picks: Bad Brains - Bad Brains

For fans of: Hardcore Punk Originators

What they're saying: The Brooklyn Vegan blog revisited Bad Brains on the occasion of its reissue and nicely distilled the bands essence: “Their breakneck-speed rhythms are the album's beating heart, and H.R. is its soul, with his snarling voice, his profound grasp of melody, and the positive mental attitude in his lyrics that helped start the entire movement of positive-minded hardcore.” Mark Deming at AllMusic gets into what truly set Bad Brains apart from their peers, noting the band “were mature musicians who had the chops and the imagination to play whatever they wanted; fast and loud wasn't the only option open to them, which is why they could use it as a tool rather than a blunt instrument.” And PunkNews.org calls this 1982 debut “the most bad ass, wicked hardcore album on the planet.

What we say: Perhaps the best hardcore record of all-time finally has an official reissue. This is part of an extensive band led reissue campaign now that they once again own their own catalogue. We should see more classics hitting the shelves along with some lost sessions being resurrected.