I didn’t use to like punk. It was – well, I don’t know what it was. Too snotty? Too crude? Probably it just wasn’t metal, which was why I didn’t like it when I was younger. That despite the fact that The Offspring’s Smash was the first album I ever bought with my own money, and I’d always loved Misfits.

But I didn’t like punk.

My path toward punk led via psychobilly, a genre I fell in love with the first time I heard it in the form of Scum Rats’ Demon Of The Dark (but that’s another story for another day). I don’t recall what was the punk album that well and truly changed my mind. I know Rancid’s iconic …And Out Come The Wolves was one of the first, as well as Discharge’s Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing. Scarcely surprising, eh?

I do remember that the self-titled 1982 debut album by US act Bad Brains was among the first, as well.

First of all. How cool is that cover? It’s beyond cool. It’s iconic. It was certainly part of the draw when choosing this album to put on from my brother’s CD collection when visiting my mother one summer. It’s not only the color scheme – familiar from reggae albums, a genre it would at this time take a few more years for me to get into – it also instantly captures the eye. And the image of lightning shattering the White House. It resonates.

And the music. It’s fast. It’s hectic. It’s frenzied. It’s all over the place. It’s kind of like Black Sabbath on triple speed, or regular punk on double speed. Even with lyric sheet in hand you have a hard time figuring out what vocalist H.R. sings on some of the tracks. But unlike some other hardcore bands, Bad Brains manage to keep things in control, reined in. The album sounds like it’s almost teetering on the brink of tipping over – but only almost. Things never spiral out of control, the frenzied chaos is determined and deliberate. The rather lo-fi and somewhat unbalanced sound (those vocals are a tad too loud, don’t you think?) of course only amplified the chaotic nature – but I suppose the recording budget for what was originally a tape release wasn’t exactly astronomical.

The album kicks off in frenzied glory with the ever so brilliant Sailin’ On. It’s fast, but it’s melodic. Extremely accessible in a way, but still uncompromising. Things kick seriously into balls-to-the-wall gear with the two next tracks, Don’t Need It and Attitude, which segue into each other almost seamlessly. And let us not forget the rumpus that is Supertouch/Shitfit.

But the cool thing about the album is that it’s not all about breakneck speeds. Banned In D.C., for example, slows down to a brilliant mid-tempo during the latter half from the speeding of the start. Big Take Over balances speed with brilliant melodies, and one of my favourite punk guitar solos of all time.

OK, and naturally, we can’t overlook the reggae stuff. Like I said before, when getting into this album, I wasn’t into reggae. That took a few more years. And let me tell you, no thanks to Bad Brains. Their attempts at reggae have always bordered on the abysmal. This album is no exception. There’s just nothing to these songs. They feel empty and uninspired, like hacking attempts at reggae by people who really don’t understand the genre beyond the outward, superficial elements.

And considering Bad Brains were/are rastafarians, I don’t like to think that’s the case. They just aren’t very good at reggae.

But those tracks notwithstanding, this is a pretty much rock solid album. And luckily, the reggae tracks are in a clear minority here. You don’t have to stand many minutes of tepid reggae to get back to the brilliance of the frenzied hardcore punk.

Pictured in the top photo is the CD copy of the album I own. It’s some generic pressing bought in the late 00’s. Nothing special about it. I’ve been thinking about getting the album on vinyl as well, but I’ve never come across it when I’ve been wearing my buying pants. But I’m perfectly happy listening to this on CD, so no rush there.

Incidentally, this is also the only Bad Brains album I like. Not even Rock For Light, the follow-up album, hits home. As such, this is the only Bad Brains album I own. I don’t think this state of things will change very soon. But by the power of this album alone, Bad Brains played a major role in getting me into punk and hardcore – and as such, they always have a mighty place in my pantheon of significant bands.

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In From The Vaults we take a dive into the record collection at Only Death Is Real HQ and write about about items of iconic stature or personal significance; rarities and oddities from the archives; obscure gems that deserve more attention; classics of yore deserving of a moment in the limelight; and so on.