In the early eighties Bad Brains was a band that turned many venues upside down and got many people hooked on their music. With albums of almost legendary proportions they eventually fell apart in 1995. Of course a lot has happened since that time but finally a new Bad Brains album (if you don’t count the I And I Survived album) has found it’s way out of the studio into the world.

On Build A Nation the band is complete again and kicks off with 'Give Thanks And Praises’ followed by ‘Jah People Make The World Go Round’. These titles immediately give away that the Rastafarians are still dedicated. With their raw and sometimes edgy mix of hardcore punk and reggae they try to get back that old feeling. Thanks to Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, who took place at the producers chair, they didn’t failed miserably.

 

But it’s also Adam Yauch who pushed the reverb button a little too much. Of course it’s not a punishment to do it every now and then, but on Build A Nation it happened a bit too much. On the other hand, there’s finally an album of this cult band that is the name Bad Brains worthy. Especially when you listen to tracks like ‘Give Thanks And Praises’, ‘Jah People Make The World Go Round’, ‘Build A Nation’ and ‘Send You No Flowers’; these are so damn furious that make a lot of bands scratch behind their ears, wondering how they can write something alike.

 

When we look back at the history of Bad Brains it’s most of the time vocalist HR with his weird behaviour that lead to problems and eventually to the split of Bad Brains. Let’s hope he can get his shit together and hold it together for as long as Bad Brains last because I can understand that a lot of people would like to see them one more time. Especially with this new sign of life which breathes the old atmosphere of the old times.