Bad Brains
I Against I

THE REVIEW

After recording the most jaw-breaking album in the galaxy, the Bad Brains broke up and got into all sorts of trouble until H.R. ended up in jail (I'm not sure if it was for drugs or something else).

Fortunately, in '86 these strange punk-Rastafarians got back together, showcasing an astonishing musical maturity and an almost supernatural technique for punk rockers; in particular, the singer displays a particularly versatile and expressive voice, while the rhythm section ventures into gut-turning time changes and heart-pounding sudden accelerations.

Anyway, between you and me, WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT TECHNIQUE!
What matters is that the recipe of I Against I is culinarily delicious (yum!). Reggae and hardcore, which were previously two distinct entities, are assimilated into a form of brazenly creative melodic punk with a metallic aftertaste (or is it heavy metal influenced by punk?). Having forever abandoned the supersonic runaway blasts of Rock For Light, the Bad Brains seem almost to enjoy themselves (from jail) by surprising with rhythmic tricks and continuous scene changes. After all, we're talking about an album released in '86 for SST, at that time a true factory of masterpieces; the '83-'86 triennium (or quadriennium?) represented the peak of glory for Greg Ginn's record label, and the Bad Brains fit well into that stratospheric catalog.

Now, I could sit here and describe every single song, but that would be extremely boring, so I'll just mention the titles, is that okay?
"Secret 77", "She's Calling You", here are two fresh titles for you. If you want the others, buy the CD!

Buy it, because "I Against I," although it doesn't equal the splendor of the previous album, is an original, inventive, sharp album, played excellently and... hey, listen to this: did you know that my grandma (86 years old) loves this album?
I'm not kidding, she says that sometimes she gets tired of listening to Radio Maria and then cranks up the Bad Brains!

Buy it, and if you don't like it... give it to grandma.