With Beastie Boy and super-fan Adam "MCA" Yauch behind the boards, the original line-up of Washington D.C. punk legends the Bad Brains reconvened for 2007's BUILD A NATION. No one ever has or ever will mix punk and roots reggae better than the Bad Brains, and this album, the band's eighth in the studio since their formation in 1979, is further proof. While H.R. doesn't attack with quite the same Lion-of-Jah ferocity found on the band's early albums, he's still an utterly invigorating frontman, as evidenced by the tracks "Give Thanks and Praises" and "Pure Love." The band itself is still in rare form, with guitarist Dr. Know unleashing brutal, jazzy riffs and scorching solos, while Darryl Jenifer and Earl Hudson lay down the strictest of ridims. The whole unit also still maintains that remarkable ability to stop on a dime and find a nice gentle dub groove in praise of Jah. No matter where they are in their game, there's nothing quite like it.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.72) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "This reunion disc, with fan Adam Yauch producing, explodes and skanks like their classic records."
Spin (p.92) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "BUILD A NATION roars and throbs with vintage fire. H.R.'s vocals, dub-echoed and buried, sound like they're transmitted from Olympus."
Entertainment Weekly (p.136) - "Bad Brains' most cohesive effort since 1986's watershed I AGAINST I." -- Grade: B+
Uncut (p.89) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "A return to snappy punk riffs and dub vocal effects..."
Alternative Press (p.174) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he Brains are back and sounding remarkably sweet..."
Vibe (p.72) - "[W]hile the album finds them flexing serious reggae chops, NATION really thrives on aggression, reveling in those moments when all hell might break lose."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.47) - "[I]t's the backing that makes Bad Brain an untouchable proposition, their righteous clatter deftly delivered."
