The brand new issue of features a look at the history of legendary US punk band , whose mash-up of hardcore and reggae made them an inspiration for countless bands who followed. We asked Killswitch Engage frontman and Bad Brains uber-fan to pick his favourite BB songs as a primer for anyone wanting to get into them. “The sheer energy and speed of , man! Even the title, as a teenage kid you see that and you’re like, ‘What the fuck is this all about?’ It’s pure, classic Bad Brains.
” “ has been an anthem throughout my life. I got it tattooed on my leg, because it became almost a mantra whenever I hit hard times. It became almost a spiritual calling.
” “ is probably Bad Brains’ most iconic song. It’s this idea of these guys being misfits, but they didn’t care and that they were ‘banned in D.C.
’ – that was punk, dude! For a pissed-off, disillusioned teenager that hated the government, that was the moment I found my tribe.” “ was probably the first time I heard reggae music from a hardcore band and it . Bad Brains led me into figuring out why they liked reggae, which in turn made me fall in love with Bob Marley and reggae music.
” “ is probably most famous for being the song where H.R. provided his vocals from a telephone in prison [the singer had been arrested for marijuana possession].
But it’s also a very different kind of love song, it’s not sappy, it’s kind of badass!” “On Bad Brains even played with kinda disco vibes! It didn’t matter about genre, they were just creating songs that were memorable. The vibe is kinda magical and there’s nothing like it.” Sign up below to get the latest from Metal Hammer, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! “Just from its name, you know is gonna be great.
They blend so many different styles into , but it also ends up feeling like their most focused record. shows that off whilst still being pure, classic Bad Brains.” “ creates a groove that countless bands – including Killswitch – have ripped off over the years since.
You look at , the riffage of that song is directly ripped off of a Bad Brains idea of how you play a riff, pause, and the groove keeps happening.” “ as a whole feels discombobulated and odd. But is great, man.
The rhythm of it and how they approach the reggae sound is really cool.” “One of my favourite Bad Brains songs of all time is , off . It’s a remix of all their stuff, and that record I could put on repeat all day.
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