Upon its release, the album received considerable critical acclaim. Undaunted, Ginn released the album on his own SST Records. The band delivered their first full-length album, Damaged, to Unicorn the label refused to release the record, citing the content of the music as too dangerous and vulgar. However, Cadena preferred to play guitar, and his transition to that instrument in 1981 gave the group a heavier sound his replacement on vocals was Henry Rollins, a Washington, D.C., fan who jumped on-stage to sing with the band during a New York performance.Įarly in 1981, Black Flag signed a record contract with Unicorn Records, a subsidiary of MCA. After the release of Jealous Again, Pederast left the group and was replaced by Dez Cadena. relentlessly, building up a small, but dedicated, following of fans. By the release of 1980's Jealous Again, Black Flag had begun to tour the U.S. Morris and Migdol departed the following year - Morris went on to form the Circle Jerks - and they were respectively replaced with Chavo Pederast and Robo. At the same time, Ginn and Dukowski formed an independent record label, SST, which released the band's first EP, Nervous Breakdown, in 1978.
![black flag nervous breakdown black flag nervous breakdown](https://commerce.madbutcher.de/media/images/org/MBGIRLIE078.jpg)
Ginn formed the band with bassist Chuck Dukowski the pair soon added drummer Brian Migdol and vocalist Keith Morris.
![black flag nervous breakdown black flag nervous breakdown](https://avenoctum.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/BF1.jpg)
And it didn't matter who was in the band - throughout the years, the lineup changed numerous times - because the Black Flag name and four-bar logo became punk institutions.īlack Flag was formed in 1977 by guitarist Greg Ginn, a graduate of UCLA. Furthermore, Black Flag demonstrated an affection for bohemia - both in terms of musical experimentation and a fondness for poetry - that reiterated the band's underground roots and prevented it from becoming nothing but a heavy metal group. Their lyrics alluded to social criticism and a political viewpoint, but it was all conveyed as seething, cynical angst, which was occasionally very funny.
Black flag nervous breakdown full#
A full decade and a half before the fusion of punk and metal became popular, Black Flag created a ferocious, edgy, and ironic amalgam of underground aesthetics and gut-pounding metal. Although their recording career was hampered by a draining lawsuit, which was followed by a seemingly endless stream of independently released records, Black Flag was unquestionably one of the most influential American post-punk bands. Through their ceaseless touring, the band cultivated the American underground punk scene every year, Black Flag played in every area of the U.S., influencing countless numbers of bands. Although their music flirted with heavy metal and experimental noise and jazz more than that of most hardcore bands, they defined the image and the aesthetic. Black Flag's later stuff, which became much heavier, and proggy in harmony and rhythm, influenced all of the late 80's/early 90s heavy bands like Melvins, Nirvana, and even Soundgarden.Įnjoy the song, check out my own original music in the links below or my older posts.In many ways, Black Flag was the definitive Los Angeles hardcore punk band. They were the first band to really incorporate weird noisey, dissonant, and harmonically proggy riffs into heavy, and fast, punk. Is known for interesting and original choices in tone and rhythm. Black Flag's long time guitarist, Greg Ginn, There's a certain off-kilter feeling to it that is so cool, and so much more interesting than something like a Ramones song, with all straight 4's.
![black flag nervous breakdown black flag nervous breakdown](https://pictures.depop.com/b0/5161066/377484555_DecIxJrZnv/P0.jpg)
I have always called that choice the "punk prog" trick, where older punk bands, probably not even realizing what they were doing, would add or take away some beats, making something in 7 or 5 or 9 or something even crazier, like 11 or 13. I really like the sound, you feel like you know where it's going, but then they pull a time signature change out of nowhere. The riff that plays when he sings "I'm crazy and I'm hurt" is awesome, it has this little fill descending riff between chords that adds 2 extra beats to the end of the measure. He was their singer when they were featured in the (in)famous documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization" This song is probably my personal favoriteįrom this era of the band. Ron Reyes sang on this song, I love his vocals, full of teenage angst and rebellion. This is one of their oldest recordings, with the whole original line up, long before Henry Rollins joined the band. They helped to create punk rock in LA in the late 70s, and then became a seminal band in the new "American Hardcore Punk" scene.
![black flag nervous breakdown black flag nervous breakdown](https://images.genius.com/4f72749eacc5fbf38fd90a73e92f284b.300x300x1.jpg)
Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown Black Flag are one of the all time greats,