Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Following the major success of 1983's seminal sophomore effort Rock For Light, in which reggae-hardcore heroes Bad Brains would work studiously under The Cars' Ric Ocasek, and even re-record some of their self-titled debut LP's strongest cuts such as 'Sailin' On' and 'Banned In D.C.'; the hard left turn of their now acclaimed third full-length I Against I initially shocked many a hardcore purists upon its initial 1986 release. Arriving courtesy of SST Records, the album showcased an even further disregard for genre or scene parameters than the band had exuded up to that point, absorbing elements of funk, soul, r&b and, most notably, alternative metal, with the material falling somewhere in line with the likes of Living Colour, yet a far scuzzier version. While early reception was somewhat maligned and controversial, with the band even back-peddling on 1989's Quickness, there's no denying the sprawling influence the record has had in the decades since, with covers of the title-track coming from Jeff Buckley to Denzel Curry, while its sonic presence can be heard all the way up to modern hardcore stalwarts such as Turnstile. Not to mention the iconic lore behind the vocals to 'Sacred Love' being recorded by H.R. over the phone from prison while serving time on a marijuana distribution charge. How can you get any more hardcore punk reggae than that?

Review: The highest selling album from reggae-tinged hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains arrived courtesy of SST Records in 1986, and marked the band's further decimation of genre parameters. Following on from the major success of their refined sophomore endeavour Rock For Light, which cherry-picked some of their preceding self-titled debut LP's strongest cuts to re-record under the tutelage of The Cars' late, great Ric Ocasek, by the time it came to enter the studio to lay down what would grow into the iconic I Against I, the band had begun to embrace more outsider influences from the realms of soul, r&b and even funk metal; all genres that would inform the sonic makeup of their third full-length. With the title-track covered from everyone from Jeff Buckley to Lamb Of God to Denzel Curry, the utter sonic fearlessness exuded throughout scoffed in the face of hardcore purists who lambasted the effort upon release, while its insidious influence can still be heard today from Rage Against The Machine all the way up to hardcore's modern day flag flyers Turnstile.