Black Flag

The extended punk-metal jams that formed side two of this when it came out in '84 either alienated what was left of Black Flag's original fan base or changed the way kids thought about music. Judging from the emergence of bands like Born Against, Saint Vitus, Eyehategod and countless others representing the breadth of extreme music, it's the folks that dug it that mattered. The title track is brilliant Henry paranoia/Ginn axemasnship but it's "Scream," the "War Pigs" homage "Three Nights" and especially "Nothing Left Inside" that make My War one of Black Flag's most important albums.

Depleted by the kind of corporate strife I thought these guys were too cynical to fall for (which may be why they did), Henry Rollins's adrenalin gives out. The consequent depression is so monumental that even Greg Ginn succumbs, adding only one classic to his catalogue of noise solos ("The Swinging Man") and grinding out brain-damaged cousins of luded power chords behind the three dirges that waste side two. But things do start off manically enough, with the title tune (refrain: "You're one of them") and five minutes of Henry explaining why he smiles so much (which I never noticed). (Grade - B-)