I AGAINST I

After the first of their countless breakups, the Bad Brains reconvened in 1986 to record this, their undeniable masterwork. Fusing dub reggae and funk rhythms into the mix, and slowing the tempo down enough to appeal to hardcore's emergent metal crossover audience, the Bad Brains created one of the most powerful collections the '80s produced in any genre. On "I Against I" and "House of Suffering," the quartet suffuses traditional Jamaican spiritualism with modern urban concerns, while the soaring "Sacred Love" is guaranteed to send shivers down the spine of anyone with any soul whatsoever. An essential release. --David Sprague