BL’AST - Blood [Southern Lord Records - 2013]Hailing from Santa Cruz, CA, BL’AST were a legendary hardcore band. Their first full-length The Power of Expression, is perhaps one of the most influential albums to come out of the punk underground during the mid-80’s. While often overshadowed by other West Coast bands during the time period, most notably: Black Flag, T.S.O.L, the Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, etc., BL’AST were a hardcore juggernaut to be reckoned with. BL’AST displayed a musicality which set them apart from the “thrash till death” mantra that many of their hardcore brethren espoused. In that sense, I always thought BL’AST as being kindred spirits to southern hardcore outfit Corrosion of Conformity. Their newest offering “Blood” from Southern Lord Records, isn’t new at all, but rather a recently discovered unheard/unreleased recording session from the mid-80’s. Being in storage for 25 years, the master tapes did suffer some degradations of time, however Southern Lord enlisted the help of longtime BL’AST fan Dave Grohl (yeah the guy from Nirvana/Foo Fighters) to do the mixing. The fact that this tape survived at all is miraculous, but even more surprising is the clarity on this recording given it’s age and being kept in far from ideal storage conditions.
So how does it sound you ask? Rest assured, Blood is a solid recording from the time period. The opening track Only Time Will Tell starts off with some powerful bass chords and an almost psychedelic guitar intro, before launching into some mid-paced hardcore mayhem with Cliff Dinsmore’s gruff vocals. Sometimes and Winding Down pick up the pace to deliver a pair of sonic kicks to the pants, while Your Eyes slows it down with a heavy, chunky hardcore bludgeon. Sequel provides some intricate guitars lines amidst the hardcore assault. The album’s final track ends much in the same way the album begun with some ripping bass lines that carry the listener into a maelstrom of sonic angst.
It might be blasphemous for me to say, but I honestly think Blood is as crucial a hardcore album as anything BL’AST has released and it certainly is the most clean sounding of their output (I’m sure in no small part to Mr. Grohl’s handiwork). Before I start beating a dead horse, I will say that Blood is a hardcore classic and one that should not be overlooked    Hal Harmon
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