What is the most "metal" Black Flag release?

My War, and don't pay any attention to the haters - it's the best Black Flag album. Damaged and The First Four Years, if you count that as an album, are tied for close second. But people who don't like My War oughta stick with the fucking bullshit Descendents or something

^ Agreed. If that old cliche of teh Flag being The Stooges-meets-Black Sabbath is true then "my war" is probably the best example of it. Definately the most heavy 'Flag album and i'd put it neck and neck with "damaged".

"Loose nut" and "in my head" are also very metal but, unfortunately, they both suck. Shame 'cause there's a few decent songs on them (listen to the '82 demo of "modern man" and live versions of "drinkin' and drivin'" for proof) but they're ruined by stale mid 80s metal production.

"Slip it in" is also underrated.

> But people who don't like My War oughta stick with the fucking bullshit Descendents or something

Good advice - you're far better off listening to the Descendents than anything by Black Flag that isn't 'Damaged'.

I'll keep both, if you don't mind

what's wrong w/Descendents?

My War and Slip It In are a great 1-2 punch.

Yeah, "The Bars" off Slip It In is a really ignored track - probably the best thing on that album, and featuring a totally ferocious performance from (wait for it) Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson.

Roger OTM... My War is the pinnacle of teh flag. Some of the later stuff may be more "metal" but it also suxxx big dixxxx. Slip It In is alright, but there's nothing on it to match side 2 of My War.

all black flag is shit. most overated band ever.

no, the most overrated band ever is Queen.

"good dog", maybe you should buy 'damaged' and smoke a bowl and drink a six pack and then reanalyze your thoughts on black flag. that's how i got into minor threat. anyways, the point is without black flag there wouldn't be any of your precious freak folk that you love so much, "good dog". take that joanna newsome cd off for a few minutes and enjoy a little black flag. maybe go punch your mom or something, that shit is fun!

I have a sneaking suspicion that my life might come to an end after a day perched atop a clock tower with a cassette copy of My War blaring from some battery powered 5" speakers while taking potshots at passersby below. Side two is the most cathartic slabs of wax I've ever encountered.

It's not music for everybody, but I think that's a really good thing.

I think what happened after My War is the result of too much grass smoking on the part of Greg Ginn. You can easily mark the moments that lack the original focus of classic Black Flag. If you've ever read Get In The Van or Planet Joe it seems apparent that the Black Flag "experience" got in the way of the music. It was probably bound to happen, with the revolving cast of players that came and went. Also, I think you'd be a total blockhead to pick ANY Greg Ginn solo material over the first 3 or 4 Rollins records. It seemed to me that Greg Ginn was trying to create a scientific Black Sabbath that miserably failed.

I'm not even close to the subject of this thread any longer.

i dunno, that sounds pretty metal derek

In My Head is a great, great record. My favorite Flag album, second only to Damaged. It's "metal", but outer-space psycho metal jazz, the bizarre extreme they'd been working towards over several records. "Driking and Driving" is the low point of In My Head, focus instead on "Paralyzed", "Black Love", "Retired at 21".

My War could've been the best Black Flag album ever, if it had been recorded with the two guitar lineup (Ginn / Cadena) and Chuck Biscuits on drums. But that lineup fell apart and they recorded it as a 3 piece, with Ginn doubling on bass and guitar. Not a great idea. Some of it works ("Scream", "My War") but it's all potential and little delivery. Look for the '82 demos of the My War material - much closer representation of what My War could've been. If you want a taste I could YSI a couple tracks....

By they way, I love Black Flag and Joanna Newsom.

the 82 demos are fucking fantastic - why didn't they ever release "yes, i know"?

Damaged is still their finest. You can keep the sludge.

the part of My War that always makes me laugh is "i might be a big baby, but i'll SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAM in your EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAR." swingin man is pretty awesome too. i remember having my war on cassette in high school and this metal head guy asked to hear it: "sounds like they recorded it in a garage."

SST Records could do no wrong in '84.

i was only kidding, there would still be freak folk without black flag. i mean there wouldn't be freak folk without tiny tim, but black flag.. that's a different story. there wouldn't be real people without black flag i think. without tiny tim, there would be a lot less college students buying into "folk" music is what i meant to say. all that weird al yankovic acoustic guitar shit. god bless anyone with a stomach for that who can't take black flags metal years.

"I Love You!"

To answer the original question: Loose Nut is the most metal. Its big dumb riffage, squashed production, and well-duh lyrics guarantee the right to the crown.

In My Head sounds metal, but it's too weird to be confused with actual metal.