Damaged

I definitely needed a six pack to make it through this album.

I listened to 🏴 on the way to work this morning at as loud of a volume as I could tolerate, which to be fair, was not very. It gave me the impression of a small man yelling at me from a distance. He seemed angry about a number of things. Listening caused me a measure of actual physical discomfort, which I believe would make Henry Rollins quite pleased. ** Because it was funnier than I expected (“TV Party”) and was only 35 minutes, but this was not at all for me (which I believe was the intention).

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? Yes Thoughts: - I can respect this, and see why it's in the book, but this type of punk is just not a sound I enjoy. It's largely the production I think - everything just sounds fuzzy and indistinct. It all ends up sounding the same to me. - TV Party is pretty fun though. Favorite track(s): TV Party, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie

Hell yeah. Maybe a little dated.

TV Party!

"As a parent, I found it an anti-parent record..." These are not even the best versions of most of the songs and it's still a classic.

1.5/5 Didn't really enjoy his voice and it was all pretty boring for me.

Another chaotic an disorganized bad punk album. Ugg.

This album is as obnoxious and devoid of technical musical elements as most other punk albums. It was nice that this is an American band, so it didn't feature the intolerable British drawl of every British punk album on the list. Also, TV Party was great satire and a treat among the wall of noise.

naja, geht gar nicht schlecht.

Ja das ist mal Punk! Hardcore.

lots of energy to this, not my sound tho 6/10 best song - tv party

Punk inspired jamming session

I was into this back when it came out out but can’t really listen much now. This album not really their best. Rose Above is great but stuff like TV Party not really

That's not singing, that's just yelling.

Before: Haven't listened yet, just assuming it's terrible heavy metal (will update if wrong) After: Feels like someone is mad at you and you're not sure why (0.4/5)

The music started and I was like, ok this ain’t too bad but then the vocals came in and ruined any semblance at a 2

Hardcore Punk - halte ich nicht längere Zeit aus, und eines klingt wie das andere!

Rise Above TV Party Police Story

dla mnie klasyk

a lot of the same textures going on here (duh) but there’s some fun songs still. will revisit

absolute power highlights: rise above tv party

A seminal work in the punk rock catalog

This is great. GUITAR GUITAR GUITAR YELLING YELLING YELLING DRUM DRUM DRUM. I was already familiar with the song TV Party due to its inclusion in the movie Repo Man when Emilio Estevez’s character mutters/sings it to themself. Dang, I love that movie. I should probably watch it again.

I’m not usually into hardcore punk, but this was more melodic and fun.

There were a few songs I really liked and the rest I sort of liked.

This rocks, and it's influence to punk and hardcore can't be overstated. Definitely not my favorite early hardcore record, but for sure an essential for any fan of the genre

Possibly the best side one in rock n roll.

Well, I'm glad to have finally heard this iconic punk album. Despite hanging out sort-of/nearish-to the small punk crowd in my first high school, I'm pretty sure I hadn't heard anything from this album aside from "Rise above" and "T.V. party" (the latter via "Repo Man" more than anything else), and I'm also happy to know that I wasn't missing much. (On the other hand, there are some pretty interesting covers of "Rise Above", especially by Dirty Projectors (so much better than what we got in their "Bitte Orca" album) and Ibeyi.) I can see how this became *the* iconic SoCal punk album, with all of that genre's violence and disaffection, but what struck me most was how this album, and maybe a lot of American punk, was using the idea of "music" and "songs" as a vehicle for something else. I'm not really sure what that something else was--maybe just an excuse to release stress and beat the shit out of each other?--but 80% of this album has almost no recognizable relationship with what I'd consider musical direction. But Henry Rollins certainly managed to add in 1000% of unchanneled rage and anger and frustration. Impressive in a way, but not really my thing.

"Rise Above" is a classic, and all of side one is excellent. Side two is a snooze.

Better than coldplay

2.5

Utter garbage. Shouty rubbish. I hated it more with every song.

I do not believe this was madein 1981, in a complimentary way.

Vocals are absolutely fire, and I can see why Rollins became such an icon, but the musicianship is pure ass. They’re playing like 12-year-olds.

Uggggggh. I can't handle this type of energy in the morning at work.

Definitely one of the best BF albums and influenced so many punk and hardcore bands to come.

I always thought Henry Rollins might be talentless. Now I know.

This is dreadful.

Intense and furious music, bringing punk to new and, well, more hardcore heights. I think I’ve discovered over the course of this project that I’m not really a fan of punk/hardcore as a blanket genre, but I can appreciate its best and this is certainly somewhere up there.

Sloppy drummer, some of the worst mixing I've ever heard in an acclaimed album, great guitar playing, and generally enough chaos that it gets the job done

10/16/26. Quick songs and intense, direct lyrics delivered with urgency. I've heard a couple of these before but nice to hear the entire album.

как сказал элтон джон, панк это не обязательно про музыку, но про культуру и вайб. естественно людям в коментах не может понравится слушать этот альбом с утра по пути на работу, о чем вы думаете? я в 11 утра в Сапсане тоже охуела. я вообще ниче не знаю про Блэк флэг, кроме лого. поэтому я с трудом вслушивалась. загуглила как выглядит Генри Роллинз. красивый. вот в 70х в Америке надо на такое ходить и орать. а в поезде че слушать. плюс мне 27 уже, а не 19. и даже не 15. при этом захотелось узнать о группе больше. недовольные злые кровавые мужчины из 70х. ну, во-первых это красиво.

A little louder, angrier and heavier than I usually like, but Henry always slaps

Not for me

Made me want to go drink a brew!

Great album

Pretty solid album. Rise Above is a great track. Beyond that, never was huge on hardcore punk ir Black Flag. But still good album.

One of the furious albums that I enjoyed

Really not my style. Low production quality and the guy almost spits his british words through the screen in my face

I think I get this album now. Its still not my favorite, but I appreciate the chaos brought by Rollins and whoever is playing lead guitar. The songs are dumb, which is kind of endearing, but its still not essential for me. Going to give it a 3, 7.3/10

I've never really understood the appeal of Black Flag. Henry Rollins is an interesting, crazy dude, but the music itself has never done much for me. This wasn't my first time hearing Damaged, but lately I've had some surprisingly revelatory experiences revisiting bands I previously disliked, like Drive-By Truckers, so I went into this hoping for a similar experience. I get that the shitty production, sloppy playing, stupid songs, and DIY aesthetic are kind of the point. Doesn’t make it any less shitty. I enjoy plenty of rough-around-the-edges music, from early Ramones to Nirvana's Bleach. There are even moments here where I genuinely like the guitar playing, particularly some of the power-chord rhythms. But then Rollins starts screaming about how he's stupid, confused, hates himself, hates his life, hates the world, wants to die, etc., and I just cringe. Maybe that kind of adolescent angst was groundbreaking in 1981, but listening to it now feels like being screamed at by a Spencer Gifts T-shirt. There are two positive things I can say about this record. First, "TV Party" is genuinely funny and fun, and probably the only song I'd ever voluntarily listen to again. Second, I can absolutely imagine Black Flag being a blast at some sweaty basement show, blackout drunk in the middle of a circle pit. But sitting in my office listening to this album through headphones? Fucking torturous. I understand the historical significance, and I can appreciate what they were going for, but this particular brand of hardcore punk has never resonated with me. I was hoping this album might change my mind. The last few albums I've approached with negative preconceptions have been revelatory. This one was reaffirming. 2.4/10

A red flag for Black Flag. Don't bother listening to this or your hearing may be damaged. Poor in the extreme.

Not my taste. 1.5/5

Adding a 5th bar to the flag.

One of the best ever and one of the easiest 5’s on the list.

ehhhh not my favorite

Excellent early punk album, not much to say. black flag always one of those bands I just never really felt the urge to really explore,but I loved it.

This would be awesome to see live - I feel like a studio album format doesn't do them justice. But I really liked the high intensity performances. Some of the songs are homogeneous but I like it. 3.5/5 -> 4/5

Not my jam- my pet peeve is vocalists who yell with no attempt at melody. But I’ll give it two stars instead of one, because a) I know that’s the genre, b) I do like the overall energy and c) they kept it brief.

I’m a simple man who enjoyed this.

Even though this album is only 35 minutes long, I did not make it all the way through. I got through half of “Damaged ll” and felt I did not want to hear more. I appreciate that this is an important record in punk music history, but punk is just not my taste.

6.8/10. The defining sound of American Hardcore Punk, it brings vocal intensity with very heavy music behind, and it's clear a lot of anger was put into it. It doesn't have much musical complexity, but rather sounds very raw, with specific creation to make it harder to listen to. I thought it was a solid punk album, but I don't think any of the songs will be making into my rotation, they're just too raw and heavy.

Bien.

I remember really disliking this particular Black Flag album when I first heard it way back; I thought the absurdity and overly angsty frat-bro delivery were completely antithetical to the cooler, rebellious image of hardcore in the early '80s (whether that's true or not is really up to the listener). I also found it to be a huge downgrade from their debut EP 'Nervous Breakdown,' which has one of the greatest hardcore songs out there. Buuuuuut I've sort of come around to it, especially after this listen. I've come to enjoy Henry Rollins' sort of restrained, yet still very in-your-face delivery and lyrics of songs like 'What I See' or 'Police Story'. And at its absolute worst, you get the self-loathing of a song like 'Depression ', which I maybe don't hate as much as I should; it comes off vulnerable more than anything. Songs like 'Six Pack' and especially 'TV Party' have always been absolute killers; hardcore songs that emphasized grooves and catchy melodies weren't exactly that common around this time. I mean if you want angry, manly, beat-shit-up hardcore, given that's your image of it, there is no record out there quite like this one. Not particularly as fast or noisy as you might expect out of hardcore, especially when compared to Minor Threat or Bad Brains, but still very much in that lane. Still not my favourite of theirs, and I think their future, more sludge-metal-adjacent stuff is far more compelling and mature, but I did enjoy this a fair bit and the bangers still stand the test of time.

Sinnloses, blödes Rumgebrülle. Nur noch Scheiße hier!

When I think of punk music Black Flag is among the top bands that come to mind. They check all the punk boxes with attitude and riffs. The fact that this came out in 1981 is a little mind bending. I can't imagine how this must have hit back then. It still has in impact all these years later.

Yuck - angry punk garbage

Jesus Christ, nope.

These guys always kill it hard fast and in your face punk that will never cease to be good

6/10

It's unreal that this is rated almost on par with Scritti Pollitti. Maybe I have to check to see if it's people downrating for Gregg Ginn being cancelled or doing something weird. That's kind of justified. Before all of that though was this album, I enjoy it simply for what it is. Even if it wasn't a significant cultural touchstone and massively influential to musicians that came after, I would still enjoy it.

Probably crazy for 81, not really for me

The type of album that makes you go "YEAH TEAR IT ALL DOWN" before logging off of your WFH job, ordering DoorDash, watching Netflix, and going to bed at 9 PM. Makes me feel like Daniel Desario in that one Freaks and Geeks episode where he tries to convince everyone that he's not a poser and gets kicked in the head

Какой же трэш

Not for me.

5/10

It's okay, I am just not into this type of music.

2 stars I like punk rock music. It’s actually one of my highest rated genres in this so far. And I love a lot of bands that have been inspired by Black Flag. But I never listened to this before. This is not my favorite. I like a little more pop in my punk, or at least some melody. There were moments of enjoyment, but a lot of generic nothingness. I won’t put this on again.

That's not music that's just bloody noise

Not bad, dated but then that's punk!

This was great, like tightly contained chaos. 4.5*

good lord no

It's alright. I completely agree that it's one of the most influential albums on the list, but the best I can do for listening is "it's alright".

Música de Trevor Phillips. Parece que entregaram um microfone pro doidinho do centro. Vibe de um grupo de bêbados tocando e fazendo barulheira. Não é necessariamente algo ruim, consigo certamente ver o apelo, mas não é minha pira particular. Menos subjetivamente, achei a produção do álbum bem fraca, nada se destaca na mixagem, não que há imensa proficiência técnica para se destacar, mas mesmo assim. Tudo nivelado é bem chato de escutar, e a barulheira desordenada fica cansativa rapidamente. 1/5

I can see what they’re going for and in small doses hardcore punk can be interesting. But a full album gets to be a bit too much and a little repetitive. Influential and important and definitely deserving to be on the list, but not my favorite listen

I'm aware of this album, and I have listened to it before, but maybe only once. I recognize a few of these tracks by title, but I'm also familiar enough with Black Flag's style to know what to expect. So I'm not really going into this blind. I am looking forward to listening to this again though. I'm quite enjoying this. I'll add this to my list of albums to listen to again. And I probably need to check out more Black Flag stuff too.

Influential - of course. Actually any good - underwhelming. Indecisive 3 stars it is then

My hearing is damaged from from this album, not in a good way! Did not have the stomach for it sorry.

A classic for a reason. These dudes obviously felt aggrieved by reality and turned to art to face that which shows a level of emotional maturity you may not expect from the sound and lyrics. Sometimes you gotta get dumb to get the bad feelings out.

Album que je ne connaissais pas jusqu'à aujourd'hui, l'un des premiers de punk hardcore, donc évidemment, ça rigole pas. Le chanteur braille avec classe, les guitares tabassent la gueule avec efficacité et en plus, c'est sorti en 1981 ! J'aurais pu facilement le dater beaucoup plus tard, tellement il a bien vieilli. Et après un mois consistant essentiellement en des albums complètement osef, un truc intéressant et véritablement culte, ça fait du bien !

What the fuck is this? mmm malisimo amigos, ni siquiera fuí capaz de terminarlo

The album started off well but quickly became repetitive. I quite like punk rock, but I find the best albums are those with distinct songs each with it's own tune, despite remaining in the same genre (take for example The Clash's London Calling album). At some point I felt like the album was noise without meaning.

80s hardcore. Shouty, fast punk rock.

3.5

Álbum rápido e visceral. Clássico do link hard core. Letshuoer D13.

The top review is all about reviewing albums where context is given appropriate weight. We can all agree. Context is very important when considering if an album is deserving of being included here. All the more embarrassing that a band as seminal and important as The Gathering is not included. But I digress. Context and importance are....important. But they don't mean the album is any good. This is fast, brash, loud, smart even...but it's too limited in scope, music, emotion to get much out of it.

This album is only 34 minutes and yet it felt like forever and couldn't wait for it to end. I'm usually a punk fan, but there is a certain point where it is just too harsh to enjoy; that's where this album falls. ⭐️⭐️

Too much.

Punk rock isn't really my thing.