Cult heroes of the Californian hardcore underground in the 80s, Bl’ast brilliantly encapsulated the untamed fury of that scene’s brightest days. Culled from a long-lost recording session and revived and remastered by no less a figure than Dave Grohl, Blood sounds far more vital and relevant than it should, perhaps because so few modern punk and hardcore bands attack their music with this level of vigour and intensity.
Once you stop marvelling at Grohl’s skilful resurrection job and get past the novelty of hearing current Alice In Chains frontman William DuVall thrashing dextrously away on guitar, these songs simply crackle and buzz with an ageless energy, mirroring the heads-down shit-kickery of Poison Idea and Black Flag while boasting a distinctive edge all of their own.
From the pulsating bass intro to Only Time Will Tell to the flat-out sprint of Sometimes and on to the pulverising stomp of the closing It’s In My Blood, this is both a glowing advertisement for 80s punk rock and an admirable demonstration of the importance of curiosity, care and the eternal power of overdriven guitars.
