Part of what makes alternative metal “alternative” is its penchant for slower, more mid-tempo rhythms versus playing fast. This stood in direct contrast to speed metal and most thrash metal that was prominent in the 80s, but the transition from playing fast to slower wasn’t just a trend in the metal world as the decade wore on, but also in the hardcore punk scene as well. Black Flag’s 1984 album My War is probably the best example of that, as it sported markedly slower, often doomy flavor at times that proved to be heavily influential on the birth of sludge-metal in the years to come.
And of course, our spotlight band of the week, Bad Brains, slowed down their sound considerably in the back-half of the 80s, helping to give rise to the alternative-metal genre in the process. Those bands understood that by slowing down their tempos, it accentuated the heaviness of their music in the process. This rare video of Bad Brains performing “Soul Craft” from 1989 is a case in point. It’s a good example of how the band could be just as potent with a crushingly heavy mid-tempo riff as they were in their frenetic punk-rock heyday.
I’m not necessarily saying this is better than peak punk-era Bad Brains, but it still packs quite a punch nonetheless and foreshadows the style and sound of heavy music coming in the following decade. Further evidence of just how impactful Bad Brains were, whether they were inspiring future hardcore punk bands in the late 70s, or alt-metal bands to come in the late 80s, their influence knew no bounds:
