Bl'ast! - The Power of Expression (1986, reissued SST 1987)

Bl'ast's debut the Power of Expression is one of the more underrated punk releases of the 80s as the band shows a tremendous amount of promise that would fully develop by the time of their second album, It's In My Blood, which came out on Greg Ginn's SST label. Perhaps unfairly, Bl'ast was always constantly compared to Ginn's Black Flag and in particular the early Damaged era sound. However, this comparison was not always a negative thing, because for many in the mid-80s Black Flag's increasingly experimental sound was starting to become either a little too experimental or too slow and Bl'ast definitely expanded on the sound Black Flag had birthed on Damaged. Regardless of how you feel about My War or later Black Flag, for those who felt BF had moved on a little too soon from the sound of their earlier EPs and Damaged, Bl'ast was certainly an outlet to plug into. However, the BF tag comparison is a little overused I feel and doesn't do Bl'ast's music justice. Ginn at the time was mostly championing bands that were if anything quite the opposite of conventional hardcore, so Bl'ast's presence on the label alongside Meat Puppets, Husker Du, Sonic Youth, etc., says alot about the band being more than just a BF clone. Furthermore, It's In My Blood may be a must have punk release of the 80s, don't overlook their strong debut either.