Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Bl'ast - The Expression of Power [Southern Lord - 2014]

Southern Lord presents another monster album of archival material from the legendary west coast hardcore outfit BL’AST. In the waning days in the year of our lord 2013 the band released Blood!, an album that contained tracks from the mid-80’s thought to be lost to the sands of time. Still hot off their heels from that release, the BL’AST resurgence continues with The Expression of Power. Released as both a CD (with a 28 page booklet) or a 3 x LP (with extra material), The Expression of Power contains a previously unreleased version of their original full-length The Power of Expression. For those unfamiliar, BL’AST hailed from Santa Cruz, CA and played caustic hardcore punk. They were highly influential, yet unfortunately are often overshadowed by other west coast mainstays like Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and the Dead Kennedys.

The tracks that make up The Expression of Power are the original LP along with another alternate version of the album labeled the Track sessions. The vinyl version also includes an additional demo. So what’s this alternate version? Before finally settling on what would become their debut LP, BL’AST recorded 2 other versions of the album. What to say about this release that hasn’t been said already? It’s furious balls to the wall, no bullshit 80’s hardcore punk, that’s every bit as crucial as Damaged or Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Musically they’re mid-paced to fast as fuck aggressive punk with raspy vocals provided by frontman Clifford Dinsmore. The alternate tracks are remastered, yet as expected, are relatively raw sounding compared to the final album. 25 punk as fuck tracks in total.


Reissues like these with demo/alternate versions of tracks really bring me back to the days when I was first discovering hardcore and buying up these collected works albums on Lost & Found. Some great stuff, some redundant stuff, some sub par, but in totally great collections of music.  If I’m honest I have to admit that the Track sessions were kind of redundant to me and I’m not such a diehard that I need to hear various versions of the same jams over and over (however great they are). That said I appreciate the care and attention Southern Lord gives to their archival releases, especially for a band as important to American hardcore as BL’AST.

Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

Hal Harmon
Latest Reviews

Bl'ast - The Expression of Power
Southern Lord presents another monster album of archival material from the legendary west coast hardcore outfit BL’AST. In the waning days in the year of our...
190324   Pierre Jodlowski - Séries fo...
180324   José María Sánchez-Verdú - K...
180324   Celer - Cursory Asperses
180324   Burial Ground/ Nights of Terr...
150324   Uncodified - Erased People
150324   The Residents - Secret Show (...
130324   Dagr - Dagr (ltd-theatrical/ ...
130324   Ignaz Schick & Oliver Steidle...
120324   Math - Utterblight
120324   OdNu + Ümlaut - Abandoned Spaces
Latest Articles

Sutcliffe No More - Normal Everyd...
Sutcliffe No More are a British two-piece bringing together Kevin Tomkins & Paul Taylor. Formed in 2021, it’s the spin-off project/ next sonic step...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
050523   Bill Morroni - The Trials & ...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom