Black Flag’s 1984 release My War is a landmark in hardcore punk / rock music. With this album, the punk attitude was the same but hardcore wasn’t about fast riffs anymore. My War, especially side two of the LP, had an impact far and wide. It can be considered a proto-grunge record.Black Flag emerged from the Southern California hardcore punk scene of the late 1970’s. Greg Ginn was the bands guitarist. He not only lead Black Flag, he ran SST Records, an important imprint of underground music in the 1980’s.Black Flag’s Damaged was a seminal release in the Hardcore movement. The album also marked the introduction of Henry Rollins as vocalist. Rise Above, the first song, leads a record of short and fierce Punk Rock tunes. Damaged cemented Black Flag as leaders in the genre.Because of legal disagreements, there was to be no subsequent Black Flag release until three years later with My War.The first song, and title track, on My War draws a line in the sand: it’s us against them. The theme of alienation continues throughout the record. “Beat My Head Against The Wall” states: “Swimming in the mainstream, is such a lame dream”.The sound of the band shows an evolution from the raw punk of Damaged. With the first half of the record, the music continues the up-tempo energy of the last record, but it’s more progressive. The chord changes and lead guitar are akin to King Crimson’s

Red. Ginn’s lead guitar playing sounds like twisted Jimi Hendrix. (Ginn also played bass on the record.)The dominant musical technology of the era was the long play record. Because you have to turn an LP over when one side is finished, along with the different pace of the music, side two is a separate listening experience in itself. The tempo is slower and the songs longer: making for a heavy sound. Rollins was in full form as a serious writer / lyricist. The title, Nothing Left Inside is devastating. Ginn is shredding on guitar while drummer Bill Stevenson holds down the dirge beat.Even the album cover is menacing. The puppet looks maniacal, but it’s really only a glove on the hand of the real threat. Artist Raymond Pettibone’s work was featured on almost every Black Flag release. He is also Ginn’s brother.My War, with the notorious side two was more like Black Sabbath than conventional punk. It marked a departure from the super fast riffs of hardcore. Along with Flipper’s

Generic, My War blasted a path for grunge to follow.Black Flag soon added bassist Kira Roessler. They released the follow up album Slip It In, the same year. The group were on a mission to bring the music to the people and started touring places off the beaten path. In 1985, I travelled to Walla Walla to see the band play a community center. The show was great but sparsely attended. Black Flag came to the hinterlands, but they were too obscure. Besides, the music was an explicit affront to the mores of the mainstream. They were dangerous. Personal liberation or even a chance to choose sides is there for those who want it. My War is a road map.