Why Black Flag’s “Rise Above” is a Genre Defining Masterpiece
If you’re into heavy music of any kind, in particular punk or hardcore punk, Black Flag is a band you should be very well versed in. If this type of music isn’t for you, chances are you’ve at least seen the logo once during your lifetime. It’s that iconic.
Their song, “Rise Above” is the hardcore punk anthem in the same way “Stairway to Heaven” is for classic rock, “Thriller” is for pop, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is for alternative.
Hardcore punk is certainly not for everyone and that’s completely in line with why it was created in the first place. It was a reaction to not just commercial pop music, but other forms of rock as well. It was anti-everything.
It railed against the bigness of rock bands selling out arenas and stadiums and it was even fed up with the scene it was born out of, punk rock. Once punk went mainstream and then had its offshoot, New Wave, the angry, loud, dirty younger brother of punk was born.
Clocking in at just 2:26, “Rise Above” is the first track off of Black Flag’s debut album, Damaged. Released on December 5th, 1981, Damaged initially didn’t make many waves as far as critical acclaim or record sales were concerned. Like any other niche or subgenre in music, some things take time to catch on. Especially things that are groundbreaking.
