Ah, the raging sounds of Dez Cadena-era
Black Flag. It was certainly the sound of an uprising musical movement during the early '80s, but ol' Dez only lasted behind the mic for a short while -- and not nearly enough recordings -- before moving to rhythm guitar (to make room for
Henry Rollins), and then exiting altogether. Well,
American Black Lung may provide some relief for fans of such
Black Flag releases as
The First Four Years, as this up-and-coming group faithfully replicates the defiant "us-against-them" hardcore punk sound of early
Flag (especially singer Diamond Rhino, who's a spitting image vocally of Cadena). But their 2007 release,
Sudden Departure of Vultures is not a mere
Black Flag rip-off, other influences seep in as well -- including vintage
Stooges on "The Skyline Itself Is Alive," while "Call Me Animal" sounds quite similar to the garage metal of
Mondo Generator. That said, listen to a track such as "Behold the Mighty Galactus," and it's darn near impossible to not picture a sweltering, over-packed hall during the early '80s with a bunch of skinheads sporting shirts with the famous
Black Flag bar logo. ~ Greg Prato