Black Flag

Black Flag: Loose NutLoose Nut (1985)
Black Flag

Reviewer Rating: 5

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Contributed by: BrandonSideleauBrandonSideleau
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on January 21st 2005In my opinion, no punk rock website is complete without a document on the entire Flag catalog. And the magnificent Loose Nut more than earns a place among both the top 50 punk and metal (no, not shitty pop-metal, but real metal) records of all time. The basic musical idea for Loose Nut was to combin.

In my opinion, no punk rock website is complete without a document on the entire Flag catalog. And the magnificent Loose Nut more than earns a place among both the top 50 punk and metal (no, not shitty pop-metal, but real metal) records of all time. The basic musical idea for Loose Nut was to combine the speed and nihilism of punk rock with the heavy and rollicking pound of Sabbath-esque metal, and it works better than you'd imagine. If you've disregarded anything after Damaged because some little kid with a mohawk told you it sucked, then you need to do yourself a favor and pick up Loose Nut and prepare to be blown away.

The album features everything that made the earlier albums great - sarcastic and intelligent if often misunderstood (see "Annihilate This Week" and the title track) lyrics and a gut-pounding musical landscape. Loose Nut is relatively short and sweet with varied song structures, which prevent the tracks from blending together. "Annihilate This Week," a Black Flag staple, is musically a pounding homage to heavy metal, and lyrically, a sharp criticism of hypocritical individuals that feel as though they can do whatever they please, as long as they can repent for their sins at Church the following weekend.

"Loose Nut" is the fastest song on the album, a hardcore punk classic featuring a deliciously catchy chorus. The song is, in general, poking fun at men who are led around by their dicks. This is actually very funny, considering how much of the punk rock community accuses this era of Black Flag as being "macho," when in reality it was quite the opposite.

Other standout tracks include the great Rollins written tracks "I'm The One" and "Sinking," along with the throat-tearing closer "Now She's Black." And, of course, I cannot forget "Modern Man," which had been played at Black Flag shows since 1981 but wasn't officially released until this album.

If you have any real taste in hard music this album will be one of your favorites, hands down. I'm sure many of you know this, but many of you don't as well.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (March 6, 2005)

My War is the best Flag album---lots of GRRRRRR

Anonymous (January 28, 2005)

as opposed to........what?

Anonymous (January 28, 2005)

fuck this shit. black flag has always been overrated. dudeeeeee! black flagagaggg!

Anonymous (January 26, 2005)

wow....somebodies ignorant. automatically assuming nobody has seen the mighty Flag. I know more than a few who have, and while their opinions vary, this band was always tight live. Loose Nut, in a word, rocks.

Anonymous (January 26, 2005)

Are you fucking guys kidding me??? The funny thing is I bet nobody who reviewed this piece of shit ever seen Black Flag??? Am I right??? Don't answer that cause I know nobody did!!! The funny thing is I had a coversation with a friend of mine a while back who like myself seen Black Flag on more than one occasion and he said and I quote "It's funny how the kids embrace this shit now we knew it sucked then and sucks now!!!" The first 4 Years is the best Flag!!! Loose Nut is like Loose change fucking worthless!!!

BrandonSideleau (January 25, 2005)

Shit....I forgot to mention "This Is Good".....that's a fuckin' brutal track. First Four Years is great....but the later albums are more interesting.

Anonymous (January 25, 2005)

First. Four. Years.

Anonymous (January 24, 2005)

Always thought this was a half hearted effort. I actually hate "annihilate the week". Slip it In is probally my favortite flag album of all (I know, how could I not say Damaged) so if you want a taste of the metal years, start there and go to the previous album My war, although the instrumentals are not my cup of tea.

Anonymous (January 24, 2005)

Actually, by this time, Rollins was writing more of the lyrics... One of Ginn's complaints was how Rollins couldn't do anything but the "dark" thing.

-BSD

BrandonSideleau (January 24, 2005)

Even if you don't like post-Damaged Flag (I don't underastand you but whatever), the idiot below me obviously knows nothing. Greg Ginn was responsible FOR ALL creative and almost all lyrical changes in the music. Rollins was merely the mouth peice.....you little kiddies need to get your facts straight.

ggxisxGOD (January 24, 2005)

black flag is one of my all time favorit bands. i dislike what rollins did to the band but we all make mistakes, so fuck u.

Anonymous (January 24, 2005)

well it does.....it makes all that wannabe hardcore and shitty metalcore look like pussy shit.