The mantra behind all good punk rock was to break the rules of musical theory. Many bands, such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, could write brilliant pieces of music within the confines of theory. But there were just as many artists who wanted to sing what was on their minds rather than conform to the proper musical structures of the time. Henry Rollins sought to create music as dark as possible with Black Flag and in his solo work. But one of his most difficult musical challenges was figuring out one of the great heavy metal anthems.
Rollins, a hardcore musician, never wanted to create music that followed the traditional pop song formula. In contrast to the boy-meets-girl mentality that pervaded every other pop single at the time, Black Flag’s material offered the most feral attempts at rock and roll ever created. It was with lyrics dealing with everyday problems such as being betrayed by your friends or having nothing better to do than watch TV all night.
The band’s delivery clearly shows influences from the Ramones and Sex Pistols. Rollins was also drawn to the darker side of rock and roll. Many outfits eschewed the typical gravitas of late 1960s bands. But Rollins preferred the twisted side of the genre, counting The Doors among his favorites.
When Henry Rollins was growing up, things didn’t get much heavier than The Rolling Stones. But Black Sabbath completely took him aback when he first heard them. With thick guitar riffs that sounded like they were coming from the bowels of Hell, Sabbath was on the verge of becoming known as heavy metal. They took the fundamentals of blues rock and made them sound much more macabre.
Rollins paid special attention to the rhythm section behind the song ‘Iron Man‘ on the album Paranoid. The song has become an iconic landmark in heavy metal history. But Rollins believes the true power of the song came from what Geezer Butler and Bill Ward contributed.
On Classic Albums, Rollins discussed how difficult it is to perfect their technique. He said, “I cannot emphasize how important that rhythm section is to the sound of the band.” There’s a scene in ‘Iron Man’ where they switch from a descending bridge to an ascending bridge in an instant. If you listen to that on the record and then try to play it in the rehearsal room, you’ll sprain your mind. I’ve listened to that moment several times and thought, ‘What a band!’.”
The notes may not appear to be difficult to play on paper. But getting the timing right in the riff requires a master’s touch. The band needs to lock the rhythm section into the groove. The moment Rollins refers to can only come from musicians who have been playing together for a long time and look at their music like it’s second nature.
