This was Bad Brains’ masterpiece. On this album, the band showed off its full range of expertise, veering headlong into metal, hardcore, funk, and rock — only reggae was neglected on this outing. The song “House of Suffering” may be the best thing they ever recorded, a strikingly episodic and thrillingly cathartic blast of emotion; thematically, it’s basically what reggae artists would call a “sufferer’s anthem,” but musically it’s all over the place, as is singer HR’s vocal style. The band’s almost casual virtuosity is everywhere on display. This is one of the best albums of the 1980s, in any genre.

Mid ’80s hardcore was splintering — progressive mutations here, crossover thrash there, retrograde goon-brawler aggression all over — so of course the best band in the whole scene’s orbit decided to just put out a straight-up rock record that’s both arty and gnarly. HR’s wails can still leave exorcists shook, and Dr. Know’s madly scrambling guitar still fuses the best parts of punk rock and Sharrock, but college radio-friendly fare like “Secret 77,” “Hired Gun,” and “Return to Heaven” also anticipate (and easily outdo) the sound of circa-1990 alt-rock.