Darryl Jenifer

Best known for his pummelling low-end in formative punk quartet Bad Brains, bassist Darryl Jenifer reveals his more obvious other influence on that seminal outfit with solo venture In Search of Black Judas: haunting, echo-laden reggae riffs interspersed between ripping hardcore anthems. Much like Beastie Boys' forays into loose jams that chop up their hip-hop efforts (and were compiled for an album or two as well), these 16 tracks shuffle along with the casual grace and sensitivity one would expect from a devout Rastafarian with a not-so-subtle side. Many of the tracks feel like rudimentary grooves laid down for Jenifer to toy over, with everything from synthesizers to vocal loops, thereby creating a mood perfect for listeners' extracurricular activities. Assumedly that would be something like discussing the meaning of life with other enlightened individuals. Far from impudently attention-grabbing, but enthralling throughout its 37 minutes, In Search of Black Judas might be vastly different from Jenifer's more common output, but it's no less innovative, inspiring or rock solid.