5 Returning Bands That Failed (And 5 That Nailed Their Comeback)
6. Failed: Black Flag
Very few bands symbolise the punk rock ethos quite like Black Flag. From their image, their raw sound, iconic artwork and stage presence, Black Flag brought in an unparalleled level of ferosity at a time dominated by the cheesiest of cheesy pop such as ABBA, Earth Wind & Fire and Boston.
The band's initial ten year run began with a series of highly regarded EPs, including Six Pack and Nervous Breakdown before enlisting the talismanic Henry Rollins and releasing their ground-breaking Damaged album in 1981. Following five more albums across the space of just two years, Black Flag imploded on itself and split in 1986.
Outside a charity supporting reunion in 2003, a full Black Flag return seemed unlikely. That was until 2013 when Greg Ginn reformed a Ron Reyes-fronted Black Flag which culminated in the release of aptly-titled What The....
The album bombed critically and commercially. The album art looks like a five year-old had a seizure whilst using MS Paint and the album itself sounds like the kid ricocheted off a guitar on the way down. The band is currently at war with itself, with Ginn suing a second Black Flag reunion, the Keith Morris-fronted Flag.