I used to think that Bad Religion alternated between great and okay records.  And at the time of picking up The Dissent of Man I thought this was proving the hypothesis: after the rage and aggression of New Maps Of Hell this felt lighter, less substantial.  Maybe the Obama years weren’t providing the fodder the band needed to thrive?  Closer, older listening over the weekend proved otherwise; here was a band moving into different sonic landscapes, but underneath a more relaxed rock vibe still lay the ire and rage of a much younger band. Continue reading “Bad Religion: The Dissent of Man (2010)”

It took three years for Bad Religion to craft their follow-up to The Empire Strikes First, and while New Maps Of Hell doesn’t quite reach the heights its predecessor did, there are moments where it almost manages to strike that particular nerve.  It’s a little darker, a little angrier, and a little faster, but it’s still Bad Religion, which means it’s still a blast to play. Continue reading “Bad Religion: New Maps Of Hell (2007)”

It’s a sad reality that turbulent times feed art like little else.  Whether it’s internally generated or a product of the outside world, art seems to thrive and feel more vibrant when it’s railing against the tyranny of the negative.  Enter Album #13 from Bad Religion, the so good I didn’t realize how good it was at the time it came out The Empire Strikes First.  With the horror of the Bush years as fodder, the band makes the most rock and roll album of their career, and it’s brutally good.  Continue reading “Bad Religion: The Empire Strikes First (2004)”

You might consider the years 1996-2000 the lean ones for Bad Religion.  After the rousing success of Stranger Than Fiction for Atlantic the band, now without Brett Gurewitz, had to rely on Greg Graffin for the vast majority of the songwriting.  And so The Grey Race, No Substance, and The New America merged together into a slightly unfocused, softer and more radio accessible (though they got practically no radio play) period for the band.  Strange to say it, but the key to the band’s invigoration was easy: go back to the way things were.  And so Brett Gurewitz returned, the band went back to Epitaph, and The Process of Belief came to blow everyone’s doors down.  Continue reading “Bad Religion: The Process of Belief (2002)”

So even though Bad Religion left for the exotic lands of major labels, Epitaph still had the rights to the early album and thus All Ages was born.  If you needed any proof as to the power of a band to righteously rock you with pulverizing riffs and sweet, sweet harmonized choruses, you need look no further.  From the very beginning Bad religion could seamlessly blend melody, power, and an erudite lyrical bent that was progressive and wise and clever and I might as well overuse righteous because, well..it was all that and more. Continue reading “Bad Religion: All Ages (1995)”

I don’t mean to be so brief with a band that’s had such a profound impact on me, but that’s life, and to be fair you don’t need me to tell you how great Bad Religion is.  But where we might differ is in how great Stranger Than Fiction is, considering it’s their first album for a major label (Atlantic) after moving off of Epitaph.  It was also coincidentally their last album with Brett Gurewitz, who happens to be the founder of Epitaph. All this drama wonderfully comes together in one of the band’s most cohesive and catchy that still manages to be everything you’d want from a Bad Religion album.  Continue reading “Bad Religion: Stranger Than Fiction (1994)”