MINA WESTBY SUGGESTS ONE OF THE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR IS BY BAD RELIGION
Who would have thought that when punk band Bad
Religion first became known in 1980, thirty-three years later they would still
have most of their original band members, and sixteen full-length albums? Much
has happened in three decades, but it was the reunion between Greg Graffin and
Brett Gurewitz
in 2002 that re-signed them with Epitaph; their first record label and returned
Bad Religion to their melodic 80’s and 90’s punk rock sound.
A few months ago, Bad Religion released their sixteenth album; True North. The album contains a vast
range of punk melodic songs and eloquent lyrics that truly celebrate the history
of Bad Religion. Through the song “The Past is Dead” Greg Graffin buries his
differences with Gurewitz, but also looks into a better future and sings; ‘let’s
focus on tomorrow instead.’
For loyal fans the album is a reminder of
the late 80’s and early 90’s through tracks such as, “Fuck You,” and “Hello
Cruel World,” which are mementos of 1988’s Suffer
and 1990’s Against the Grain
among other albums. The return to
shorter songs, faster beats and Gurewitz’s melodic guitar solos, Bad Religion seem to have
forgotten their previous album The
Dissent of Man, which explored a more mainstream pop-punk side of the band.
One disappointment is “Dharma and the
Bomb,” sung by Gurewitz.
This might be blamed on the unfamiliarity of his voice, but mostly it is the
lack of creativity in lyrics. Although dominated by the vocalist’s known guitar
solos, Gurewitz’s voice lacks the passion and strength of Graffin whose voice
is the trademark of Bad Religion. The lyrics contain mostly a tiring repetition
of “Dharma and the Bomb” that sours the good after taste of academically and
well-articulated lyrics usually sung by Graffin, thus feeling like an
album-filler.
It is, however good to hear that they have
yet to give up the fight towards social and political justice. In “Robin Hood
in Reverse” the social commentary and questioning of the nature of God is
portrayed in ‘Here’s the church; there’s the steeple/ Open the door,
corporations are people,’ and continued in a catchy repetition of ‘Let’s say we
try to get this right/ Said the plutocrat to Jesus Christ.’ As always, Gurewitz and Graffin’s
combination of commentary lyrics and strong voice manage to create yet another
punk rock masterpiece. Another song that is an absolute must-hear is “Dept. Of
False Hope” where they praise the will for survival amongst the working class,
while criticising government action. The fast drum beats by Brooks Wackerman
and Graffin’s fast sung words effectively create a charismatic sound; which
truly shows the colors of the band.
If the
rumours are true, after what Graffin said during a tour in 2012, that the band
will ‘join the navy, do honest work,’ I believe many will see True North in the short list of their
Bad Religion discography. Their ability to maintain a sound that has been
loved, and will be loved for many more decades, has given Greg Graffin and Bad
Religion a particular punk rock image that many, me included, will dearly miss.
True North will therefore always be
seen as a celebration of their achievements, and perhaps a perfect ending to a
long and successful career.
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