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Bad Religion
Bad Religion

'THE BAND who saved punk rock' isn't a title that gets bestowed lightly. In the eyes of many, though, Bad Religion did just that. After a stop-start beginning they emerged from suburban Los Angeles at the end of the '80s with their now-trademark sound: punk songs that were as intelligently written as they were catchy and cool. In no time at all they rose above the dying West Coast punk scene like a phoenix from the flames, indirectly waged war on hair metal bands years before Nirvana thought of it and inspired the generation of punk bands that followed. After spending the latter half of the '90s largely in the wilderness, they returned to their original and spiritual home of legendary punk label Epitaph (which was incidentally started by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz) and have since made two great albums. Their resurgent popularity is proof that they might be losing their hair, but they're not losing their cool.

Suffer
Name: Suffer Label: epitaph Year: 1988
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Review: THE BAND'S sophomore effort is something of a watershed moment in punk rock: it's the sound of a genre screwing its head back on straight and concocting a mix of everyman politics, humanitarian beliefs with combustible indignation that influenced everybody it touched in punk circles. Without 'Suffer' there'd be no Green Day, Offspring or Alkaline Trio.

Against the grain
Name: Against the grain Label: epitaph Year: 1990
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Review: BAD RELIGION'S other masterpiece gets the nod behind 'Suffer' only because it came later. Like debating whether 'Ride The Lightning' or 'Master Of Puppets' is the definitive Metallica album, arguing the toss is pointless. 'Against The Grain' is home to a slicker, more polished output from a band in their prime, boasting a host of classic tracksto prove it.

No Control
Name: No Control Label: epitaph Year: 1989
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Review: LANDING SQUARELY in-between their two most-championed releases, 'No Control' is no less frenetic and proves Bad Religion's proficiency at the turn of the last decade, cranking out one great album a year for three years on the trot. The melodic pummelling of their best material is once again present in abundance. Another seminal punk rock masterclass.

The Gray Race
Name: The Gray Race Label: columbia Year: 1996
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Review: WHILE THE albums the band made for Sony were regrettable fare -a recycled, diluted version of their superior early releases - 'The Gray Race' is the proverbial best of abad bunch. It's slick, glossy and slightly anemic, but a handful of decent songs save it from being totally passable. It's become a decent artifact from that era ofthe band's history.

TESTED (LIVE)
Name: TESTED (LIVE) Label: Epic Year: 1997
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Review: BADLY RECORDED or just badly mixed, this live album from 'The Gray Race' tour still has 'contractual obligation' stamped all over it in spirit if nothing else. Totally unrefined compared to their meticulous studio sound, 'Tested' is the least interesting of all Bad Religion's albums because all of the songs featured here are available in superior form elsewhere.

    Key Bad Religion Tracks
  • 'RECIPE FOR Hate' was their downbea...

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Recipe For Hate', 1993.
  • ALONG THE WAY

    DESPITE ITS brisk, military-esque marching pace, the empowering 'Along The Way' is about as likely to feature in a recruitment ad as George Galloway.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse?' reissue, 2004.
  • BEST FOR YOU

    THE ANTHEM for anyone sick of being told what to do, this cuts the 'elders and betters' to their knees in under two minutes. Brilliantly defiant stuff.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Suffer', 1988.
  • FUCK ARMAGEDDON... THIS IS HELL

    FROM THEIR 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse?' debut - now re-issued with bonus tracks in place of the '80 - 85' compilation - this remains the band's customary set-closer and arguably their most incendiary track to date.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse?' reissue, 2004.
  • I WANT TO CONQUER THE WORLD

    A WICKEDLY black-humoured dig at powerful economic and religious institutions, where vocalist Greg Graffin neatly lays down his plans for global domination.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'No Control', 1989.
  • INDICATIVE OF the more expansive ap...

    'Generator', 1992.

    Find on iTunes Find It: AMERICAN JESUS
  • INFECTED

    ONE OF the better, slower, more 'mature' songs that they recorded during 'the Sony years'. Depressing as hell with no respite, but still strangely listenable.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Stranger Than Fiction', 1994.
  • KYOTO NOW!

    'YOU MIGHT not think there's any wisdom in a fucked up punk rock song', cries Graffin, admonishing the World Trade Organisation in this shit-kicking return to form.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Process Of Belief', 2002.
  • LET THEM EAT WAR

    A COLLABORATION with underground rapper and slam poet Sage Francis might seem like a disastrous idea, but thankfully both parties make it workon one of theirmost ambitious tracks to date.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'The Empire Strikes First', 2004.
  • LOS ANGELES IS BURNING

    THEIR MOST recent single laments the decline of the City Of Angels over a wailing siren with a nod back to 'Fuck Armageddon... This Is Hell'. Nicely done.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'The Empire Strikes First', 2004.
  • NO CONTROL

    THE AURAL equivalent of a runaway train, passing deftly through the stations of fear, paranoia and futility along the way. Not as depressing as it sounds...

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'No Control', 1989.
  • PITY THE DEAD

    MORE PONDERING the afterlife, this time with the imperative to seize the day more clearly spelt out. It avoids being too preachy and sentimental. Just.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'The Gray Race', 1996.
  • POINTLESSLY REWORKED on 1994's 'Str...

    'Against The Grain', 1990.

    Find on iTunes Find It: ATOMIC GARDEN
  • SORROW

    A SINGALONG staple of their live set. Not exactly a 'power ballad', as it still manages to discreetly give murderous politicians both barrels in its plea for peace.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Process Of Belief', 2002.
  • SUFFER

    BOTH MISANTHROPIC and tunefully uplifting, the 'The masses of humanity will always have to suffer' is one refrain of many that sticks in the head for days.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Suffer', 1988.
  • THE CLOSEST they've come to writing...

    'Against The Grain', 1990.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 21ST CENTURY (DIGITAL BOY)
  • TURN ON THE LIGHT

    IT MIGHT end in self-immolation for the narration, but it's inviting to dig beneath the surface as this curious short story rattles along.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Against The Grain', 1990.
  • WE'RE ONLYGONNA DIE'

    COVERED BY everyone from Biohazard to Sublime, this has long since become another punk standard: self-righteous and snarling but characteristically tuneful, too.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse?' reissue, 2004.
  • YOU

    A FAIRYTALE wrapped in barbed wire, 'You' takes a bat to the afterlife, grimly pointing out that 'Eternity, my friend, is a long fucking time'.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'No Control', 1989.
  • YOU ARE (THE GOVERNMENT)

    NOT MANY bands will have you singing along to songs you can describe as existential mantras for self-improvement. A kick-ass, short sharp shock.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Suffer', 1988.
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