Bad Religion
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Template:Infobox band Bad Religion is an influential punk rock band known for poignant, erudite lyrics, and biting social commentary. The band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1980 by high school students Greg Graffin (vocals), Jay Bentley (bass guitar), Jay Ziskrout (drums), and Brett Gurewitz, a.k.a. "Mr. Brett" (guitar). In 1981, the band released their eponymous debut EP on their own newly-formed label, Epitaph Records, managed and owned by Gurewitz. 1982 saw the release of their first full-length album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, gaining the band a sizeable following. During the recording of How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Jay Ziskrout left the band and was replaced by Peter Finestone.
Greg Graffin, the band's frontman, holds a Master's degree in geology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in zoology from Cornell University. Graffin's dissertation for Cornell was a comprehensive study of how modern scientists, especially those who believe in strict Darwinism, view theism and religion, and how their own religious beliefs, if any, affect their study and work. He has since published it for fans of the band.
In 1983, the band released Into the Unknown, a keyboard-driven psychedelic rock album that was enormously unpopular with the band's core fanbase. It is now out of print, and generally disowned by the band. However, in past years it has become a collectors item, and has gained some acceptance from fans, many of whom consider it a good album, just not a good Bad Religion album. It now can be seen going for more than 100 dollars on eBay, and is often pirated. A common sign of a pirated version of the LP is the blueish hue on the cover, instead of the reddish hue. In 1984 Greg Hetson of Circle Jerks fame replaced Gurewitz. Bad Religion returned to a somewhat mellower, rock and roll version of their original sound with the Back to the Known EP, but they disbanded soon after.
The band reformed in 1987 and released Suffer cementing their comeback in the punk community. Not only is this album often cited as one of their very best by fans, but it is credited with "saving" the Southern California punk rock scene by fans and Bad Religion's contemporaries alike.
No Control (1989) and Against the Grain (1990) further increased the band's popularity, followed by Generator (1992). Before recording sessions for Generator commenced, drummer Pete Finestone left Bad Religion in 1991 to focus on his other band, The Fishermen, which had signed with a major label, and Bobby Schayer joined the band as his replacement. Recipe for Hate (1993) followed shortly thereafter.
With alternative rock breaking into the mainstream, Bad Religion left Epitaph Records for Atlantic Records and quickly re-released Recipe for Hate on the major label. (In fact, Epitaph sold the rights to Recipe for Hate to Atlantic Records). 1994's Stranger Than Fiction followed, but Gurewitz left the band shortly following its release. Officially he cited the increasing amount of time he was spending at Epitaph's offices as the Offspring became one of the biggest bands of the mid-1990s (see 1994 in music), but it was well-known that the departure was not on good terms, as he later accused the band of selling out for leaving Epitaph for a major label. Gurewitz recorded a song with his new band The Daredevils entitled "Hate You," reportedly directed towards Jay Bentley. Gurewitz, moreover, was struggling more seriously with heroin and other addictions that had plagued him for years. He discussed his drug use on the band's Suffer tour documentary, Along the Way.
Gurewitz was replaced as a guitarist by Brian Baker, former member of bands such as Minor Threat and Dag Nasty. Previously Greg Graffin and Gurewitz had split songwriting duties, which left Graffin as Bad Religion's sole songwriter.
| (1980-1982) | |
|---|---|
| (1982-1983) | |
| (1983) | |
| (1984) | |
| (1985) | |
| (1986) | |
| (1987-1991) | |
| (1991-1994) | |
| (1994-2001) | |
| (2001-present) |
What followed were a series of moderately successful albums, The Gray Race (1996), No Substance (1998), and The New America (2000) (though The Gray Race in particular was well-received by many fans). As their popularity was not what it once was, Bad Religion departed from Atlantic Records in 2001 and returned to Epitaph. Bobby Schayer left the band following a serious shoulder injury and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman (Suicidal Tendencies) and Gurewitz rejoined the band in time to record The Process Of Belief (2002). Their next album The Empire Strikes First was released in June 2004. Both albums are widely regarded by fans and critics as a return to form for the band, as opposed to their time on Atlantic. The band has also released (on Epitaph) digitally-remastered versions of several of their early albums, including How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Suffer, No Control, Against the Grain, and Generator. The How Could Hell Be Any Worse? re-issue also contained all of their first EP, the Public Service EP (alternative versions of Bad Religion, Slaves and Drastic Actions from the self titled EP) and "Back To The Known".
In May 2005, The Bad Religion Page reported Graffin saying that work on a new album was to begin "later this year" for a release "sometime in 2006". In early February 2006, The Bad Religion Page also reported that bassist Jay Bentley has confirmed that the album will likely be released sometime in September of the same year. The website also reported that guitarist Brett Gurewitz said the album might be a double release. Also in 2006, the band released a live DVD, entitled Live at the Palladium on March 7. Graffin has also completed his long-awaited second solo album (the first being American Lesion), entitled Cold as the Clay, due for release on July 11, 2006.
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Influences and tributes
In 1992, the American ska band Sublime released a song cover of "We're Only Gonna Die for Our Own Arrogance" (from the album How Could Hell Be Any Worse?) on their debut album 40 Oz. to Freedom.
In 1996, a tribute album to Bad Religion, Fuck Hell - This Is a Tribute to Bad Religion was released. One band (Candysuck) released one cover and seven more different bands including Astream, Blender, Flakes, Loss, Puffball, Toast and Troublemakers each released two cover songs.
In 1999, a tribute album to Bad Religion from Argentina, Devotos De Una Mala Religion was released. A lot of bands from the underground punk scene released covers including Cadena Perpetua, Shaila, Asphix, etc. 19 tracks labeled by Speed Power Emotion.
Zack de la Rocha, lead singer of 1990s band Rage Against the Machine, said that the Bad Religion song "Fuck Armageddon, This is Hell" changed his life. [1]
In the early 2000s, the Canadian pop-punk band Simple Plan released a song cover of "American Jesus" (from the album Recipe for Hate).
The Vandals version of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' (from the Disney Film 'Mary Poppins') from the Album 'Live Fast Diarrea' features a guitar intro identical to that of 'Fuck Armageddon...' And features a section towards the end similar to the 'slow' section of Bad Religion's 'We're Only Gonna Die'. Brett Gurewitz sings backing Vocals on the Vandals song 'Anarchy Burger (Hold the Government)' from the 1982 EP 'Peace Thru Vandalism' which was originally released on epitaph. He is credited as 'Brett Religion'.
Several modern rock or later punk groups, such as blink-182, Death By Stereo, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, Pennywise, Rancid, Starving Millionaires, cite Bad Religion as an influence.
Two band singers contributed backing vocals on the Stranger Than Fiction album, Jim Lindberg (of Pennywise) contributed backing vocals on "Marked" and Tim Armstrong (of Operation Ivy, Rancid and The Transplants) also contributed backing vocals on "Television".
The album "Recipe for Hate" contained many guests. Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam can be heard on "Watch It Die" and "American Jesus," Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano sings on "Struck A Nerve," and Claw Hammer's John Wahl and Chris Bagarozzi's guitar leads on "Kerosene."
In an interview with Kerrang! Magazine, Sum 41's lead singer Deryck Whibley listed Stranger Than Fiction as his favorite Bad Religion album. Sum 41's video of the single "The Hell Song" has a very strong similarity with the video for the song "The New America" (from the album The New America).
NOFX's 7" of the Month Club April release included a song entitled "I'm a Huge Fan of Bad Religion" which included references to the band's often erudite lyrics and Bentley's iconic brown Fender Precision.
Their single Infected is part of the Playstation 2 video game Guitar Hero, released in 2005.
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
| US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK | |||
| 1991 | "Faith Alone" | - | - | - | - | Against the Grain |
| 1991 | "Operation Rescue" | - | - | - | - | Against the Grain |
| 1992 | "Atomic Garden" | - | - | - | - | Generator |
| 1993 | "American Jesus" | - | - | - | - | Recipe for Hate |
| 1993 | "Struck a Nerve" | - | - | - | - | Recipe for Hate |
| 1994 | "21st Century (Digital Boy)" | - | 11 | - | 41 | Stranger Than Fiction |
| 1994 | "Infected" | - | 27 | 33 | - | Stranger Than Fiction |
| 1994 | "Stranger Than Fiction" | - | 28 | - | - | Stranger Than Fiction |
| 1995 | "Incomplete" | - | - | - | - | Stranger Than Fiction |
| 1996 | "A Walk" | - | 34 | 38 | - | The Gray Race |
| 1996 | "Punk Rock Song" | - | - | - | - | The Gray Race |
| 1997 | "Dream of Unity" | - | - | - | - | Tested |
| 2000 | "The New America" | - | - | - | - | The New America |
| 2002 | "Broken" | - | - | - | - | The Process of Belief |
| 2002 | "Sorrow" | - | 35 | - | - | The Process of Belief |
| 2002 | "The Defense" | - | - | - | - | The Process of Belief |
| 2004 | "Los Angeles is Burning" | - | 40 | - | - | The Empire Strikes First |
| 2004 | "The Empire Strikes First" | - | - | - | - | The Empire Strikes First |
External links
- Official Website
- www.thebadreligionlyricspage.com Bad religion lyrics
- Bad Religion at MySpace
- The Bad Religion Net Bad Religion Tribute Page.
- The Bad Religion Page Fan website, established 1995.
- Exclusive Artist of the Day Interview on ManiaTV! (Video)
- Soundclick.com Bad Religion at SoundClick
- Acting Their Rage, article
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