Category: | Review - Internet | Publish date: | 5/27/1998 |
Source: | dailybruin.com | ||
Synopsis: |
No Substance
by Brendon Vandergast
dailybruin.com, May 27, 1998
Bad Religion, "No Substance" (Atlantic) All good things must come to an end. Unless, of course, you're the thirtysomething lead singer for punk rock pioneer Bad Religion. Their epoch began around 1981 and, to this day, has been nothing short of enduring. Surely it can wax nostalgic about the early '80s punk movement singing "The Hippy Killers" like it was yesterday. Bad Religion - in its 17 years in the making - has never been able to capture the effectual power of its early years in any of its recent albums. The band learned the hard way that some things just can't be duplicated (e.g., 1996's underwhelming "The Gray Race").
"No Substance," just released, is a 16-track album that sounds bigger, cleaner, and ... er, poppier? Greg Graffin's voice has changed noticeably (from prepubescent to scholarly adult), but he still addresses governmental, social and environmental distress with ultra-smart dialect. This time, Graffin and company are fed up more so with the likes of self-help merchandisers, spiritual evangelists and psychic friends who offer up false solutions and security. On the title song, Graffin harmonizes over Brian Baker's (ex-Minor Threat) guitar riff, "You look for meaning, blank smiles are all that's there/ You cling to your hopes while you drop to your knees/ There's no substance!"
Unfortunately, Bad Religion's sincere commentary on a handful of solid tunes is clouded by any punk rock fan's motivation to listen to what the older and wiser godfathers have to say. For them, the new Bad Religion album simply means another chance to possibly hear "You Are the Government," circa-'86, live during their next tour.
B-