BAD RELIGION: The Process of Belief (CD)
I waited for awhile to review this because I has a variety of ideas of how the review should be. I had a great idea in using the previous album covers to describe what each song sounded like. I tried but my computer kept crashing. I was going to do a historical, but that is what I used for the last two records. With nothing inspiring, I figured what the hell, this is what I am going to submit. I don’t think many have read the previous reviews and it is informative to those not in the know. This release marks twenty years of releasing music as a band. At the beginning, they put out their self-titled 7” and the How Can Hell Be Any Worse LP. I’m not sure if they broke up but a few years later, they put a great but unappreciated record titled Into the Unknown. Punk credibility was lost. With a new line-up, which included Greg Hetson from the Circle Jerks, they released the Back from the Known EP the following year. 1988 came and the essential Suffer LP came out to much acclaim and fanfare. They were the shit again in punk circles. I heard a story from Fat Mike of NOFX saying that record changed the direction of his band. The band remained consistent while releasing many records up until the last Epitaph release Recipe for Hate. That was a release that Atlantic and Epitaph both put out.
After that record, guitarist Mr. Brett quit the band to run Epitaph full time and deal with his own personal demons. A number of records on the major were put out and they finally got out of the contract and returned to Epitaph. Mr. Brett rejoined and re-energized the band by bringing back Epitaph into the band’s sound. The entire record is strong from start to finish. The triguitar attack of Mr. Brett, Brian Baker and Greg Hetson create a wall of sound that hasn’t been achieved by the band up to this point. Jay Bentley ties everything together with his solid bass playing. Newcomer Brooks Wackerman, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies, is one fine drummer. Starting with “Supersonic,” “Prove It” and “Can’t Stop This,” BR rage through three songs in a matter of four minutes.
To catch your breath, they slow things down with the anthemic “Broken.” They bring the tempo back up on tracks “Destined for Nothing,” “Materialist,” “Kyoto Now!” and “Sorrow.” Once again, we are allowed to recover by playing my favorite song (my wife’s also) “Epiphany.” Now it’s time to bring things to a close with five punk songs (“Evangeline,” “The Defense,” “The Lie,” “You Don’t Belong” and “Bored and Extremely Dangerous”) that are trademark to their history. This album is the most balanced record they have released in years. My wife and I have been listening to this for close to a month straight. This is a band that I personally have been listening to for twenty years and are still one of my favorites. There are not enough words that I can use to describe how much I enjoy this.
–Donofthedead (Epitaph)