Acting their rage - Twenty-five years on, Bad Religion still giving punk its political conscience
by Trent McMartin

See Magazine, no. 623, November 3, 2005

As with other sane Americans, George Bush’s victory in the last US Presidential election was a crushing blow for legendary So-Cal political punk-rockers Bad Religion. But, rather than rock out against the President, the group decided to play the waiting game

"The philosophy now is to get ready for the clean-up," says bassist Jay Bentley from his home in Bowen Island, British Columbia. "This [the current conflict in Iraq] won’t be like World War II where there was a big party at the end. Its West versus East, culture, and religion."

Social commentary aside, when the group lands in Edmonton Friday, they’ll likely liberally indulge in a playlist heavy with songs off their most recent album, 2004’s The Empire Strikes First.

"It’s sonically our best record," explains Bentley. "There are two or three songs that are collectively the best songs we’ve ever done."

It was only a few years ago that Bad Religion was on the verge of breaking up, although, as Bentley explains, it was not any single reason that almost spelled the end of the group, but a collection of small issues.

"There was no drive," he says. "It wasn’t unbearable or anything; I was just glad to be off the major label [Atlantic] and Bobby’s [former drummer Bobby Schayer] shoulder was thrashed and he quit."

After 25 years and countless achievements, including the recent inclusion of the group’s song "You are (the Government)" in British magazine Mojo’s list of the "50 greatest punk rock songs of all-time, you would think that a band like Bad Religion would settle into the elder statesmen role, but, according to Bentley, that won’t be happening anytime soon.

"Really?" he says with surprise when notified of Mojo’s list. "I didn’t know–but we usually take both the accolades and criticisms and put them in the trash.

"I’d like to think we’re a band that inspires other people. "Seeing a band like KISS was like seeing a magic show that we could never do, but when I saw Black Flag, for the first time I felt that could be me up there," he adds.

When asked about the future of Bad Religion and a possible new album in 2006, Bentley, unable to give a definite answer, responds with vague uncertainties.

"We don’t know, that’s how we work," he laughs. "We’ve talked about a new album, but nothing has been recorded. We need to vocalize with each other and set deadlines to plant the seed. We work in mysterious ways."