The Dissent Of Man
by bbarrat

reviews.wruv.org, October 7, 2010

This is the 15th studio release from Bad Religion, one of the longest-lasting, influential punk bands. If you’ve heard Bad Religion in the past, you probably know what to expect: intelligent, politically-charged anthems belted out by Greg Graffin, backed up by Brett Gurewitz, Greg Hetson and Brian Baker on guitar, Jay Bentley on bass and Brooks Wackerman (Suicidal Tendencies) on drums. “The Day The Earth Stalled” evokes classic Bad Religion, with intelligent lyrics and a well-structured time signature. Can’t mistake this sound for someone else. “The Resist Stance” deviates a bit from the norm with a melodic intro that compliments the overall sound and shows off all of the talent backing up Graffin. I’m getting a down-to-earth vibe from these new tracks, something that didn’t exist on most of their other albums. “Won’t Somebody” and “The Devil In Stitches” are excellent tracks with the latter introducing a slight folk twang. Other tracks that stand out include “Pride And The Pallor”, “Wrong Way Kids”, “Someone To Believe” (very Ramones-like in nature), “Avalon” (insightful lyrics as only Greg Graffin could write), “Cyanide” (quite possibly the diamond in this rough) and “Won’t Say Anything”. I believe that even with 30 years under their belt, Bad Religion has yet to lose a step when it comes to delivering punk rock with razor-sharp lyrics. I dare say that the band has spent the past few albums trying to get back to where they were pre-Gray Race. I think they’ve finally hit that stride again and this album is certainly worth checking out, whenever you’re a die-hard Bad Religion fan or someone who may not be familiar with them. One of my picks for best punk album of 2010!

FCC: Clean
Try: 1,3, 4, 5, 9, 11

4.5 / 5