True North

LA’s Bad Religion could be described as the mighty oaks of melodic punk rock. Their seminal 1988 release Suffer delved into new territory, kicking open the doors for a new kind of punk rock. An amalgamation of the breakneck skank beats of American hardcore groups like Minor Threat and Black Flag and the more melodic aspects of rock n’ roll. They went on to play a massive part in the so-called nineties punk “revival” and it’s well documented that Rise Against,  The Offspring, AFI and even Parkway Drive attribute large parts of their musical development to the LA punks. True North is their sixteenth release and rumour has it possibly their last.

If you’ve been paying attention you may have already heard Fuck You - a teaser released shortly before Christmas and a great introduction for anyone new to the band. Furious yet melodic with front man Greg Graffin squeezing in four or five syllables into short phrases that roll of the tongue with ease “Sometimes it takes no thought at all, the easiest thing to do is say fuck you!” it’s nothing new for punk bands to rage against nothing in particular but Bad Religion rarely leave you with a feeling of insincerity as, for the most part, the lyrics are packed full of meaning.

BR haven’t only influenced bands through their musical experimentation they are well known for being at the forefront of political and social activism. Religion, as the name indicates, has always been a hot topic for the band. Vocalist Greg Graffin is a lecturer at a Los Angeles university, a qualified professor of life sciences and has also penned a book titled Anarchy Evolution which focuses on naturalism – a kind of rebranding of atheism and science. To sum it up he’s not a clueless punk with lots of rhetoric and no reason – Bad Religion are the real deal.

As ever there is an array of topics that they discuss throughout the album. Robin Hood in Reverse is a particular highlight if not for anything other than the tidy little drum fill that introduces the song, going on to explore the recent financial collapse and how some republicans are attempting to push the blame from banks and corporations. The follow up Endless Greed follows a similar theme – “In the emerald forest, hear a nasty sound. The big rigs and the miners come and shake the ground. On the field of plenty, the grazers gather round. To watch the game of supply and demand go down.”

Through the years the band have undergone numerous lineup changes but in True North they have, once again,  reunited and with Epitaph records Brett Gurewitz (Rancid, NOFX, The Distillers) who does a fanastic job behind the mixing desk as well as on guitar and even vocals in Dharma and the Bomb. All in all the band sound invigorated.

Bad Religion remarked that when writing “True North” they insisted on strict guidelines that, rather than restricting their song writing, set it free.  This is easily understandable when you take into account this is their sixteenth album together in thirty years. One common critique angled at them is the formulaic nature of their music which some find uninspiring. It’s true that they have nailed down their sound over the years but they do it so well that anyone who is into it will be hooked for life. As the middle of the road banality of previous release Dissent for Man showed, experimenting with their sound doesn’t seem to work, so this back to what they do best approach is a fitting way for Bad Religion to bow out, should they decide to hang up their boots.

8/10

Stand Out Track: Fuck You

For Fans of: Black Flag, Rise Against, Millencolin.

- Chris Coleshaw