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A similar path for Bad Religion
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Posted by: admin | 07/12/2007 at 16:52
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A similar path for Bad Religion
Kevin Robillard
Issue date: 7/12/07
For a band with such famously liberal politics, Bad Religion is certainly adverse to change. New Maps of Hell, the band's latest album, sure sounds similar to the band's previous work -- blazingly fast, occasional guitar solos, lots of "oooos" and "ahhhhs" and what may be the most intellectual lyrics in music today. But after 26 years of existence and 16 albums, one wouldn't expect evolution from the godfathers of punk, even if lead singer Greg Graffin does have a doctorate in evolutionary paleontology from Cornell.
And although the band's general sound hasn't changed, the themes it deals with have. The songs on the band's last album, The Empire Strikes First, dealt exclusively with the Bush's administration's war on terror ("Let Them Eat War," "The Empire Strikes First") or religion ("Atheist Peace," "God's Love"). On New Maps of Hell, the songs focus on more varied topics, although a number touch on a favorite topic of Bad Religion's - the squelching of alternative viewpoints.
The album begins with "52 Seconds" (it actually clocks in at 58 seconds), which is fol-lowed by "Heroes & Martyrs" and "Germs of Perfection," two more songs that check in at under two minutes long each. The blazing start to the album is classic Bad Religion, particularly Graffin's heavily distorted vocals on "52 Seconds." The three fast songs to start the album recall 2002's The Process of Belief, which opened in a similar fashion.
New Maps of Hell's first great song is "New Dark Ages," which is seemingly directed at the evangelical Christian belief in the rapture. Again hitting on religion,"Dearly Beloved" is a parable, telling the story of a preacher who loses religion and can no longer lead his pious followers, pleading "I can't relate to you/I can't relate to you."
"Grains of Wrath" is a startling critique of greed, complete with a brilliant guitar solo by Brett Gurewitz as Graffin declares, "I don't wanna be in the land known as destitute and free/with the grains of wrath blazing a path from sea to shining sea."
The band goes back to the short stuff with "Murder," a largely unremarkable song, which is followed by the exceptionally melodic "Scrutiny." The most atypical song on the album is "Prodigal Son," which features a meandering chorus that might surprise the most die-hard of fans.
Two more slices of the standard Bad Religion fare follow in the form of "The Lost Pilgrim" and "Submission Complete" before the epic "The Fields of Mars" ends the album with a bang. The only hopeful track on an otherwise pessimistic album, the lyrics lament that "mother nation/and religion/sanction killing" but promise one day "maybe we can make it right/someday I'll see you/high above the fields of Mars."
New Maps of Hell's biggest problem comes in the lack of a defining song - none of the 16 songs come close to band classsics such as "I Want to Conquer the World," "Punk Rock Song" and "American Jesus." However, the album is still better than the late-90s albums it released when Brett Gurewitz had left the band, but is certainly weaker than the band's offerings from the '80s and early '90s.
In the end New Maps of Hell is an album for Bad Religion's fans, striking a similar chord to its previous work. But, for someone looking to get into the band, Suffer or No Control are much better examples of Bad Religion at its best.
Contact reporter Kevin Robillard at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.
Kevin Robillard
Issue date: 7/12/07
For a band with such famously liberal politics, Bad Religion is certainly adverse to change. New Maps of Hell, the band's latest album, sure sounds similar to the band's previous work -- blazingly fast, occasional guitar solos, lots of "oooos" and "ahhhhs" and what may be the most intellectual lyrics in music today. But after 26 years of existence and 16 albums, one wouldn't expect evolution from the godfathers of punk, even if lead singer Greg Graffin does have a doctorate in evolutionary paleontology from Cornell.
And although the band's general sound hasn't changed, the themes it deals with have. The songs on the band's last album, The Empire Strikes First, dealt exclusively with the Bush's administration's war on terror ("Let Them Eat War," "The Empire Strikes First") or religion ("Atheist Peace," "God's Love"). On New Maps of Hell, the songs focus on more varied topics, although a number touch on a favorite topic of Bad Religion's - the squelching of alternative viewpoints.
The album begins with "52 Seconds" (it actually clocks in at 58 seconds), which is fol-lowed by "Heroes & Martyrs" and "Germs of Perfection," two more songs that check in at under two minutes long each. The blazing start to the album is classic Bad Religion, particularly Graffin's heavily distorted vocals on "52 Seconds." The three fast songs to start the album recall 2002's The Process of Belief, which opened in a similar fashion.
New Maps of Hell's first great song is "New Dark Ages," which is seemingly directed at the evangelical Christian belief in the rapture. Again hitting on religion,"Dearly Beloved" is a parable, telling the story of a preacher who loses religion and can no longer lead his pious followers, pleading "I can't relate to you/I can't relate to you."
"Grains of Wrath" is a startling critique of greed, complete with a brilliant guitar solo by Brett Gurewitz as Graffin declares, "I don't wanna be in the land known as destitute and free/with the grains of wrath blazing a path from sea to shining sea."
The band goes back to the short stuff with "Murder," a largely unremarkable song, which is followed by the exceptionally melodic "Scrutiny." The most atypical song on the album is "Prodigal Son," which features a meandering chorus that might surprise the most die-hard of fans.
Two more slices of the standard Bad Religion fare follow in the form of "The Lost Pilgrim" and "Submission Complete" before the epic "The Fields of Mars" ends the album with a bang. The only hopeful track on an otherwise pessimistic album, the lyrics lament that "mother nation/and religion/sanction killing" but promise one day "maybe we can make it right/someday I'll see you/high above the fields of Mars."
New Maps of Hell's biggest problem comes in the lack of a defining song - none of the 16 songs come close to band classsics such as "I Want to Conquer the World," "Punk Rock Song" and "American Jesus." However, the album is still better than the late-90s albums it released when Brett Gurewitz had left the band, but is certainly weaker than the band's offerings from the '80s and early '90s.
In the end New Maps of Hell is an album for Bad Religion's fans, striking a similar chord to its previous work. But, for someone looking to get into the band, Suffer or No Control are much better examples of Bad Religion at its best.
Contact reporter Kevin Robillard at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.
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07/14/2007 at 04:28
dont remember the name, but it's been a while. dan piotrowski was the editor at the time, really nice kid into jawbreaker as i remember. simian, i was by the radio station like everyday in those years. weird. i run a tutoring business and i'm a third year law student now.
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07/14/2007 at 00:18
I agree about New Dark Ages being a new classic... if only because of this lyric:
"bide until the word is good and ripe then get plucked clean out of sight, the world will be erased, our kin will be immaculate ejaculate in space before the king of king's love, he'll snatch us from above." |
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07/14/2007 at 00:09
ikillkenny & fantasticthepan... another UMD alumnus here!!! I had a couple letters published in the Diamondback and I had a show on WMUC 650 AM in 1999... reported on the Seattle WTO riots in November and played "American Dream" right after!
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07/13/2007 at 19:16
This sound in Handshake is just a cool effect on the drums, I guess. The "bip" sound in Requiem sounds like a high pitched feedback to me.
I think New Dark Ages will get the "classic" status... Easy to sing lyrics, catchy chorus, etc... The same goes to Grains of Warth, which is my favourite right now. |
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07/13/2007 at 19:05
Good to know it wasn't tinnitus...
Pizarrock, I've heard that one now! No idea what it could be though. |
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07/13/2007 at 18:10
I heard the noise mentioned by Stars too...
And long time ago I found another weird sound in The Handshake, between "here is restrained passion" and "mistrust, and bigotry", 1:04 - 1:05. Sounds like a metal sheet falling to the gronud or something xD |
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07/13/2007 at 16:24
just got my copy from amazon, it's great!!!!!!! I think in a while New Dark Ages, Honest Goodbye, Grains of Wrath and Fields of Mars will be classics!
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07/13/2007 at 16:21
grains of wrath is a new classic for sure!!!!!
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07/13/2007 at 12:09
These ridiculous "classics" claims... When No Control was released back in '89 my friends raved about the song Sanity - which doesn't seem to be such an important piece of music in BR's back catalogue after all right now. Was I Want To Conquer The World an instant classic? I'm not so sure. So-called classics form over an extensive period of time and require many live performances to be recognized as that - a so-called classic. I have the feeling that this reviewer was just a toddler when BR recorded No Control (nothing wrong with that per se).
Heroes & Martyrs Germs Of Perfection New Dark Ages Requiem For Dissent Grains Of Wrath totally make the album for me and will stand the test of time I'm sure. Probably Dearly Beloved and Fields Of Mars, too - although usually BR album closers drop by the wayside. I guess Lost Pilgrim will suffer the fate of The Answer - good song, but a bit too unremarkable for a live set. |
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07/13/2007 at 07:34
yea i hear that sound in Requiem too. wonder if it has anything to do with the guitar solo that starts a couple seconds later.
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07/13/2007 at 07:32
attn: jau_peacecraft
i will outbid you on everything BR on ebay. :P i'm really enjoying the 1st EP right now. HAHAHAHAAHAH |
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07/13/2007 at 05:59
Holy crap, Stars...I think I hear what you're talking about. It's pretty high pitched, but I can hear it faintly. Maybe it's a mistake from the recording process?
Grains of Wrath is great, but it's still growing on me. I think the defining song on this record for me so far is "Dearly Beloved". I just can't get over that chorus; it gets to me every time! The choruses in Prodigal Son and The Grand Delusion are rockin', too. I'm drawn to BR mainly because of their harmonies and lyrics, so maybe that's why I like those songs over some of the faster ones. |
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07/13/2007 at 05:33
btw I guess you knew Aaron McGruder?
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07/13/2007 at 04:54
fantasticthepan: What are you doing now?
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07/13/2007 at 03:21
On a totally off-topic subject:
Does anyone except me hear a cell phone in Requiem For Dissent or have I listened to loud music in headphones for too long? It appears around 00:58-01:00 in the right speaker. Very faintly. Try listening with headphones. It sounds like an old model, with monophonic ringtones. It wouldn't surprise me if Greg had one of those (if he has a cellphone at all). |
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07/13/2007 at 01:21
ikillkenny,
yea dude, i was the diversions writer from 97-01 |
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07/12/2007 at 22:25
Grains of Wrath is a piece of utter genius and stands strong against anything from No Control, Suffer or Against the Grain. AND I LOOOOOOVE THOSE records. I slated the last 2 BR releases, but this one has got me hooked. 52 seconds and Murder you can just erase. And what you are left with is the WHEAT.
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07/12/2007 at 20:35
To Lone: i agree completely! to me that was a standout (or new classic), or New Dark Ages, i still havent made up my mind.
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07/12/2007 at 20:26
Hey guys, The Dimaondback has bad taste in everything.
By the way, I didn't know you went to UMD, fantasticthepan. |
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07/12/2007 at 19:56
all in all i agree though, reviews were probably worth more way before the internet and before music became heavily commercialized and buying music was more of an investment, whereas now you can just download it for free and cut out of the middleman of someone else judging it for you, at least for those who put in heavy stock to reviews as a guide to buying in the first place lols.
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07/12/2007 at 19:55
I actually usually only ever care about reviews after I've listened to something, usually reading out of curiosity as to what others thought and if they had similar things to say about it as i did. I've rarley if ever used a review before listening as a guide to whether ultimately buying it or not; one exception though, I do remember, was manson's mechanical animals. I never liked him before but was curious since I was recommended it frequently (also, david bowie influences are never a bad thing unless your trying to be eurpoean and pretentious like the arcade fire is).
It didn't turn me into an instant fan, but it is the only cd by him I'll ever own, and i probably wouldn't have it if i didnt read certain reviews :\. |
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07/12/2007 at 18:57
Ultimately, reviews are trite and meaningless... serving at best as consumer guidelines for those devoid of independent thought or opinion and at worst as a method of filling the space between the advertisements in terrible publications... IMO ;)
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07/12/2007 at 18:47
I think Grains of Wrath is a 'new classic.'
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07/12/2007 at 18:29
This reviewer is an idiot comparing newer albums to older ones. That era is gone and past, let it go; BR has evolved for the better, and even if some are unhappy with that, evolution doesn't erase past glories.
Each era has it's classics; the only songs that I could say that will always be signature or defining songs are I want to conquer.., 21st century.., and american jesus. To me, the defining song of Process was either Materialist, The Defense or Kyoto Now. The defining song on TESF was probably Sinister Rouge, God's Love or Beyond Electric Dreams. Obviously I won't see an honest Goodbye as defining, but Im more than sure it will have one. |
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07/12/2007 at 18:17
kid's got my old job at maryland diversions section. good job on the review. it's unfortunate that this record probably doesn't really have any br classics on it. even l.a. is burning is a much better tune than honest goodbye and sinister rouge was superior to heroes and martyrs. but o well, it's a decent album i guess.
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07/12/2007 at 18:00
Grains of Wrath is an obvious Baker solo, not Brett. Fol-lowed is not a word, or a compound word. This asshat leaves out 4 songs. What a poor review.
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07/12/2007 at 17:11
New Maps of Hell's biggest problem comes in the lack of a defining song - none of the 16 songs come close to band classsics such as "I Want to Conquer the World," "Punk Rock Song" and "American Jesus."
I agree |
