Bad Religion
Biography
Out of all of the Southern Californian hardcore punk bands of the early '80s, Bad Religion stayed around the longest. For over a decade, they retained their underground credibility without turning out a series of indistinguishable records that all sound the same. Instead, the band refined their attack, adding inflections of psychedelia, heavy metal, and hard rock along the way, as well as a considerable dose of melody. Between their 1982 debut and their first major-label record, 1993's Recipe for Hate, Bad Religion stayed vital in the hardcore community by tightening their musical execution and keeping their lyrics complex and righteously angry.
Bad Religion formed in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles in 1980, comprising guitarist Brett Gurewitz, vocalist Greg Graffin, bassist Jay Bentley, and drummer Jay Ziskrout. Gurewitz established his own record company, Epitaph, to release the band's records. Between their self-titled EP and their first full-length record, Pete Finestone replaced Ziskrout as the group's drummer. Into the Unknown, their debut album, was released in 1983 and gained them some attention on the national U.S. hardcore scene. After its release, the group's lineup changed, as bassist Paul Dedona and drummer Davy Goldman joined the group.
In the meantime, the band's lineup was undergoing some more shakeups. Gurewitz had to take 1984 off to recover from various substance abuse problems, leaving Graffin as the band's only original member. In addition to Graffin, the 1984 incarnation of the band featured former Circle Jerks guitarist Greg Hetson, bassist Tim Gallegos, and returning drummer Pete Finestone. Bad Religion's next release, the harder, punkier Back to the Known EP restored faith among the group's devoted fans. After its release, the group went on hiatus for three years.
When Bad Religion returned in 1987, the band featured Gurewitz, Graffin, Ziskrout, Hetson, and Finestone. They released Suffer the following year, a record that re-established the group as prominent players in the U.S. underground punk/hardcore scene. They followed with No Control (1989) and Against the Grain (1990). By the time of their 1993 album, Recipe for Hate, alternative rock had become popular with the mainstream; in addition, the band's following was quite large. These two factors contributed to Bad Religion signing a major-label contract with Atlantic Records.
Recipe for Hate was originally released on Epitaph, but it was soon re-released with the support of Atlantic. The group's first proper major-label album was 1994's Stranger Than Fiction; it was also Gurewitz's last album with the group. Before the release of Stranger Than Fiction, Epitaph had an unexpected hit with the Offspring's Smash, causing Gurewitz to spend more time at the label; reports also indicated that he was displeased with Bad Religion's major-label contract. The group replaced Gurewitz with hardcore veteran Brian Baker for their supporting tour, which proved to be their most successful to date.
Bad Religion released their second major-label album, The Gray Race, in early 1996, but it didn't achieve the same results as its predecessors. No Substance followed in 1998, and two years later the band returned with New America, which was produced by Todd Rundgren. Although it featured Bad Religion's best work in years, Atlantic subsequently dropped the band, and they returned to Epitaph. In the summer of 2001, Gurewitz rejoined the lineup after a six-year absence, and the group began work on The Process of Belief. The album appeared in February the following year, and was widely hailed for its recalibration of the Graffin/Gurewitz axis.
Bad Religion's next project was the remastering and issuing of their early catalog. The discs began appearing in April 2004 with the release of Generator and How Could Hell Be Any Worse? The former included relevant 7" material from the era, while Hell took the place of 80-85, which had previously accounted for the band's earliest output. Both were fully remastered, as were subsequent reissues of Suffer, No Control, and Against the Grain. Bad Religion then returned in June of that year with The Empire Strikes First, a typically acerbic LP that reflected the surge of anger and defiance in the punk and indie music communities toward the policies of the Bush administration. The powerful New Maps of Hell, released in 2007, continued on the path of discontent and railed at what the band saw as rampant apathy in the face of global crisis. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Selected Discography

New Maps Of Hell
2008

The Empire Strikes First
2004

Generator
2004

How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
2004

The Process Of Belief
2002

The New America
2000

No Substance
1998

All Ages
1995

Stranger Than Fiction
1994

Recipe For Hate
1993
Who cares if you are like Willow? If you sound like Willow, then you just do.
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Too true. Yeah my stuff really is crap. But if it pisses you off then I've done my job. I just post about them because I'm an idiot fanboy, that's what fanboys do Ada. And I do it because I want to feel less like Willow, especially when I rip nu-metal bands several new orifices.
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Because, Ada, you neglected to consider the quantum wave-form theory.
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If you like them, why do you post? I still ask this: Why talk if your words sound as though they have been pulled from a hat and put in sentences?
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I'm just wondering why you keep on posting here when you don't hate the band. Also I like just making obscure points to piss you off or weird you out. Well actually I'm not making a point, I'm just looking for someone to intellectual l y cross swords with. I post therefore I am, and also it's hard to keep up posting about how much of a cultural force that BR is. So that's why I make obscure points Ada. Take them as the ravings of a mentally unstable man and nothing else.
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I have no idea what you are talking about. Dude, PLEASE make your point when talking, OKAY?
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Another Bad Religion album?! *head explodes* That would be amazing...
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Well then Ada, why do you spend so much time b**ching about them?
On another subject, Bad Religion is teasing us all with a new album, the little flirts that they are. |
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I don't think that Bad Religion sucks, they just aren't my favorite band. I might like them some day........ my friend is always trying to make me listen to them.
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That's nice that someone has made an Anti-Willow profile, but Willow is leaving Pandora, also I've been pestering the admins to just ban him from the site for good. So sorry Anti-Willow, but Willow is going away. Also Ada, why do you spend so much work trying to say that Bad Religion sucks? You're just like Willow, except that you hate on just one band and don't force s**t onto us. We get that you don't like BR, that's cool. But maybe the lady doth protest too much.
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This band is incredible, and YES! Willow is stupid! Post a comment on my profile if you agree that Willow is mentally delayed.
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Yeah...... he's pretty dumb..... and famous on PANDORA..... . . . .
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willow is an idiot, i used to like godsmack awhile back but willow is starting to make me hate them, because of how much of dumbass he is.
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Whateves:P
Here is how to save the world: Don't sigle music out as one kind. It has all came from the same thing, but I haven't figured out what it is yet. Still researching. (not real research) |
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I think it's funny that so many bands are called true punk by their fans. It seems like so many different punk bands of many different sub-genres of punk have been called true punk. From Green Day to the Cro-Mags, from Black Flag to blink182, and from Bad Religion to Godsmack(ha ha Willow, in your dreams) they have all been labeled "true punk". It's all so bullshit. And Ada, your comments aren't going to change anyone's opinion. Anyone who thinks that they can do that on Pandora are idiots.
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lolololololo l o l o l o l . They are even worse than Bad Religion. Actually, I have listened to Bad Religion, and they are actually not that bad.
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Godsmack isn't music. Its a cacophony of retards strumming guitars, beating drums, and screaming some incoherent verbal mess.
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I think I'll try to get into their music. Bad Religion, I mean. Not Godsmack.
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WTF? Godsmack is not punk! They retarded butt mouths and they are metal, if you call them "music."
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Is it We're Only Gonna Die? That song's amazing! I have no idea why they didn't play it at Warped. Oh well, they played Big Bang and Sorrow, so I'm happy.
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I keep posting because it's so damn fun! I do like at least one of their songs. It's off of How Could Hell Be Any Worse. I just can't remember what it's called.
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First off... An intelligent person can actually spell, or at least use spell-check. If you want to be taken seriously, at least spell things right. If not, then i fail to see why you continue to pollute this page with your retarded dribble... Oh, did i use too many big words? Sorry, i forgot you have the vocabulary of an addled chipmunk...
Secondly, I'd recommend Suffer, Generator, Process of Belief, and All Ages. All Ages is a comp with a whole lot of kick-a** music on it. |
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If you don't like my comments because they are ANNOYING TO YOUR TINY PEE BRAIN, then don't react to them. If you are as smart and intelagent (???) about music as you try to make yourself appear, then you wouldn't give a damn what I was saying about them. Maybe prove yoself wrong....... DO you have a BRAIN? Don't answer, I know:D HHHHHAAAAAAA And I have a life at school.
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Yay for Pandora flame wars.
I don't honestly pay much attention to the rigid classificati o n of music ("pop punk vs. melodic hardcore"), but I do like my music melodic. Bonus points if it has something to say. So with that said, I like some of what I know of Bad Religion. But there are also a million CDs to choose from. If I like melodic stuff a whole lot, and I'm not too fond of noise, which songs/CD do you suggest? I know the song "Broken" (I think that's the name?) and like it. |
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Wow... You really need to get a life, b**ch. Man... all these f**king people that get a thrill out of dissing bands... B**ch, you are no better than that Willow dickhead...
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I know, I hate political. That's why Green Day's first and second album are the best. They repeated their old stuff after that. Blah. Who would try to be like Bad Religion? They are ugly, and they sing bad, and I don't mean to sound like a hypocrite after what I said, but they don't sound that unique. But that doesn't give you a reason not to like them. Also, what would a band be without haters? They would only have fans, and that would suck. OMFG, those are perfect lyrics for my new song.......
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Yeah, except Bad Religion is still a relevant punk band, and Green Day is the obnoxious little brother who tries to be like Bad Religion and keeps failing. I'd equate Green Day with the mall punk who goes to a hardcore punk club and then tries to be just like everyone else and ends up just looking retarded. Green Day is a pop-punk band, Bad Religion is a Melodic Hardcore band. Also Green Day just tries too hard to be political.
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It means that...... uh....... hmmmm....... . . uh...... Sorry. Uh.... I don't remember. All I remember is......... 666! Bye!
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No. Drugs are for butts like you. And I have a life. And my life is fun, just BORING! I don't think it makes since to you, but that's what I feel about my life. Sorry if I act to retarded for you to understand. BYE!
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If life is so boring, maybe you should try drugs. Or maybe you could just get a life...
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I like shouters. And I don't care about what's been popular. I just like music if it's good to my ears. And Bad Religion just isn't. I am sorry if you like them, but some people don't. I just post here because the rest of the world is boring. I think from now on I'll make this my retarded spill page. Maybe not....... There are more retarded things to bring up, but ya'll are to "sophisticat e d " to understand. Bye, ladies...... . .
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