Bad Religion

Bad Religion is a punk rock band known for poignant, erudite lyrics, and biting social commentary. The band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1980 by high school students Greg Graffin (vocals), Jay Bentley (bass guitar) and Jay Ziskrout (drums), and high school drop-out Brett Gurewitz (guitar). In 1981, the band released their eponymous debut EP on their own newly-formed label, Epitaph Records, managed and owned by Gurewitz. 1982 saw the release of their first full-length album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, gaining the band a sizeable following. During the recording of How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Jay Ziskrout left the band and was replaced by Peter Finestone.

Greg Graffin, the band's frontman, holds a masters degree in geology from UCLA and Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from Cornell University.

In 1983, the band released Into the Unknown, a keyboard-driven psychedelic rock album that was enormously unpopular with the band's core fanbase. It is now out of print, and generally disowned by the band. However, in past years it has become a collectors item, and has gained some acceptance from fans, many of which consider it a good album, just not a good Bad Religion Album. It now can be seen going for more than 100 dollars on eBay, and is often pirated. A common sign of a pirated version of the LP is the blueish hue on the cover, instead of the reddish hue. In 1985, they returned to a somewhat mellower, Rock and Roll version of their original sound with the Back to the Known EP, but they disbanded soon thereafter.

They reformed in 1987 and released Suffer on the same year, which cemented their comeback in the punk community. No Control (1989) and Against the Grain (1990) further increased the band's popularity, followed by Generator (1992). Before recording sessions for Generator commenced, drummer Pete Finestone left Bad Religion in 1991 to focus on his other band, The Fishermen, which had signed with a major label, and Bobby Schayer joined the band as his replacement. Recipe for Hate (1993) followed shortly thereafter.

With alternative rock breaking into the mainstream, Bad Religion left Epitaph Records for Atlantic Records and quickly re-released Recipe for Hate on the major label. (In fact, Epitaph sold the rights to that album to Atlantic Records.) 1994's Stranger Than Fiction followed, but right around its release Gurewitz left the band. Officially he cited the increasing amount of time he was spending at Epitaph's offices as the Offspring became one of the biggest bands of the mid-1990s (see 1994 in music), but it was well-known that the departure was not on good terms, as he later accused the band of selling out for leaving Epitaph for a major label. Gurewitz recorded a song with his new band the Daredevils entitled "Hate You," reportedly directed towards Jay Bentley. Gurewitz, moreover, was fighting heroin and other addictions during this era, as he explains in the Bad Religion video Along the Way.

Gurewitz was replaced as a guitarist by Brian Baker, former member of bands such as Minor Threat and Dag Nasty. Previously Greg Graffin and Gurewitz had split songwriting duties, which left Greg as Bad Religion's sole songwriter.

What followed were a series of moderately successful albums, The Gray Race (1996), No Substance (1998), and The New America (2000) (though The Gray Race in particular was well-received by many fans). As their popularity was not what it once was, Bad Religion departed from Atlantic Records in 2001 and returned to Epitaph. Bobby Schayer left the band and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman (Suicidal Tendencies) and Gurewitz rejoined the band in time to record The Process Of Belief (2002). The Empire Strikes First was released on Epitaph Records in June 2004. Additionally, the band has released digitally-remastered versions of several of their early albums, including How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Suffer, No Control, Against the Grain, and Generator. The How Could Hell Be Any Worse? re-issue also contained all of their first EP, the "Public Service" EP (alternative versions of Bad Religion, Slaves and Drastic Actions from the self titled EP) and "Back To The Known".

In May of 2005, The Bad Religion Page (http://www.thebrpage.net/) reported Greg Graffin saying that work on a new album was to begin "later this year" for a release "sometime in 2006".

Discography

• Bad Religion EP (1981)
• Public Service EP (1981)
• How Could Hell Be Any Worse? (1982)
• Into the Unknown (1983)
• Back to the Known EP (1984)
• Suffer (1987)
• No Control (1989)
• Against the Grain (1990)
• '80-'85 (1991, compilation of their older albums and EPs)
• Generator (1992)
• Recipe for Hate (1993)
• Stranger Than Fiction (1994)
• All Ages (compilation album, 1995)
• The Gray Race (1996)
• Tested (live album, 1997)
• No Substance (1998)
• The New America (2000)
• The Process of Belief (2002)
• Punk Rock Songs (Europe-only greatest hits)
• The Empire Strikes First (2004)

External links

• Official Website (http://www.badreligion.com/)
• The Bad Religion Page (http://www.thebrpage.net/) contains extensive information on the band, news, lyrics, tabs, who's who, The Answer (BR encyclopedia), forum and much more. The Fan site was established 1995.
• Defining Bad Religion - now a part of The BAD RELIGION Page (http://www.thebrpage.net) contains lyrics of many Bad Religion songs and interpretations thereof.
• Bad Religion @ SoundClick (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/badreligion.htm)

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