Bad Religion

I always look at the negative reviews first, so if you are reading this, then I assume that you do the same.
I judge a music album by 3 criteria....does it blow my hair back the first few times I listen to it?, do I skip tracks, or listen to the album through?, and can it stand the test of time?
The first time I heard this album was 13 years ago. I was 14 at the time. It totally blew my hair back, and I couldnt stop listening to it. No tracks were skipped (ok, maybe just `television`)
13 years later, and probably about 80 other ``punk`` albums owned and thouroughly listened to, I have not gotten tired of this album. This is in my top 5 best punk albums I have ever listened to.
Bad religion has MANY other great albums and songs, dont get me wrong, but by the criteria I set above, this album satisfies those requirements.
I just love this album.

I agree with the reviewer below, this was the weakest album I heard from Bad Religion (I only have 4 BR albums) but that doesn't necessarily mean that its bad I mean compared to the joke that punk music has turned into nowadays its like a masterpiece. Stranger Than Fiction is packed with great punk tracks that are filled with brilliant hooks and catchy lyrics like on previous Bad Religion albums it's also the first Bad Religion album I bought since I heard alot of great things and I wasn't disappointed the only problem is that the album needs a few more listens to appreciate. The best songs have to be Better off dead, The handshake (which is about greedy music executives) and the awesome punk track Infected with its yeah-yeah chorus line and Inner logic with its smart lyrics, 21st century digital boy is the big single release from this album and its worth checking out along with Marked and the great and catchy pop song Slumber and Incomplete was a great opening song. The only bad songs were Hooray for me and Tiny Voices which sound a bit generic, Stranger Than Fiction shows more mature musicianship from these guys and Greg is a good songwriter but I still preferred their earlier stuff since it sounded more raw and less mainstream, Suffer was a much better album in my opinion and its one of my favorites but still you should definetely check out this great album especially if you're looking for some proper punk rock music.

These guys totaly sold out when they singed to atlantic for this peace of junk. this album just screams sell out. Look we're played in the mall now. If you want good bad religion then get anything from how could hell be any worse up recipe for hate. I can make a better album then these sell outs can!!!

Out of the 5 BR CDs I own (Process of Belief, Generator, No Control, Gray Race and Stranger than fiction) Id have to say this is the weakest of the 5. Not that thats a bad thing mind you, far from it infact. Its just this cd takes (well it did for me about 4 listens before I started to love it). The sound they portray on this cd is a very straightforward simplistic approach compared to say for example the process of belief. Its still an awesome cd but it lacks the intensity that I was hoping for. Some really good songs are included on this album such as Leave mine to me, Stranger than Fiction, Tiny Voices, The Handshake, Individual, Better off dead and Hooray for me. However there are a couple of weak tracks like Television feat Tim Armstrong of Rancid fame and the revision of the classic song: 21st Century Digital Boy. However look through all the subtle gripes Ive made and you'll find yourself ROCKING out to this after a few attempts. Just dont buy it and think that it is as intense as their other work. Hope this review helped even if it was only a little.

1994 was a great year for punk rock. Green Day came out with Dookie, their first major label album... and Bad Religion gave the world Stranger Than Fiction.
Stranger Than Fiction was Bad Religion's first album on a major label, and was underappriecated by most old Bad Religion fans. But, no matter what they say, Stranger than Fiction is an awesome album.
THE BEST SONGS
Incomplete- classic Bad Religion. 'Mother, Father, look at your little monster. I'm a hero, I'm a zero.'
Stranger than Fiction- the song the album came from. Great, catchy, Bad Religion.
The Handshake- an intresting quick song. 'a handshake's nothing but a subtle f**k you.'
Slumber- you know you have an awesome band when they can take a slow song and make it one of the best in a great album. SLumber is a great song. Your Bad Religion collection isn't complete until you have this.

These are the best songs, but the album in genereal is wonderful. Any BAd Religion, heck, any punk rock fan needs this album.

This album is a mix of great and not-so-great songs. There are several BR classics, however, that make this album a must-buy for any fan. I thought that some of the lyrics were especially sharp on this one. I had forgotten how good this album is! (I lost mine about 10 years ago and just repurchased). Intelligent punk! What a rare find. How can you not love this band...

Highly recommended!

A long while back a friend of mine turned me on to Bad Religion and their music by playing me some tracks from his "Against The Grain" cassette that he had recently purchased. This was sometime in early 1993. Months later, this album - "Recipe For Hate" - was released. This same friend brought me his CD that he had purchased of this album and excitedly played me the entire album. I had thought the songs he played me from "Against The Grain" were good, but when I heard this album I truly became a huge Bad Religion fan immediately. Within a few months following the release of this album, I had the entire collection on CD. To this day, they're now one of my top favorite bands of all time.

Greg Graffin's lyrics are among the very best of Bad Religions output throughout this record and the musical hooks bleed all over the place from the beginning to the end. Even Eddie Vedder makes a vocal appearance on "Watch It Die" which is mixed so well that you'd barely know it's him given how his vocals were mixed on Pearl Jam's "Ten" which was released a year before this. Mr. Brett's production is slick and punchy at the same time which was a highlight on the previous album "Generator" but with this album it's more rounded out. If there's a bad track on this album I surely can't name one (we can't count "Stealth").

Of course, it's well known that this is the album that lead to Bad Religion signing to Atlantic Records. It was with good reason. Unfortunately, that label was never able to generate any real money out of Bad Religion and the band would suffer a bit musically once Mr. Brett had to leave the band to concentrate on Epitaph Records unexpected rise in sales thanks to The Offspring & Rancid. This is the album that sort of began an interesting period for Bad Religion. One that I feel they managed to survive very well given the trends they were put up against and with Greg Graffin having to assume most of the writing responsibilties with Mr. Brett absent from the band until "The Process Of Belief" came out in 2002.

If you're a new fan of Bad Religion it's not a bad idea to start with this album. The older fan would tell you to start with "Suffer" or "How Could Hell Be Any Worse?" but I feel that the band reached it's musical peak with the lineup that played on "Recipe For Hate" and the follow-up album (and the 1st officially recorded for Atlantic Records) "Stranger Than Fiction".

Standout tracks include - "Recipe For Hate", "Kerosene", "American Jesus", "Portrait Of Authority", "Watch It Die", "My Poor Friend Me", "Lookin In", "Modern Day Catastrophists" & "Skyscraper".

A lot of people praise this album a lot saying it is probably Bad Religion's best release...I have to say that I strongly disagree.

IMO 'Recipe For Hate' comes across as a mediocre continuation of the brilliant 'Generator' album. The songwriting is in the same vain, concentrating in more mid-tempo and clean passages and more throughout guitars and lyrics. That's not a bad thing but the problem here is that unlike Generator most songs sound mediocre or uninspired compared to the rest. Tracks like "Recipe For Hate", "Leave Mine To Me", "American Jesus", "Watch It Die", "Struck A Nerve" and "Skyscraper" are truly outstanding compositions that might be better than some of the bands previous efforts. On the other hand tracks like 'Portrait Of Authority', 'Modern Day Catastrophists', 'My Poor Friend Me' and 'Kerosene' are pretty bad...

Anyways Bad Religion's weakest could be another band's greatest, so no major complaints here. The musicianship and lyrics of the good songs are outstanding as in all of their releases up to 'The Gray Race'. Some tracks have excellent guitar work (including some great solos), better vocals and more progressive ideas (like the inclusion of metal and alternative rock influences at small parts).

Overall 'Recipe For Hate' is a nice release but compared to the bands previous and 2 future offerings it comes up a bit short. (Definitely not an album for new BR fans, try 'Against The Grain' or 'Stranger Than Fiction' first)

I like this album...the songs are very diverse. The album has a darker feel to it than the previous ones and that dark approach continued on Generator. The only song that doesnt really fit on here is Kerosene. Seriously they should have shoved it onto The New America seven years later in 2000. The other complaint I have is that the sound quality is pretty bad...not as bad as the sound quality on the SACD of Stranger Than Fiction but still not up to par.

However on with the good...
the songs themselves are really good. The lyrics as always are thought provoking and interesting and the harmonies and backup vocals from other musicians on 'Watch It Die' and 'Struck A Nerve' are very well placed.
The drumming and guitar work is also very well implemented to fit each song. The song 'All Good Soldiers' is actually quite good...don't know why many people don't like it. It sounds kinda like 'Atomic Garden' from Generator...well thats the feeling I get from the song anyway.

My top 5 songs in no order from this album would be:
Recipe For Hate, American Jesus, My Poor Friend Me, Lookin' In and Skyscraper.

I know my review was short but im hungover right now and really dont have the time to write a long review...the music speaks for itself anyway...

The CD itself is good, but I wish that mine had survived the trip to me better.

I purchased this new item to send to my son in Iraq for his birthday when he received it the DVD was damaged and could not be played. I would have returned it but being shipped to Iraq and back to Amazon it would have been more than the item was worth.

Ugh, tell me every thinking punk's favorite band is now trundling down the "Deluxe Edition" path. Well, examining what's here will tell the story: the CD we all bought 365 days ago, 3 new acoustic songs, 4 old BR songs done acoustically, and a DVD. The CD we all bought a year ago is good, the 3 new BR acoustic songs aren't. Adam's Atoms is the only one of the 3 that shows promise, the other 2 are cringe-worthy efforts that give me no solace in the future of BR's 2 aging principal songwriters. 4 BR songs done acoustically begs 1 question: When did Sorrow become some sort of latter-day BR classic? It shows up everywhere, and it's practically acoustic in its album form already, so i don't know why Greg & Brett have such a hard-on for it. God Song actually works nicely in an acoustic version, Dearly Beloved is OK, and Skyscraper is almost mournful (made me think they wanted us to remember when even the throwaway BR numbers had stunning, soaring substance.) On to the DVD, you get a chintzy 'making of' section that tells you nothing, a couple of videos, and a complete live concert that fails & I will tell you why. I've seen my share of Bad Religion live footage & they aren't a tremendously interesting live act. Not bad, but nothing grab-you-by-the-throat compelling either. So what makes the live set worthless is firstly: the mostly muffled sound (how do you mix 4 guitars at once? poorly!) and secondly: I severely dislike seeing a bunch of teenage tools sporting their crisp Hot Topic patented 'punk rawk' t-shirts, bumbling around like fools because they're at the House Of Blues, which is about as 'punk rawk' as The Jonas Brothers. You know these same poseurs will be sticking around for the Sum41 show coming up next, after some ads from Mountain Dew and Scion. It's just sad seeing hall-of-famers like Greg & Co. have to cater to such a crowd. It would have been nice to see a show with heart in an intimate venue that didn't scream "corporate sponsorship." So ultimately paying 2wice the price for this is dumb. The new stuff here isn't anything you'll miss.

So, I already have the original release...why do I need a second copy? Because I'm a seriously devoted Bad Religion fanL: I collect their albums (even re-releases) and I like to support them and the Epitaph label. This release not only has the original songs from New Maps of Hell, but also has some amazing acoustic tracks!! The DVD included is a fantastic bonus...great footage which reminded me of their lastest club tour which I was fortunate enough to see. The posters and general presentation of the album is classic Bad-Religion-style (great imaging and kinda angry) and is a must-have for those who still appreciate cd artwork and packaging. If you just want the New Maps of Hell album and aren't a devoted nut-case-of-a-fan like myself, you might just want to purchase the original release or download it off i-tunes like the kids do nowadays...but if you are a B.R. collector...drop the twenty bucks, pretend its 1994 when cd's were the thing to have and get stoked off it!!!

I did not think the original "New Maps of Hell" was a terrific CD. There were perhaps three songs that I feel are really strong tracks. But this, the deluxe version, is a fantastic value. I would have paid $20 just for the acoustic songs, which are just excellent. I hope more acoustic versions of Bad Religion songs are forthcoming. I love the punkier and rockier stuff a lot, but after a while, it's a little like Taco Bell--you know they're only working with about four ingredients, and no matter how many combinations you put the ingredients together in, the taste is going to be largely the same. With the acoustic stuff, a lot of nuance and subtlety emerges, and the brilliance of the lyrics shines through better. And the acoustic guitar work on "Sorrow" was a revelation. A band this musically capable shouldn't restrict themselves to a narrow style, any more than a truly talented chef should be making chalupas. A very impressive work, which restores my faith in the band's direction. Incidentally, someone commented that if the concert footage included in this package is representative, then Bad Religion must not be a very good live band. It's impossible to say where questions of taste are concerned, but I think Bad Religion is a wondeful live act. I've seen them four times so far and they put on a hell of a show. If I have a complaint at all it's that they could do with a little more variety. I realize they might be suffering from the "Misery" trap--give the fans what they want, or they'll chop off your foot and hold you hostage. But even hard-moshing punks can be won over to a tasty little anthem or ballad or folk ditty if it's used judiciously as a change of pace. Graffin put out a CD of folk songs a while back, and while I thought most of them were average or barely above, there were a couple of stand-outs. I would love to hear a little more of that at a Bad Religion concert--there'd still be plenty of time for the high-energy tear-em-ups that made the band famous.

A Great Album!!!! The 7 Acoustic tracks are really good! I only wish there were more acoustic songs like Only Entertainment, The Answer, Struck A Nerve, Sanity, etc....... I really enjoyed having the Subtitles (lyrics) to the songs on the Live At The Palladium DVD. It would have been nice if they had that feature on the live show on this deluxe edition of New Maps Of Hell, but I am happy with it anyways. Great posters!!!! A++++

there's something sad about wanting bands to play the way they used to. oddly enough everyone seems to talk about how repetition in excess is bothersome and annoying in BR albums yet Suffer, No Control, and Against The Grain are immune to such criticism. Energy somehow is directly proportionate to tempo and pop influence (a consistency for Bad Religion) is looked down on for the most part as a form of conformity. Then you have every mother's son wanting the band to "rot in obscurity" (as Simon Pegg would put it) as if signing to a major label is a betrayal to...who? Odds are not one of the band members knows you as a personal friend and thus are not concerned with what you feel. While they did leave Alantic for their Epitaph home, and Brett is back, there is no "returning to form."
All that being said, this album is so solid compared to the mind numbing sameness of early Bad Religion records (which I happen to like anyway) and is energetic from end to end. (and by energetic, I mean you can feel that they have put themselves into every part of this album and are excited about every song). Greg hasn't lost his lyrical ability, and the three guitar/two guitar attack coupled with exceptional vocal harmonies are the perfect support for Greg's vocals.
And now that I've pontificated like so many other BR fans, you decide. I'm sure you will find it to be one of the best albums in your collection. It remains my favorite Bad Religion album to date.

Its rare that a band considered by many to be releasing a comeback album ends up recording the BEST album of their career. Bad Religion does just that! This is THE BEST Bad Religion album ever recorded, and that's saying something.

Gurewitz makes his presence felt in his triumphant return to Bad Religion. This album has his staple guitar licks all over it. However, what often gets overlooked is the fact that BR acquired a new drummer after Bobby McShay left the band one year prior to the recording of this album. The new drummer (whose name escapes me at the moment) IS PHENOMENAL and provides a major upgrade whether you realize it or not. He, along with Gurewitz, are the driving forces behind this powerful punk rock. As always, lead singer Greg Graffin is dazzling, stringing together the most intelligent multi-syllabic lyrics in rock. He remains among the most distinctive and inspiring voices in music today.

My only gripe is the band's semi-bothersome habit of opening an album with 2 or 3 very short, frenetic, pointless tracks that seem to serve no purpose other than to announce "LOOK AT US, WE STILL PLAY REALLY FAST!!", but once things settle down a bit Bad Religion shines brightly.

All the reviews you will read about this album will talk about Mr. Brett's return. You will also read about the fact that this marks Bad Religion's return to Epitaph. Though those are two important things to mention about the album, I think the most important thing to say is that the songwriting is top notch. The intensity and melodiousness of this record is like a breath of fresh air after the stagnant "New America." (Personally I was convinced that was to be their last album, it just had that sputtering out sound to it.)

From the first seconds of "Supersonic" the listener becomes acutely aware that Bad Religion is not only back, they are better than ever. It is not until "Broken" that they even give you a second to breathe. "Broken" then gives you a radio-friendly pop sheen that is unexpected and welcome. Immediately after, however, the speed is back.

From "Sorrow" to "Sound Defense" and from "Evangeline" to "Lie," Process is proof that Bad Religion still is the best rock and roll act of the last twenty years (and counting.)

BR hadn't had an album out for a while before this one and being reunited with Brett Gurewitz helped out a lot. This album is definitely more rock than punk, but the fast tempos are still there. Greg Graffin's voice is controlled and fluid with his delivery and the guitar is booming and this album just plain out kills. One of my favorite driving albums. It is very short though, but EVERY song is outstanding. A good starting point for people new to BR. Then work your way back.

First of all, let me admit that I am a 35 year old man who rarely likes fast or loud music anymore. I usually spend my time listening to groups like Belle and Sabastian, Stone Roses, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, The Smiths, etc. It's not that I haven't tried listening to certain hardcore punk or modern heavy metal bands. It's just that I find their lack of melody and lack of originality terribly frustrating and boring. It's not simply that my ears can't take "loud" music anymore. The heavy metal groups are usually fronted by a singer who wants to either sound like the Cookie Monster or Rob Halford. A normal sounding voice is simply too much to ask from these guys. Most hardcore groups are rarely original and just try to play as fast as they can and usually have a singer who likes to sing with a whiny voice or a gruff voice.


Imagine my surprise when I finally found a group that played fast and had a singer who had a voice that a man over 30 could tolerate. As if that wasn't enough, this group also had songs that were highly melodic and not lyrically inane. The first album I ever heard from Bad Religion was No Control. The songs weren't as melodic as I would have liked, but I found the music and the singer's voice and style of singing absolutely invigorating. Sadly, the album was a cassette and it eventually fell apart. Since I wasn't absolutely in love with the album, I never actively sought to buy it again.

Years later I bought a bunch of cassettes from an Ebay auction. Bad Religion's Recipe for Hate was included in the lot. I decided to listen to it once. I figured at least the singer wouldn't give this rapidly aging dude a headache. Needless to say, I was blown away by the album. It was much more melodic than No Control. I truly love RECIPE. I then read some reviews of other albums and decided to buy Against the Grain. Sadly, I didn't find that album appealing. The music just sounded too thrashy, too short and seemed repetitive and didn't reach the melodic heights of RECIPE.

I had no idea which album to buy next or even if I should buy another album. I'm glad to say that PROCESS was my next choice. The few bad reviews came from people saying it was too poppy and wasn't hard enough. This was my clue that I would probably enjoy it more than Against the Grain. My decision turned out to be a good one. This album is much more melodic than Against the Grain. I simply love it. The songs are more diverse and more melodic. I'm planning to buy the EMPIRE album next. The old hardcore fans don't seem to enjoy it as much as their older albums. That's a sign to me that EMPIRE is probably going to be great.

When you are 35 years old, you are no longer interested whether a group has "sold out." You no longer get into major arguments with your friends if the new album by your favorite group sounds "wimpy." Trust me, I went through that phase when I was young. Metallica has had to deal with such stuff from their old heavy metal fans. It's rather pathetic to watch. I'm now only interested in what sounds good. Bad Religion no longer make albums like they did fifteen years ago. They have not sold out. Their melodies have grown and the songs are more diverse. They have simply grown and gotten better. For those who want them to sound like they did fifteen years ago, it's not going to happen. They can't return to what they once were. They must be who they currently are and not what you want them to be. Graffin is simply too smart to have remained stagnant.

By the way, if anyone knows another hardcore band they might think I like, mention it in future reviews. Right now Bad Religion is the only hardcore punk band I can truly say I like. I heard the Misfits and love the singer's Elvis voice and many of the songs have great hooks, but the production on those albums is so bad, I can't listen to them.

This cd is simply amazing. Of course, if you don't like Bad Religion's style, you probably won't like ths cd. The tracks are a tad short, as is the case with most of these cds, but, the cd is a great one overall.

Before the first notes of this album explode out of the speakers, lead-singer Greg Graffin can be heard saying "With attitude. . ." into the microphone. No lengthy review can sum up Bad Religion's return to the punk scene in the late 80's than that.

Having taken a five year hiatus following the major flop that was Into The Unknown (that not even the brilliant Back To The Known e.p. could make up for, apparently), Bad Religion exploded back onto the punk scene in 1988 with Suffer that not only reignited their career, but also the punk rock scene in America as well.

Over the next few years, the band remained on top of their game, releasing albums that proved that Suffer wasn't just a fluke. No Control expanded on the themes from Suffer, addressing some specifics on the subjects of social responsibility and environmental accountability to name a few.

Against The Grain, the third album from this era, and final to feature the amazing Pete Finestone on drums, is certainly the most musically caustic and lyrically scathing. The guitar work became more intricate, the bass work more impressive, and the vocal performances became huge explosions of compositional tapestries. When the band would list the Beach Boys as an influence years later (on the Live At The Palladium DVD), the connection is obvious in retrospect.

From the flaming guitar solo that opens "Modern Man," to the stadium rock feel of "Faith Alone," to Graffin spewing "Un-ac-f***ing-ceptable!" in the final moments of "Unacceptable," this album demands full attention from front to back.

Certainly not for the light of heart, but good punk isn't, by definition. A must-own for fans of hardcore.

I can remember Maximum Rock and Roll once saying (in praise) about this band that you needed a dictionary to understand the lyrics. While I wouldnt go that far their lyrics are definatly far beyond the usual "boo goverment" "I hate society" this is much more worth listening to. Put together with such great powerful music the opening track knocks you for 6. This has got to be one of the punk rock essentials.

Great band, great lyrics (check out the 'rock and roll' style pictures inside, very punk rock guys) pure cheese! Lol.

This is the hardcore album without a doubt from BR, filled with angst and agression you'll probably p**s alot of people off when playing this next to them. But thats what i love about this cd, all the songs are fast and to the point. Also your gonna need a dictionary while listening to this, if you can catch what Greg is singing. The best songs on the album are: God Song, Faith Alone, track 6 (cuz i cant spell the title lol), Against the grain, The positive aspect of negative thinking, unacceptable and 21st century digital boy.

Also Im sick of all the 'Terrorist Religions' as well Greg so thanks for an awesome album that has content more relevant today than when it was first released.

yes, i believe that this is BR's pinnacle. they were at their top game here. the album starts awesome, but kind of drops off near the last few songs....the closer "walk away" is amazing though! i think that suffer and no control beat this one, but being 3rd or 4th isnt bad. i believe that the only album to come close to the holy trinity is "stranger than fiction." i recommend this to all punk rock fans. BR was on a roll, but sadly this was the last truly amazing thing they made until stranger than fiction.

process and beleif and empire strikes first are also noteworthy.

I love these guys and if I had the option for a 1.5 stars I would have given it. I own all the albums (even Into the Unknown which was it's own whole fiasco) and this one sounds like dirty dish water compared to all but the New America album. I'm not sure if these guys are done or if this is just that bad album every epic band puts out once a decade. I sincerely hope this album is just a mistake, because they're just that good....

Don't buy this album. Pick up "Recipe for Hate" or "Suffer" and enjoy some classic punk!

Im not sure why a Bad Religion fan could be dissapointed with this, I have come to the conclusion that is at least in there top 5 albums. The first half of the album barely leaves you the chance to catch your breath. Just straight up musical brutality. The 2nd half is a little smoothed out, but not weak by any stretch. I think of all the things I love about BR, what i love most is that they dont sell out, but mangage to give you something fresh on each release. IF you wanted Empire 2 you wont get it here. IF you want Bad Religions Most aggressive work to date this is it. I cant go a day without listening to it, Very Loud!!

If you like Bad Religion, you'll like this. If you like punk rock, you'll like this. It's not Bad Religions best, however, it DOES sound like Suffer era Bad Religion with newer production and a ton of impressive backing vocals. The reason I love this album so much is that it is consistent. There really is no really standout tracks, but instead many really good tracks. It won't fail to impress.

Bad Religion-New Maps Of Hell ****

One of the most memorable things I have ever been apart of was seeing bad religion touring with the Warped tour in support of this album which was to come out the next day. They were second main on the bill, and this was in Denver, Colorado and it had rained all day till Bad Religion came out, they played amazing and the entire crowed was throughing water bottles over from one side to the next and this went on for the entire set....fantastic.

The next day I bought the album and put it on and was not disappointed in the slight. While it isn't the greatest Bad Religion I have ever heard it is certainly the best since Stranger Than Fiction. Graffins lyrics are as always very intelligent and informative. Bret Gurewitz and crew lay down solid guitar lines and Brooks Wackerman is still beating the crap out of his drums like it's 1985.

'Heroes & Martyrs' along with 'Germs Of Perfection' point to subject matter often not tackled. As "un-punk" as this statement is 'New Dark Ages' should have been a hit single. 'Requiem For Dissent' sounds and feels like Stranger Than Fiction would have been a better home for it but is still good. 'Honest Goodbye' became a hit despite it's shocking imagery of In Cold Blood, which is refreshing, and 'Grains Of Wrath' is one of the very best songs Bad Religion ever did. Many are pointing to '52 Seconds' as the albums opus, and I must say it sounds all too familiar for them.

Is this worth owning for more than just the hit singles yes, and in fact it was one of the better albums to emerge from 2007.

This CD is a must for any Bad REligion or Classic punk fan. I'm listening to it right now. The best tracks are. Grains of Wrath, Dearly Beloved, Honest Goodbye, Murder, and Before You Die.

There Is Definitely a Reason There's No Bad Reviews for This Record.You Should Hear It If You Haven't.Great Punk Rock Not "I Love You Girl" Sort Of Music Not Simplistic, Very Hard Album And Intelligent Like in Such Lines As "I Heard Them Say The Meak Shall Reign On Earth Fantasmal myriads of sane Bucolic Birth,Iv'e Seen The Rapture In A Starving Baby's eyes Inchoate beatitude the ''Lord of The Flies'' So what does it mean when your mind starts to stray? kaleidoscopic Images Of Love On the Way etc.". No Doubt Worth Every Bit The Decry, meaning its truly Worth more than 5 stars Its Astounding Call me a KissA`` But Simply Put I Highly Reccomend This.

After what could be best described as a rocky beginning, (band members quitting albums the first day, breakups, reunions, severely flopping albums, etc.) Bad Religion returned to the punk rock scene just when it seemed all the steam had run out of hardcore. Minor Threat was gone, Bad Brains had become a funk-metal combo, Black Flag was. . .late career Black Flag, and it seemed so-cal punk was destined to be a memory from the early 80's. Written over just a few practices, (in preparation for a reunion show at Gilman Street) Suffer was fast, loud, political, brainy and, most importantly, MELODIC.

After hinting on Into The Unknown and Back To The Known what their melodic capabilities were, Bad Religion released the full force of Greg Graffin's amazing voice (and who could forget the oozin' ahs?) on the world with this album. Beginning with the battle cry of "You Are The Government," ("I make a difference too!") all of side one shakes you with its melody, wakes you with its message and all-but breaks you with its fury.

A range of socio-political topics are covered, with everything from drug addiction ("Forbidden Beat"), to questioning dogmatic thinking ("Best For You"), to America's empirical foreign policies ("Part II The Numbers Game"). Rather than sounding preachy and dated, these songs are universal, timeless and empowering.

The remastered edition available now is worth the re-purchase for anyone who has an older copy of this timeless classic. The first time you hear the back-up vocals behind Greg proclaiming "You Are The Government!" the beautiful production is apparent.

If you don't own this album already, shame on you. Get it now, without question, because when the world stops turning, so will you!

if they keep listening to that mainstream stuff.

This album is definitely one of BR best albums. The songs are very upfront and agressive in your face punk rock songs. My favourite track off this album is 'What Can You Do.' Gregs vocal style on that song is insane, especially on the second verse. All the songs are very well crafted and are fast, hence the album is quite short but still the quality over quantity approach is present and that makes this an album any fan of punk rock should have.

Ive noticed that with a few of BR albums in my opinion that is that they will kick things off with a few super fast songs and then slow it down a bit pace wise before picking it up again and then slowing it down for the ending songs.

You'll see what i mean with this one from track 9...it gets really awesome and the last 5 songs are extremely good.

Basically if you dont have this one then go and get it now...also props to the cover art.

this is definently one of my favorite albums of all time. anyone who thinks punk rock cannot be intellectual, should check out bad religion, especially this album. suffer is good from start to finish, even the songs that don't stand out as much at first, grow on you and become some of your favorites. get this album or no control, they are both great. the rest of their albums are actually pretty mixed in my opinion. a few great songs and some not so great ones. against the grain is pretty good and fans of old school punk will like how could hell be any worse. the rest of their stuff, like i said is mixed, but none of it is bad. but suffer and no control, just about an hour of music, are enough in my opinion to name them great. suffer is though, probably their best. if you want thought-provoking,fast,melodic punk, or if you like pennywise you will love this album.

Bad Religion is known for being one of, if not the, most influential punk band(s) of the 90s punk revival. And this album is pretty much the reason why.

The amount of improvement in Bad Religion's musical talent from their first record, "How Could Hell be Any Worse?" (which is also excellent, check it out!) is astonishing. Greg Graffin developed his singing a lot, and that's the most noticable difference. Graffin's songwriting talent is astonishing, and with lyrics like this:

"There's a loser in the house, and a puppet on the stool,
And a crowded way of life, and a black reflecting pool,
And as the people bend, the moral fabric dies,
The country can't pretend to ignore its people's cries."

- You Are (The Government)

he's bound to make you think (and bring out the dictionary more often than not). As you can probably tell from the lyrics, Suffer is very politically oriented (as Bad Religion tends to be}, dealing with a whole range of ideas that I'm too lazy to list. So on the whole, the lyrics are pure genious, as is Greg Graffin.

The guitars, bass, and drums are great too, and evidently helped bring in the modern underground punk sound of today. Catchy riffs and fast beats make it very easy to listen to over and over again, especially songs like "1,000 More Fools", "Forbidden Beat", "Pessimistic Lines", and "You Are (the government)".

Bad Religion is an incredibly adept and talented band, and Suffer more than proves it. If you're interested in punk at all, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

Do I need to say anything more. This is at the peak of their career when you could just hear their soul. Pulsating and intense pop-classic punk. If you only buy one punk cd your whole life, this one will not only turn you on but also stimulate your mind as well.

You know, I really do like Bad Religion. I really do. Though they have a tendency to overreach themselves a little in their lyrical choices (I'm convinced that it's all in an effort to sound smart, but that's not really the point), they have managed to be one of the most consistently good punk acts for twenty years now. No Control features the group arguably at their peak. Certainly, nobody will ever convince me that they've recorded a BETTER song than Big Bang, though they've equaled the effort. When it comes to recommending that somebody spend between ten and fifteen dollars on this piece of plastic, however, I have a couple of reservations that I should put down here as warning.

To start, for those not in the know, Bad Religion is, as mentioned before, a punk rock band, pretty typical of the sound you can expect. If you're a more mainstream music fan who's just wondered here out of curiosity, another person who'd never heard them before compared them to The Offspring, but, you know, better, and not as irreverent (or as gimmicky). This record in particular is more oriented toward the hardcore punk scene than their previous outing (the also-much-ballyhooed Suffer), at least according to the Wikipedia entry, which should imply "faster and louder." If you're okay with that, there's a pretty good chance that you'll like the CD. If you're not, I'd advise you to steer clear. This is pretty far from a mainstream pop rock record, though a couple of the more radio-friendly numbers (like the aforementioned Big Bang) might still appeal. For established Bad Religion fans or people just starting with the group, you either have this record or you should.

But, on to my problems, and it all boils down to how much music has been put on the disc in the first place. There's not much. The album length is somewhere in the 20s of minutes. For $10+, I kind of expect a little bit more than that. The sad thing is that this is really a problem that could have been easily remedied. In country music right now, there's a couple of labels that have taken to going back through the older LPs for their established artists (Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash and whatnot), pulling out two of them, and pressing them onto a single CD. Bad Religion and their various publishers need to learn from that. No Control is a masterful album, but a distressingly short one, and that's damaging to its value. Were this paired with, for example, Suffer (as I have done - and you still end up well under the 1 hour mark, so I could probably have shoved another half an album on there if I were just trying to maximize storage), I could recommend this CD to anybody who's down with the music.

As it stands, I downloaded this from eMusic. I'm not a big fan of digital downloading - I prefer to get my music in as uncompressed a medium as possible, and downloaded MP3s do not offer you any uncompressed format - but I just cannot justify recommending that anybody pay for a record this short unless that person is a true die-hard fan. It's not that I dislike the music at all, but that I think you ought to be able to get it at a better value. Certainly, if the return on investment doesn't bother you, I would unconditionally recommend purchase, but I'd politely suggest to the band that it might be a good idea to look into maybe double-packing some of its older catalog to cut new and incoming fans a break.

EDIT 9/17/2007: Well, now it would appear that Epitaph has seen fit to discontinue their relationship with eMusic, so your opportunity to download this at a reasonable discount is gone. I'm not feeling particularly generous to them as a company, given the decision, so I'm tempted not to recommend buying it on CD, but if you are a dedicated fan of punk rock, it's probably still worth your money.

Not my favorite Bad Religion album, although I've listened to it much less than others, so that may be why. I love the song "I Want to Conquer the World", with Greg's voice so unique and raw.

i might be under thirteen but when i hear a good band i know it, Bad Religions' one of them. my two favorite songs are "i want to conquer the world" (a great song) and "sanity" (not as good but still awsome) the rest of the album is great to.

Bad Religion is the only band who cares (along with pennywise) about our world. This album is close to perfection. Obliterate your music collections and stop listening to green day, good charlotte, fall out boy etc and listen to PUNK ROCK AS IT SHOULD BE!

1. Change of ideas (Not really a song as its under a minute but pretty good) 4.5/5

2. Big Bang. Love this f***ing song so much. 5/5

3.No Control. Oh yeah what awesome lyrics. 5/5

4. Sometimes it feels like.States Exactly what i feel like most of the time when standing in line or talking to someone who isnt listening to me. 5/5

5.Automatic Man. Extremely furious and fast just the way we like it. 5/5

6. I want to conquer the world. If you havent heard this song then why are u here. Pick up the album now! 5/5

7.Sanity. This song grew on me. Could of been a single if they wanted to. 5/5

8. Henchman. Sorta sounds like automatic man, well same kinda theme but still 5/5

9.It must look pretty appealing. One of my fav songs on the album. Basically stating that what one person sees as good will be cool for you and so others follow leading to the construction of what we now know as the masses. 5/5

10. You. Probably the best punk rock song ever. 5/5

11. Progress. Great song catchy as well. 5/5

12. I want something more. How about alonger song this ones like 40 seconds but is very complex. 4.5/5

13. Anxiety. not much to say on this one. 4.7/5

14. Billy. Great tune. 5/5

15. The World wont stop. Without you. Love this track. 5/5

Ok so its short about 26 minutes but feels longer than Generator even though it aint but maybe thats because it has more songs. Whatever the case this is a CD that no punk rock fan should be without.

The departure of Mr. Brett in 1994 was a blow to Bad Religion without a doubt. Aside from losing his consistently catchy contributions to the records, it also feels sometimes like Greg may have not tried as hard, what with there being no competition for songwriting. That having been said, this actually stands as possibly the strongest of the trilogy of Brett-less records.

The lyricism is strong as on any other Bad Religion record, the musicianship is very good, (Hetson and Baker really working to make up for the loss of Mr. Brett) and the production is slick, but not overly so. Songs like "Voracious March of Godliness," "Raise Your Voice," and "Mediocre Minds" are all songs that could easily find their way onto a Bad Religion mix CD.

All said and done, this record gets a somewhat bad rep, mostly because of the Brett situation. Well worth the purchase.

1.Hear It- I Give it a 7/10 , I think this a fairly good songs its short Fast and fun.
2. Shades of truth - 6/10 Its an OK songs but its pretty long
3. All fantastic images - 8/1- Pretty good song Not to short not too longs. The lyrics are pretty good in this one
4. The Biggest killer in american history - 9/10 One of the best songs on the record(in my opinion) , I wish they released this as a single instead of "raise your voice" i think it would have been more successful. The only down side it the chorus is kind of repetitive.
5.No Substance-8/10 Really good lyrics, However i do not like the music in this one alot.
6.Raise Your Voice- 6/10 Its another OK songs In my opinion the should have put the version that was release as single (with a guest singer)
7.Showing the seeds of Utopia- 8/10 short fast and great lyrics.
8.The hippy killers- 7/10 pretty good song I like the lyrics alot more than the music, The whispers are pretty creepy thoe.
9.The end of the millennium address- 4/10 Its not the good in my opinion But some of the lines are really good.
10.The vicarious march of godliness- 6/10 Is really longs and the chorus kind of gets on my nerves
11.Mediocer Minds- 9/10 A grate songs fast Short and grate lyrics and grate music.
12.Victims of the Revolution- 6/10 ITs OK The music is interesting at some-points but boring at others lyrics are pretty good
13. Strange Denial- 7/10 Pretty good i like the music of the verses alot the chorus is pretty good too. THe lyrics are Good .
14.At the mercy of imbeciles -8/10 Grate song short fast and grate music and lyrics. Shortest song on the album
15. The same person - 7/10 Pretty good The chorus is worst part of the song but its not that bad, The verses are pretty good in my opinion
16.In So many ways- 7/10 pretty good it has a wierd felling to it .

The Booklet has some cool pictures. But its pretty short.
Over all i give the album 7/10 Its good but not grate its pretty long compared to some other albums. there are a lot of songs on the album and none of them suck badly.

I can credit this album, with encouraging me to continue buy more BR albums, (having started with "Empire Strikes First").

I do not think this CD is such a great departure from BR's prior works as the Amazon critics seem to believe. You could move slow songs like "The Answer" from Generator - or "Struck a Nerve" from Recepie for Hate - onto here, and they'd fit right in.

There are a couple of throwaway tracks like "Hippy Killers" and "Biggest Killer in American History". (Very repetitive sounding). But I think the rest of the album stands up well, to the BR library.

So many people give this album bad reviews. I think that most of it is just the "no Brett" prejudice, but the rest is probably just going along with everyone else's closed-mindedness. I just got this album, and it is AMAZING! It starts off with a great song, and it just keeps on delivering. The fact that Brett Gurewitz didn't write any songs on this album didn't make Greg's songs any less good. This album has tons of energy, catchy melodies, and amazing lyrics. It doesn't really sound like the typical Bad Religion album, but believe you me--it is DEFINITELY worth buying.

(Find and read the lyrics for The State Of The End Of Millenium Address and tell me that they don't make you scratch your head.)

Pay NO attention to the reviews dissing No Substance. I am a *huge* Bad Religion fan. Boots, singles, CDs, hell, I even have the early hard-to-find vinyl. AND I am a huge music fan in general with 3500+ CDs. This isn't my most favorite Bad Religion CD, not sure what that would be. BUT, this is the most listened to CD in my entire collection, by FAR.

No Substance is an amazing, just amazing recording (uh, except for "Hear It" which is commercial schlock). I have listened to this album literally hundreds of times. I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially "Mediocre Minds". This is one of the best BR CDs, and that's coming from a hardcore fan. Buy it. You won't regret it. I absolutely love this album.

Did I say this is THE most listened to CD in my *entire* collection, which ranges from punk to new age to folk to techno to metal to hippie jambands? Yes. I cannot recommend this highly enough, 5 stars isn't enough. Thoughtful, interesting, ferocious in places, just freakin' great.

Ignore the folks whining that it isn't Suffer or No Control or Generator. No Substance has rewards a-plenty for the listener who pays attention. Highly recommended.

Bad Religion is one of the must have classic bands of the punk world. They have been around longer than most of the "one hit wonder" Southern Cali punk rock groups. They write just plain simple, but good punk rock songs. Most of their songs are socially conscious on the political side of the fence, rather than love ballads. They started in Southern California in the 1980's and have had several line-up changes, but the most vital member of the band has remained- singer Greg Graffin.

Graffin wrote all fifteen songs on The Gray Race as well as lending his constant powerful vocals. It has songs like "A Walk", with its energy and pop sense, yet still remaining on the punk side and "Punk Rock Song" that is furious. but of course has Graffin's intelligent lyrics about world problems. Graffin's voice is always solid and simple, never whiny or annoying like some other punk/alternative rock singers. The album is like all other Bad Religion albums -- entertaining with it's thought-provoking, straight-forward punk rock music.

In my opinion, this is the most overlooked punk album of the 1990s.. One of my best friends got this disc in fifth grade and used it to introduce me to the band.. There are very few albums I own where I don't have to skip over a single track.. This is one of the few.. The lyrics are so creative and in depth that half the time I'm flipping through the dictionary to make sense of it all.. Greg Graffin is not only an icon with lyrical brilliance on stage, but his genius has allowed him to be a professor at UCLA..

The amazing thing about 'The Gray Race' is that it's masterful touch seems to come without any such effort. There are highly successful albums out there that when I listen to it, it just seems as if the band tried so hard, almost too hard to outdo themselves (eg. Linkin Park).. Bad Religion is the type of band whose ideas seem to come so rapidly and with such ease that you can feel their talent and energy when you listen to them.. I recommend this album to any person who does or has ever been a fan of punk music, it's a must for your collection.. If my word means anything, it almost certainly will not disappoint (not to mention it's inexplicably cheap price on Amazon)..

1) The Gray Race: 9.5/10
2) Them And Us: 8/10
3) A Walk: 8.5/10 (Received radio play from what I know)
4) Parallel: 9.5/10
5) Punk Rock Song: 10/10
6) Empty Causes: 9/10
7) Nobody Listens: 8/10
8) Pity The Dead: 8.5/10
9) Spirit Shine: 7.5/10
10) The Streets Of America: 9.5/10
11) Ten In 2010: 9/10
12) Victory: 9.5/10
13) Drunk Sincerity: 9/10
14) Come Join Us: 10/10
15) Cease: 9.5/10

Overall Grade: A/A+

For other Bad Religion, look into: 'Against The Grain', 'No Control', 'Stranger Than Fiction', 'The Process Of Belief', 'The Empire Strikes First', 'New Maps Of Hell'

This is honestly the last 'great' Bad Religion album. After this each release seems to be heading towards repetition and mediocrity...
Bad Religion is one of the few bands (in any genre) that continued to come up with outstanding or at least very strong albums since their 1988 'Suffer' release. 'The Gray Race' marks the end of their legacy IMO but it is such an end!

Many fans were afraid that after Mr.Brett's (songwriter/guitarist) departure the band will go commercial and loose their edge, but this fortunately didn't happen here. This album contains all of BR's trademark hooks (melodic vocals, memorable and catchy choruses, great guitar riffs and strong drumming). The band has come up with some of their best song material ever in tunes such as "Parallel", "Cease", "Ten in 2010", "Come Join Us" and "Them and Us"!

In terms of atmosphere 'The Gray Race' brings across something in between 'Stranger Than Fiction' and 'Generator', what more do you need? Vocally and lyrically Graffin is still going strong and inspired (not like nowadays) as in all previous efforts, the guitar riffs-solos are memorable and undeniably Bad Religion, the bass melodic as usual, while Bobby is excellent behind the drum set.

Buy this without hesitation...actually buy every BR album from Suffer up to this, you won't be disappointed.

After the very successful "Stranger than Fiction" album, Bad Religion came to release perhaps their best album so far and a true gem in the musical scene. Fifteen songs in the usual Bad Religion style with fast tempos, catchy melodies and singing , and the very caustic lyrics by singer Greg Graffin. It's truly amazing to hear Bad Religion play in such great shape using all their energy and freshness providing a very pleasant listening experience while also spreading their political stigma and raising the middle finger to all those who deserve it. Some of the highlights of the album are "The Streets of America", "Spirit Shine", "Ten in 2010", and my favorite from this album "Pity the Dead" where we're faced with a critical dilemma on why we pity the dead looking at all the living. Overall this is a very pleasant album to listen to, an album that can accompany you through almost any activity you choose to do. Friends of punk rock or any other open-minded fans of good music will definitely find this album pleasing and will enjoy each and every second of it.

Well firstly scrap the last review i gave for the process of belief,I now love that song epiphany. This is the 3rd Bad Religion I've brought within the past 4 days! That must tell you something. This is another classic BR album. Sure it sounds a bit different to the other 2 I've got: Generator and Process of Belief but thats not a bad thing.
To all the naysayers out there I say that this is a great Bad Religion album, not one song deserves less than 5 stars, well spirit shine just gets 5 stars but its a short song so its not too bad. On with the review since im listening to the album right now:

1. The Gray Race: 5/5 Great lyrics:' The Gray race shrivels and the world it creates is black and white.' Very fast song and slows down towards the end but then picks up to the same pace it was before. Awesome drums and guitars as well. Great way to start the album.

2. Them and Us. 5/5 Even after playing Crazy Taxi on the dreamcast this is still an awesome song. Just listen to those lyrics!Amazing!

3.A Walk 5/5 Dont know why some people dont like this song. The song is all about being yourself and not listening to others. Very punk rock song.

4. Parallel 5/5 Incredible song. Im gonna have "Our lives are parallel" stuck in my head for days.

5. Punk Rock Song 5/5 So awesome, great drums, guitars and lyrics. Says alot about the masses not caring for our world and ignoring the poverty thats around us.

6. Empty Causes. 5/5 Laughed the first time I heard this song and still brings a smile to my face when I listen to it.

7. Nobody Listens. 5/5 Well this is one of my favourite songs on the album even though its under 2 minutes long. Very FAst lyrics,drums and guitars. One of their best songs I believe.

8. Pity the dead. 5/5 "Why do we pity the dead are you churned by emotion from the voices in your head (are you scared of the logic that swirls in your head) look at all the living and you'll ask yourself why do we pity the dead" Those lyrics basically say it all, amazing song.

9. Spirit Shine. 5/5 The only low point of the album because of the annoying chorus but the song is over quick so its all good.

10.Streets of America. 5/5 Slows the albums pace right down but still a great song.

11.Ten in 2010. The most hardcore song on the album. I think the lyrics mean that there will only be 10 people left in the year 2010.

12.Victory.5/5 Not much to say on this one but great vocals combined with the message that we kill just to claim victory for a lost cause shines through and propels this songs meaning to a higher level than the song preceding it.

13. Drunk Sincerity. 5/5 Another song where the chorus will be stuck in your head for ages." Its all just drunk sincerity."

14. Come join us. 5/5 Wow this is another of my favourite songs on the album, the way its all put together is just amazing. BR have really outdone themselves here.

15. Cease. 5/5 Best possible way to finish an incredible album.

To be honest I prefer Generator over this release but im still amazed that even with the label change and losing Brett for this disc that this album is as good as it gets. However like all good reviews " Everything must cease!"