My intro paragraph was too long, so here's a sentence to provide a buffer.
Like tens of thousands of others in the world, Bad Religion is the one band that forced me into my over-a-decade long infatuation with subversion, questioning/challenging of the status quo and an unwillingness to simply accept whatever was put in front of me...for good or for ill, it is the fault of these future AARP-ers that I've turned out this way. Thanks for that, guys.
For a group of guys that has been around as long as they have without ever once breaking up or going on hiatus (lineup changes aside), it's pretty impressive that they're still as relevant and as forceful in today's world as they were in 1981. Greg and Brett address this issue, as well as many others in this interview (part two can be found here...and a very strange interview between Dennis of The (international) Noise Conspiracy and Brett can be found here...I sure do like links, don't I?) with Aubin from Punknews.org, and while their response makes a whole lot of sense, it seems to be something that escapes loads of other people in loads of other bands, as break-ups seem to happen all of the time.
[caption align="left"]Bad Religion / "The Empire Strikes Back"
Epitaph Records, 2004[/caption]
On "Empire", BR seems to have stopped beating around the bush (har har) and taken a more direct approach with their subject matter, a formula that works surprisingly well for one of the more intellectual and politically astute bands in the rich tapestry of punk. While none of the tracks are as overt as recent works by contemporaries such as NOFX or Anti-Flag who take to naming their adversaries very plainly, the new offerings on "Empire" are much less likely to be misconstrued as to their meanings by more casual fans. Basically, they stop trying to be ironic (for the most part) and say quite clearly that things are not good and need to be improved upon.
The roughly forty-five minute romp through the world as viewed through the lyrics of BR starts off a little differently from albums past...with a hauntingly dirge-like instrumental aptly titled "Overture", which in the sense being used has a double meaning, that of an introduction to a musical journey, but also that as an initiative toward action or change. Starting things off proper (lyrically) is "Sinister Rouge", a song that lambastes organized religion (notably referencing Catholicism and it's ills)...this is a song that, to me, is by far one of the hardest on the album, standing in stark contrast to the opening track and providing a very real understanding that this isn't business as usual. Religion isn't the only long-time topic of BR's that gets the treatment...also making special appearances are: political strife, environmental suffering, the degradation of society at large and the woes of wanton militarization. It's all here, and it's more pointed than ever!
"Los Angeles is Burning" will probably end up being the most accessible cut from the entire album (it's got a video and everything), but is, by no means, the best "Empire" has to offer; "Let Them Eat War" holds that distinction...it takes to task the current administration for serving it's own agenda at the painful sacrifice of national pride and very real issues here at home. "Empire's" title track is another gem that does slow down the tempo some, allowing for a more ironic tone in addressing a certain love of the ideology "shoot first, justify it later." While there are many enjoyable songs on this album, not even BR can hit on all cylinders all the time..."Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever" stands as the one true disappointment on the album. It just doesn't feel at home here to me, not in it's tone and subject, not in it's tempo and pacing...it just feels foreign, a little against the grain of the rest of it all (har har har). Still, one off-track and thirteen on-tracks...that's a pretty damn good ratio in anyone's book.
All in all, this is one of the best efforts of Bad Religions storied history, and is certainly goes a long way to maybe not restoring their edge and grit of old (the one bourne of youth and frustration), but presenting a new edge, one of age and wisdom and having reached a transcendent point where they can do and say whatever they please without fear of alienating any fans or ostracizing themselves...not that that would really be a huge concern of theirs, but still. If I didn't know any better, I would be shocked to learn that the band has done a great deal more than just work on this album for the past two years, it's just that well conceived and executed.
For those interested to learn more about Greg Graffin's doctoral work, visit This Site and poke around a bit. Also, Brett, outside of running Epitaph, has a new band, Error...it's quite a departure from his BR works, but is really good in it's own right.
I have no idea what I'm going to post next, it's pretty much just a game of "Open the notebook, turn to a random page, start typing"...so we'll see.