Bad Religion
The Process Of Belief
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Bad Religion’s 15th album is both a reunion and a homecoming. Founding guitarist Brett Gurewitz returns to the fold to contribute to the band’s explosive three-guitar attack. And the band returns to the Epitaph label, which Gurewitz has been running since he left the band after 1994’s Stranger Than Fiction. The southern California polysyllabic punk band also has a new drummer for this outing, ex-Suicidal Tendencies/Vandals sticksman Brooks Wackerman. Even with all the changes though, Bad Religion mostly sticks to a tried and true formula on The Process of Belief that serves them well: a muscular but melodic musical intensity and socially conscious lyrics.

The band blasts right out of the gate with “Supersonic,” an under two minute gem about the frantic pace of life. Assisted by tight harmony background vocals from Gurewitz and bassist Jay Bentley, singer Greg Graffin spits out a mouthful when he sings “How does it feel to be outstripped by the pace of cultural change?” “Prove It” and “Can’t Stop It” similarly fly by in under ninety seconds each.

It’s not until “Broken” that the band allows you to catch your breath, as an acoustic guitar accompanies the verses. Gaffin condemns the fatalists among us on “Destined For Nothing” in the strongest terms: “Why do you consent to live in ignorance and fear / Ancient people succumbed to it, can it happen here? / Does it make you suffer cuz you have to die / Is it best to live a lie? / Why can’t you see, there ain’t no destiny for you and me.” No future indeed, Johnny Rotten.

Later Gaffin calls for environmental activism on “Kyoto Now,” lamenting “disjointed politics founded on petrochemical plunder and we’re its hostages.” The three guitar attack is showcased to good effect as Gaffin worries that time is of the essence: “You might not think it matters now but what if you are wrong / You might not think there’s any wisdom in a f***ed up punk rock song / But the way it is cannot persist for long.”

That’s followed by the impressive “Sorrow,” which opens with a reggae-tinged groove like something from a late ‘70s Police or Elvis Costello record, before the pummeling guitars break in. Gaffin sings broadly about human suffering but adds an introspective touch to the song as well. “Father can you hear me,” he sings. “How have I let you down? / I curse the day that I was born / And all the sorrow in this world.” Powerful stuff and Gaffin may be one of the best punk rock singers ever. The guy actually sings while he’s shouting, spitting and sneering.

“Epiphany” completes a mid-record trio of songs that are quite possibly as good as anything in the Bad Religion catalogue. In a line that seems to sum up the band’s philosophy in a nutshell, Gaffin sings “all that’s benign corrupts in time.”

On the creepy, paranoid anthem “The Defense,” Gaffin fears that his “high speed connection’s monitored daily by the Pentagon.” This is typical Bad Religion fare as well, although it does feature a somewhat incongruous sitar intro. “Nothing comes easier than madness in the world today,” Gaffin sings. “We are the prey and culture is the predator.”

And Gaffin sings about the desire of even social misfits to belong to something on “You Don’t Belong.” “Hey you, is there something worth aspiring to,” he asks. “And can it be found in a record store? / Well it’s not there anymore.” How about looking under “B” for Bad Religion? Because well into their third decade, the band is still capable of expressing a lot of wisdom in their “f***ed up punk rock songs.” That’s something to aspire to and in a world of dumb ass, lowest common denominator rock, Bad Religion is something to believe in.

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