Record Label: Epitaph
Genre: Punk
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Bad Religion are back with the follow-up to 2004’s ‘The Empire Strikes First.’ I like that album a lot, but I think the awesomeness starts to fad mid-way through the album. I guess my feeling is the same with their new album. There’s lots of good songs but they are sporadically placed throughout the album. My only problem when it comes to Bad Religion is their songs tend to sound too similar. The band has always done that fast skater punk, with lots of ahhhs in them. This album, they still have that but do songs a little bit different as well.

For example, the song “Requiem for Dissent” sounds more like a hardcore punk song with “hey!” and “requiem!” chants in it. I like that and think they should take that approach more often. Bad Religion also have a few radio-friendly rock songs on “New Maps of Hell.” Their first single, “Honest Goodbye” sounds like something you’d hear on the alternative rock stations (which it is in California). I’m not really a fan of the song and think there are better songs that would be better suited for a single. I think Bad Religion do a good job channeling their old sound but give us some different sounds they might play in the future. For being a bunch of old dudes playing punk rock, they certainly keep things interesting. The band has certainly matured their sound over the years. If you ever listened to Bad Religion, be sure to listen to their new album!

Bottom Line: Not sure I like this better than their previous albums but it’s still pretty good
Notable Tracks: New Dark Ages, Requiem for Dissent, Dearly Beloved, Lost Pilgrim
Overall Rating: