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Bad Religion: True North

By Troy Michael
February 24, 2013 – 7:23 pmNo Comment | 180 views

Bad Religion
True North
(Epitaph)

When you think of punk legends, the Ramones, the Clash and the Sex Pistols are on the top of everyone’s list. But not far behind is a more modern day punk legend in Bad Religion.

The band recently unleashed their 16th studio album – True North – and it’s safe to say the 16-track disc is one of their finest hours in their 20-plus year career.

In true Bad Religion form, they come out fighting with the title track to lead things off, launch into the driving “Past Is Dead” and follow with the poignant “Robin Hood in Reverse.”

With a legacy as strong as theirs it would be easy for the boys to sit back and go through the motions, but no, not for these guys. True North is just as angst-filled (“Fuck You”) and political (“Land of Endless Greed” and “Dharma and the Bomb”) as they were in their 20s – if not more.

Bad Religion wrote more than 200 songs for this record, and I am not sure if they felt the need to prove themselves or they just had a lot to say. Nonetheless, it is working perfectly. True North is a powerhouse of not only music but lyrics. While being anchored by distorted guitars and some hard hitting drums, the band marches forward, carrying the flag while fighting the good fight.

Obviously with a career this extraordinary, founding members Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin know what works for this band, and frankly, I don’t think they have it in them to take the easy road out. In a music industry saturated with such shit these days, it’s bands like Bad Religion putting out albums like True North which make us fans/writers never forget why we are doing this.