The LA punk veterans Bad Religion have been tearing it up for over 30 years and with ‘True North’ have hit their sixteenth album, with sixteen tracks. The release maintains their commentary on the world around us, with songs such as ‘Land of Endless Greed’ and ‘Robin Hood in Reverse’ highlighting the weight of their political punches.
The songs fly by quickly, matching up to the aim to deliver Gref Graffin’s wish of “fast and concise” tracks below the two minute mark, with all but one kept at a frenetic pace, the notable exception being ‘Hello Cruel World’, a more sedate offering. The album is a focused, potent example of Bad Religion, delivering their near trademarked level of speed, lyrical dexterity and disturbing insight into corporate society.
Existing fans will find nothing new here, the usual excellent three-part harmonization, vocal potency and intricate songsmithing that has become synonymous with the band still holds out, and newcomers will easily sink into the fold and find themselves learning a little bit more about the band – and hopefully pick up more from the subtly cerebral lyrics – on each return visit.
For more Bad Religion news, check out their website at BadReligion.com
