|
| |
|
|
|
Review Summary: Bad Relgion still has it, even for a weathered crew. New Maps of Hell is sure to please. Bad Religion are back with an album to live up to the better part of their name. Any old fan of Bad Religion will stallwartly point to what I like to call "the big three" of Bad Religion as a standard for any new music they create; "The Big Three" of course being Suffer from '88, No Control from '89, and Against The Grain from '90. Each of these albums are spoken of as true classics among punk rock's veteran fans. Put New Maps Of Hell on the scales with any of these and you will find a much different, aged, and less angry attack of Bad Religion antics. This will always be the case if you understand the aging of wisdom by continuous disillusionment. In english, individuals who dissent from the Pop-Culture of MTV and the modern Republican political platform, who constantly find themselves in opposition to mindless push of society, who resolve to speak out against measures of control such as Religion, Government, the disfunctional American Education entity: will lose their anger over time and it will be replaced by an overwhelming sense of despair. That sense of despair is felt throughout this album. It was setting in when Graffin set to pen the bastard child of Bad Religion-New America, which was an excellent album with very good lyrical content and true to form musicianship. It enveloped the tragic chords and harmonies in songs like Broken, Bored and Extremely Dangerous, All There Is, and Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever. It is at it's most desperate in the anthems of New Dark Ages, Dearly Beloved, and Grains of Wrath. The lyrical content is complete with Dictionary.com searches and poignant nuggets inserted into waning sonic guitar onslaughts. I actually enjoyed the production of this album which seemed less polished (a nod to the big three), and more of an edge laced catalogue of songs. They'll never go back to being the Bad Religion they used to be during the Big Three, but they don't have to. Unlike Pennywise, whose earlier albums were good still fresh and new, they have mastered the technique of hardly changing a loveable sound and still managing to make it a fresh experience as Bad Religion fans anticipate the well put together rhythms, melodies, and lyrics that were only found lacking on Into The Unknown, The Grey Race (save for a few songs), and No Substance (again save for a few songs). As long as I don't have to hear "Fa Fa Fa Fa" anymore, this will go down in my collection as an album worth raving about, worth playing loudly from my car for the world to enjoy or be annoyed with, worth writing a review that befits its distinction.
| other reviews of this album |
204409 EMERITUS (2)
Bad Religion keeps on keeping on, with mediocre results....
crystalinedemise (4)
Bad Religion finds a great middle ground between the BR of the 80's and the BR of the new Millennium...
|
|
Album Rating: 3.0
If I wasn't a Bad Religion fan, I would have absolutely no idea about 99% of the stuff you just said. I know even less about the music on the album. You're missing like 3 paragraphs describing the album. Other than that this is a great review.
Seriously though, this is along the lines of a soundoff, because a review should tell a potential listener what the album sounds like, what it's about, and why it matters. Your review is more history and image than information and substance. You can edit the review and add more about certain songs or topics developed by the album if you'd like by going to your profile page and editing from there.
| | | Album Rating: 3.7
I looked at the rating on your review, and was hoping this would serve as the counterpoint to the less then flattering review the other guy gave this album, because this album is awesome and people need to be able to know that... unfortunately, what descendents1 said above is totally true.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Great album.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
This review really feels like it was written by someone who doesn't speak english as a primary language. My brain hurt trying to make sense of what you're saying, and I've been listening to the band (no pun intended) religiously for half my life.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Jeez dudes, I thought it was short, a little underwritten, but otherwise he made plenty of sense. And he's got a good vocabulary, lol.
| | |
| |
