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Album Rating: 3.5
Yeah it's definitely not, more like what The New America should have been.
BTW this is officially released today, everyone go buy it!
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Dorking out this morning, drinking coffee from my BR cup, listening to the new BR album.
Beating Xzibit over the head with a baseball bat.
Money.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Yeah, actually. It was forced and it sounded like it. It was BR trying to rewrite Suffer and No Control and pulling it off musically with none of the songwriting quality of either record in an attempt to go "see we can still play fast!". And that doesn't even include the horrible production, the five or six instantly-forgettable tracks, or The overall lazy songwriting.
See, I don't see it like that. Yes, songs like "52 Seconds," "Scrutiny" and "Murder" are throwbacks to their late-80's, 'floor-it' punk era...but then again, so are songs like "Sinister Rouge," "Can't Stop" and "Supersonic," and those are among their most celebrated.
Actually, I wonder why people really don't like this album, to tell the truth. I saw it more as them trying to compact the ideas that were floating around in 'The Empire Strikes First' (which, as an aside, is definitely my favorite album by them), to a more manageable, less dichotomous listen. On 'Empire', you had songs like "Sinister Rouge" on the same album as songs like "Beyond Electric Dreams" and "Boot Stamping...," whereas on New Maps, the experimentation and punk aesthetic were more carefully married in songs like "Before You Die" and "Fields of Mars." I think that's what they were trying to do there, and I'm probably in the small minority on this site that thinks it was a pretty successful marriage (though not as flawlessly done as on 'The Process of Belief', to be honest).
Also..."Heroes and Martyrs" is fucking godly. So yeah, that too.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
See, I don't see it like that. Yes, songs like "52 Seconds," "Scrutiny" and "Murder" are throwbacks to their late-80's, 'floor-it' punk era...but then again, so are songs like "Sinister Rouge," "Can't Stop" and "Supersonic," and those are among their most celebrated.
Actually, I wonder why people really don't like this album, to tell the truth. I saw it more as them trying to compact the ideas that were floating around in 'The Empire Strikes First' (which, as an aside, is definitely my favorite album by them), to a more manageable, less dichotomous listen. On 'Empire', you had songs like "Sinister Rouge" on the same album as songs like "Beyond Electric Dreams" and "Boot Stamping...," whereas on New Maps, the experimentation and punk aesthetic were more carefully married in songs like "Before You Die" and "Fields of Mars." I think that's what they were trying to do there, and I'm probably in the small minority on this site that thinks it was a pretty successful marriage (though not as flawlessly done as on 'The Process of Belief', to be honest).
Also..."Heroes and Martyrs" is fucking godly. So yeah, that too.
The problem is that while they can cop the "sound", the songwriting isn't up to par at all, whereas Sinister Rouge, Can't Stop and Supersonic are all very well-written and arguably as good quality as the oldies. TPOB and TESF also had the "comeback" factor from their Atlantic period so hearing a return to form was necessary to get their old fans back. On TESF they greatly expanded their sonic palette with newer, more innovative tricks (the double-bass in Sinister Rouge, violin on Atheist Peace, the rap on Let Them Eat War, etc.). After that, it's not hard to see that NMOH was an unnecessary step backward on a music / songwriting level. Even moreso than TDOM, Maps could have REALLY been better if they had just trimmed it down by about 1/3, and the shoddy production had a big part in why the album wasn't up to snuff too. Dearly Beloved, Heroes And Martyrs, Grains Of Wrath, New Dark Ages and Grand Delusion are all great songs, but what about the other 12? Been there, done it before, only better.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Wow, this is an odd album. This is much "brighter" than I expected after NMOH. Meeting of the minds
is fucking great though. They reuse some of the guitar from germs of perfection, but the song pays
off. Might remove devil in stitches from the final album, tho. Whoever said tracklist needed a
little work, I can see what they mean.
Overall though, I guess I shouldn't be surprised this is more folky & poppy than the last few albums
based on the unplugged bonus tracks from NMOH. Needs 3 more listens for a solid rating.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
So I bought this digitally and burned a copy for my car etc. and it only plays through track 11
it's like it knew
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
LOL! But you missed out on Ad Hominem =(
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Turn Your Back On Me is the only song I skipped & found terrible (I immediatly replaced turn your back on me with Finite, which for some fucking reason isn't officially on this album).
Devil in Stitches is growing on me, & Cyanide would be much better in an altered track-list.
If this album's sequencing was more like TESF / POB, I think it would be considerably better.
Album is an easy 4 for only have one absolutely terrible track (Where The Fun Is is cynical enough for me to like, and fits with a subtle sense of humor the band has shown occasionally).
Might write a more formal after work. Really trying to give the album a rest to let the impressions sink in.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I might lower my rating to a 3.5 but I do really love it. Just to be fair.
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I really need to listen to this over the weekend.
Good review, pos
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
I'll have to reburn the disc but though it was kinda funny since everyones been ragging on the end of the album
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
It's definitely the weaker part of the album
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New amps of Hell was decent, but it sounded kinda off. It didn't sound that punk rock and felt like it was more of a return to thier Atlantic years
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
NMOH didn't really strike me as sounding like the Atlantic years, it was faster and harder than both TPOB and TESF but just lacked in quality. But if you think that of NMOH you're not going to like this album as it's way more midtempo and mellow in some spots.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
classic bad religion record...
old fans & new fans will appreciate this record in my opinion...
also the 3 guitars make this record !
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Hi. I meant to share mine with you last week when I posted it. We have different tastes on the Brett vs. Greg tunes (as I prefer Brett's for the most part), but any thoughts would be great.
http://www.westcoastweasel.com/2010/09/29/turncoat-turntable-038-bad-religion-the-dissent-of-man/
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I also think a 3.5 might be more justifiable, myself. One or the other. But also still love it.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
TDOM = 40 ratings
Every other BR record = 100+
Huh?
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
They've all been out for years so people have had more chance to listen to them and rate them, duh.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Nah, people are definitely slower on warming up to this album than the last three. That's a good thing because it's a grower and it does get better in context with repeated listens, which is why I'm sticking with the 4.
I'm reading Graffin's book (who if you didn't know also has a doctorate in Biology and teaches at UCLA), Anarchy Evolution. Some fascinating stuff, with lots of analogies to both his academic side as well as his years with Bad Religion and ideas on faith and science, but does it in an engaging way to the average guy reading the book to make it interesting.
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