The latest effort from seminal punk rock band Bad Religion, New Maps of Hell, is a tad disappointing. Punk rock is a form of music, a sub-culture even, that tends to shun any kind of artistic growth, and Bad Religion seems to be fully aware of that, seeing as how they reached their creative zenith about fifteen years ago with Recipe for Hate. Sure, the songs are still very catchy, although a bit redundant, and Greg Graffin, who has one of the most distinguished voices in punk, is probably the only rock vocalist who can write lyrics containing words such as "phylogenetically." However, both Graffin and co-chief songwriter Brett Gurewitz, seem to be losing their touch.
Since reuniting with Bad Religion in 2001, Gurewitz helped his old band regain some of the swagger they lost when he left in 1994, and they released a pair of quality albums, The Process of Belief and The Empire Strikes First. Unfortunately, it seems as though the magic has all but dissipated since Gurewitz's return, and New Maps of Hell is a rather predictable collection of stereotypical punk rock songs.
There are a few bright spots; "Honest Goodbye" seems like a weak attempt at a single, but after a few listens, it tends to grow on you, and the odd time signature in the first verse is sure to garner some surprise. "Prodigal Son" is also a finely crafted tune with some fantastic harmonizing; something for which Bad Religion still has a knack. Brian Baker also offers some solid guitar work throughout the album and Brooks Wackerman is phenomenal on the drums, maybe even too good for Bad Religion's simple sound.
Overall, New Maps of Hell is certainly far from being terrible, but it is way too predictable. At this point, Bad Religion sounds more like they're going through the motions rather than challenging their audience, and if that trend continues, it could potentially be detrimental to their legacy.
Wayne Raymondo
New Maps of Hell
The latest effort from seminal punk rock band Bad Religion, New Maps of Hell, is a tad disappointing. Punk rock is a form of music, a sub-culture even, that tends to shun any kind of artistic growth, and Bad Religion seems to be fully aware of that, seeing as how they reached their creative zenith about fifteen years ago with Recipe for Hate. Sure, the songs are still very catchy, although a bit redundant, and Greg Graffin, who has one of the most distinguished voices in punk, is probably the only rock vocalist who can write lyrics containing words such as "phylogenetically." However, both Graffin and co-chief songwriter Brett Gurewitz, seem to be losing their touch.
Since reuniting with Bad Religion in 2001, Gurewitz helped his old band regain some of the swagger they lost when he left in 1994, and they released a pair of quality albums, The Process of Belief and The Empire Strikes First. Unfortunately, it seems as though the magic has all but dissipated since Gurewitz's return, and New Maps of Hell is a rather predictable collection of stereotypical punk rock songs.
There are a few bright spots; "Honest Goodbye" seems like a weak attempt at a single, but after a few listens, it tends to grow on you, and the odd time signature in the first verse is sure to garner some surprise. "Prodigal Son" is also a finely crafted tune with some fantastic harmonizing; something for which Bad Religion still has a knack. Brian Baker also offers some solid guitar work throughout the album and Brooks Wackerman is phenomenal on the drums, maybe even too good for Bad Religion's simple sound.
Overall, New Maps of Hell is certainly far from being terrible, but it is way too predictable. At this point, Bad Religion sounds more like they're going through the motions rather than challenging their audience, and if that trend continues, it could potentially be detrimental to their legacy.
