Bad Religion
Tested

THE REVIEW

The desire for Bad Religion is strong in me, or rather in us, because DeMa is with me, on this cold and stormy evening.

Because we are really pissed off.

Because we've read too many "crooked" things about the masters, the founders, the pioneers of Californian Hardcore (deliberately omitting the term melodic which we have always disliked).

Because Greg Graffin and company deserve above all our utmost respect, ultimate devotion. And our eternal gratitude.

Reading today that some of their fundamental tracks (I quote our absolute favorite "Modern Man") could have easily been written by Green Day; yes, Green Day, you read that right. But please.

Because we have always shown the utmost respect for other people's ideas; and we will continue to do so. But today, the line has been crossed, abundantly.

It gave us a headache, really.

And we continue to affirm, with absolute conviction and certainty, that the album Suffer is composed of fifteen masterpieces; to give substance to this last thought of ours we quote ourselves "It's 1988 and the career of Bad Religion, which had stalled for a few years, takes off in a grand way; 'Suffer' is the first step in a truly groundbreaking trilogy (but do we really need to mention the other two subsequent works? I hope not!!). Key figures Brett Gurewitz and Jay Bentley return to their positions, and it's a sonic frenzy played at unheard-of speed: just over twenty-six minutes condensed into fifteen impetuous tracks that leave no escape...DELIRIUM OF DISORDER..."

Because they will manage to go even further with the subsequent No Control.

Because the Los Angeles guys have influenced so many bands that if listed, even in part, it would occupy the rest of this useless page.

Because we fifty-somethings have experienced first-hand their fiery concert season in the nineties; thrashing ourselves properly among dust and sweat.

And so we have chosen this live album by Bad Religion; which summarizes their 1996 tour in the U.S.A., Canada, Estonia, Germany, Denmark, and Italy.

An abundant hour of solemn generational anthems; of boisterous songs. Played with indomitable fervor.

Breaks that take your breath away; restarts that have solidified their legend. Lyrics to write (excuse the pun) a separate treatise on.

For once they think only and solely about themselves, almost completely eliminating the "live" effect of their audience. The recordings focus on the music of the five on stage; they self-produce and it shows.

Many are the salvos, the blows that strike down; just citing a concluding "No Control" that we are spasmodically enjoying right now suffices.

There are also three unreleased tracks recorded in the studio; among them stands out a bone-crushing and lightning-fast "It's Reciprocal."

Maximum respect; now and always.

"We have no control. We have no control
We have no control, we do not understand
You have no control, you are not in command
You have no control. We have no control
No control. No control. You have no control"

Diabolos Rising 666. Ad Maiora.