Age of Unreason [Black Vinyl]

by Bad Religion

Overview

The West Coast punk legends' 17th studio effort and first full-length outing since 2013's True North, Age of Unreason couldn't have arrived at a more divisive time, which suits Bad Religion's particular brand of melodious socio-political punk just fine. If the one-off single that preceded it -- "The Kids Are Alt-Right" -- is any indication, Greg Graffin and company are more than up to the challenge of speaking truth to power, which they do with equal parts earnestness and apoplexy. True to form, Age of Unreason commences with a snare roll and a pick slide -- the latter move is featured so frequently that it deserves an instrument credit. The aptly named "Chaos from Within" pulls no punches -- "The Fox-stained leaves of civilization depict a stark repeat" -- delivering a taut minute-and-50-seconds' worth of melody-forward emotional discord. "Do the Paranoid Style" follows suit, sardonically casting the current zeitgeist as a hip dance like The Jerk or The Hustle, but the kinetic "Faces of Grief" and the equally propulsive title cut offer up the faintest glimmers of hope; hastily strung together beacons on the eve of a climactic battle. Produced with the considerable snap of Grammy-winner Carlos de la Garza (Ziggy Marley, Paramore), songs like "Big Black Dog," with its disco swagger, and the soaring "End of History," which somehow finds a way to successfully meld melody lines from Cheap Trick's "Southern Girls" and Aerosmith's "Dream On," resonate on a visceral level. Graffin remains a potent evangelist of the punk idiom, and while there's nothing on Age of Unreason that would sound out of place on anything that came before it, the band's commitment to keeping the genre vital, both musically and lyrically, feels as necessary as it does timely. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	06/14/2019
Label:	Epitaph
UPC:	0045778763610
Rank:	19263

Tracks

1. Chaos From Within
2. My Sanity
3. Do The Paranoid Style
4. The Approach
5. Lose Your Head
6. End of History
7. Age of Unreason
8. Candidate
9. Faces of Grief
10. Old Regime
11. Big Black Dog
12. Downfall
13. Since Now
14. What Tomorrow Brings

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bad Religion   Primary Artist
Mike Dimkich   Guitar
Greg Graffin   Vocals
Jay Bentley   Bass
Brian Baker   Guitar
Brett Gurewitz   Guitar
Gavin Caswell   Slide Guitar
Felicia Risolo   Vocals (Background)
Kelly Kettering   Vocals (Background)
Adriana Roda-Stuart   Vocals (Background)
Angelyn De La Garza   Vocals (Background)
Emi Gurewitz   Vocals (Background)
Gina Gurewitz   Vocals (Background)
Kathie Merritt   Vocals (Background)
Lucia De La Garza   Vocals (Background)
Matt McGreevey   Vocals (Background)
Melody Margarit   Vocals (Background)
Mila De La Garza   Vocals (Background)
Nico Gurewitz   Vocals (Background)
Sue Lucarelli   Vocals (Background)
Christine Meadow Morales   Vocals (Background)
Jamie Miller   Drums

Technical Credits

Sergio Chavez   Engineer
Mike Dimkich   Group Member
Greg Graffin   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Jay Bentley   Group Member
Brian Baker   Composer,Group Member
Brett Gurewitz   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
Joe Barresi   Mixing
Clint Welander   Engineer
Dave Collins   Mastering
Trevor Hernandez   Design,Art Direction
Carlos de la Garza   Mixing,Composer,Producer
David Black   Cover Photo
Gavin Caswell   Guitar Technician
Brian Judd   Mixing Assistant
Alice Baxley   Band Photo
Adam Chagnon   Engineer
Zachary Zajdel   Assistant Engineer
Shakes   Drum Technician
Jamie Miller   Group Member