Bad Religion

“Bad Religion EP”

1981

Epitaph

3.33/5 Stars

Consensus: Although it sounds like it was recorded in a toilet, and could easily be mistaken for just about any hardcore punk band from the 80s “Bad Religion EP” represents some of the most primal and raw sounds from the group in their early years. While it’s hardly the greatest album of all time, or even Bad Religion’s career, it’s certainly a commendable start and an interesting listen.

1) Bad Religion – The opener on the album sounds great and instantly grabs you in. It has every raw and biting aspect one would expect from a punk rock album in 1981. There are enough tempo changes to grab attention and a catchy chorus to boot makes for a great song. ****

2) Politics – Not giving anyone a moment’s breathe the EP transitions into another biting fast paced song. “Politics” is punk rock standard by all means, it’s raw and gritty and it sounds like its been recorded in a toilet, which adds to the element and gives it a more raw and gritty edge. ****

3) Sensory Overload – The album reaches a lower point here and this song is particularly hard to get into at first, but does eventually manage to be catchy and redemptive. The intro sounds sloppy and out of place with the rest of the song and the song never seems to find its sweet spot, save for a couple brief moments.  **1/2

4) Slaves- Heading back to the formula of the first two tracks “Slaves” offers more “standard” hardcore punk, and it sounds great. It’s aggressive, frustrated and falls apart at the end. It fits perfectly on the album while staying fresh. ***1/2

5) Drastic Actions – The intro is the concave to “Sensory Overload” and is super grabbing and catching. The song then gets quite adding a nice dynamic to the otherwise only loud CD. Unfortunately there are a couple of nasty vocal peaks that come from low quality recordings, this kills a lot of the song and makes it hard to listen to as the levels are constantly changing. This song is also the longest on the album (a whooping 2:36) and has the least interesting aspects and tempo changes to offer, making it suffer further. **

6) World War III – This wonderful 0:55 second song is straight-forward and to the point and ends on a perfect note, just as the album was about to get redundant, Bad Religion pulls out, having said their piece. The aggressive vocals and fast guitar make this the perfect ending song to a great EP. ****