Bad Religion To Release New Album On January 21st, 2013
Legendary US punk band Bad Religion will release their new album ‘True North’ on January 21st 2013 via Epitaph Records.
In a world still brimming with rampant anti-intellectualism, inequality and oppression, the bandâs signature brand of sonically charged humanist dissent seems as relevant as ever. On their newest record, the storied band deliberately revisits and refines the powerful and melodic Southern California sound they helped to define.
âWe went back to our original mission statement of short concise bursts of melody and thought,â co-songwriter and guitarist Brett Gurewitz explains. âThe intent was to record stripped down punk songs without sacrificing any conceptual density.â
The albumâs first single is a propulsive anthem succinctly called âFuck You.â As the bandâs singer and co-songwriter Greg Graffin explains, âIf any band should have a song with that title it should be us. It just sounds like a perfect Bad Religion song.â
Produced by the band and Joe Barresi, âTrue Northâ celebrates the stirring power of cogent punk in the face of pain and adversity. The result is described as one of the bandâs most emotionally accessible albums to date.
âI think working within certain restrictions took away the mental aspect and let us devote more attention to conveying feeling,â Graffin says. âWe all go through pain and the best elements of punk give us hope in those dark times.â
While some tracks such as âRobin Hood In Reverse,â âLand of Endless Greedâ and âDharma And The Bombâ ardently address pressing world issues, others like âHello Cruel Worldâ veer into a far more expressive terrain. The albumâs title song âTrue Northâ utilizes a wall of guitars and charged beat to explore issues of alienation and loss informed by Graffinâs recent life experiences.
âThe song is written from the perspective of a kid who is running away,â Graffin explains. âHe says âIâm out of here, Iâm off to find true north.â Itâs about recognizing that you donât fit in and trying to find a truth and purpose. Those are all classic punk themes.â
âI think we both really responded to the challenge of writing short and fast songs on this record,â Gurewitz adds. âThe constraints set us free. Like moves in a game of chess, there are really as many variations as there are stars in the galaxy.â
‘True North’ is available to pre-order from the Bad Religion webstore now.