Bad Religion - Against The Grain (1990) [ORG] RESTORED

For a period during late '80s and early '90s there was both good news and bad news for fans of punk stalwarts Bad Religion. The bad news was that the band kept putting out the same album over and over again; the good news was that the album was fantastic. AGAINST THE GRAIN, like its predecessors NO CONTROL and SUFFER, is arguably a Punk Rock masterpiece. It showcases a band at the top of its game, bursting with punk hooks, intricate multi-syllabic lyrics and the trademark upper and lower register backing vocals that set Bad Religion apart from many imitators. A true classic from "Modern Man", to "Faith Alone", to "Misery and Famine", AGAINST THE GRAIN never for a moment slows its pace or intensity. The band still performed most of this record live a decade down the line, and both "Entropy" and the title track remained firm fan favorites. "Twenty-First Century Digital Boy" was later (less successfully) re-recorded for the band's major label debut STRANGER THAN FICTION.

The third in a flurry of releases that followed Bad Religion's 1988 reunion, Against the Grain found the band's edge honed sharper than it had been in years. Increased clarity between mouthpiece Greg Graffin, guitarists Brett Gurewitz and Greg Hetson, and the rhythm section of Jay Bentley and Pete Finestone increases the inherent melodic tension and amplifies Graffin's righteous lyrical anger. "My path renewed/Against the grain/That's where I'll stay" — for many, Graffin's resolve over Grain's martial pace was a restatement of purpose, a refueling of belief in the punk and hardcore ethos as a new decade dawned. "21st Century (Digital Boy)" was a throaty, gritty, gang-vocal anthem that name-checked No Control and bitterly dismantled middle-class complacency in the technology era. One of Graffin/Gurewitz's pet themes, it also guided cuts like the rapid-fire opener, "Modern Man" ("I'm a cyborg just like you"), and the acerbic anti-greed rant "Quality or Quantity". Bad Religion had always warned against the excesses of the future and the assimilation of individuality. But the gospel cut deeper with Against the Grain. Songs began in an instant, with the single crack of a snare drum signaling the beginning of another screed. The guitars came in, twining between fiery leads and urgent, sometimes hyper chording — the album seemed like a signal fire to the lost tribes of hardcore. Its best moment might be "Turn On the Light". As a thick, trademark Bad Religion melody rips in the background, Graffin spits out lyrics that define ideology with literate pacing, even as they ignite the genre's base emotions. "I'll construct a rack of tempered beams and trusses and equip it with a million tiny suns", Graffin sings. "…and I'll burn like a Roman f*cking candle".

~ Johnny Loftus, all media guide

Tracklist:

01. Modern Man
02. Turn On The Light
03. Get Off
04. Blenderhead
05. The Positive Aspect Of Negative Thinking
06. Anesthesia
07. Flat Earth Society
08. Faith Alone
09. Entropy
10. Against The Grain
11. Operation Rescue
12. God Song
13. 21st Century (Digital Boy)
14. Misery And Famine
15. Unacceptable
16. Quality Or Quantity
17. Walk Away


Produced by Bad Religion. Engineered by The Legendary Starbolt and last minute rescue by Explorer
Recorded at West Beach Recorders, Hollywood, California, in May 1990. Mastered by Eddie Schreyer.

• Greg Graffin – voices & harmonies
• Brett Gurewitz – lead & rhythm guitar, horns, backing vocals
• Greg Hetson – lead & rhythm guitar
• Jay Bentley – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Pete Finestone – drums & percussion
background vocals on "11" by Keith Morris.

Original Release Date: November 23, 1990
CD Release Date: June 30, 1991
Format: Original Recording Reissued
Label: Epitaph Records
Catalog No.: E-86409-2