Credited with revitalising the '80s Californian punk scene with their melodic and intelligent brand of hardcore punk, Bad Religion formed in 1980 in a suburban district of LA's San Fernando Valley. Originally featuring vocalist Greg Graffin, guitarist Brett Gurewitz, bassist Jay Bentley and drummer Jay Ziskrout - all pupils at El Camino Real High School - the group would develop into the bridge between the rudimentary hardcore of Black Flag/Circle Jerks and the melodic pop-punk served up by younger Californian acts Green Day, The Offspring and more. Bad Religion’s own punk rock is rooted in the Californian sound; breakneck hardcore featuring their trademark melodic and much-imitated ‘oozin’ ahhs’ harmonies. But where SoCal pop-punk pioneers the Descendents sang about farting and food, Bad Religion focussed on societal ills, driven by their progressive outlook and secular humanism. In 1980, Bad Religion's guitarist founded Epitaph Records with a $1500 loan from his father in order to document the group’s debut 1981 self-titled EP.
This EP kicks off with the rather unimaginative 'Bad Religion', which is actually kind of a blast of a track. The problem is that Graffin's vocals are about as unclear as could ever be in this track and you have no idea what he's saying except for when he's saying 'Bad Religion'. I wouldn't say the record stays this strong the whole way through. But it's important to have a strong intro track, especially in an EP where it'll be more memorable than on a full sized album. Nothing is particularly bad on here, but it's a very samey release, even by Bad Religion's standards (which is surely saying a lot!). Alas, 'Slaves' is quite oddly a bit of a singalong-ish track (even if you're not too sure what you're supposed to be singing along to exactly) and Drastic Actions is one of those songs that always draws my attention. The bass riff sticks in your head, but so do the lyrics. Listen to it and tell me the lyrics don't stick in your head - I challenge you! And the whole thing ends with 'World War III', which in my opinion would have done much better in the middle and some kind of interlude given its length. Alas forgettable, but not all bad. I guess the whole record is slightly forgettable all-in-all. A few good tracks, yes, but Bad Religion were still finding themselves here.
This EP kicks off with the rather unimaginative 'Bad Religion', which is actually kind of a blast of a track. The problem is that Graffin's vocals are about as unclear as could ever be in this track and you have no idea what he's saying except for when he's saying 'Bad Religion'. I wouldn't say the record stays this strong the whole way through. But it's important to have a strong intro track, especially in an EP where it'll be more memorable than on a full sized album. Nothing is particularly bad on here, but it's a very samey release, even by Bad Religion's standards (which is surely saying a lot!). Alas, 'Slaves' is quite oddly a bit of a singalong-ish track (even if you're not too sure what you're supposed to be singing along to exactly) and Drastic Actions is one of those songs that always draws my attention. The bass riff sticks in your head, but so do the lyrics. Listen to it and tell me the lyrics don't stick in your head - I challenge you! And the whole thing ends with 'World War III', which in my opinion would have done much better in the middle and some kind of interlude given its length. Alas forgettable, but not all bad. I guess the whole record is slightly forgettable all-in-all. A few good tracks, yes, but Bad Religion were still finding themselves here.
Released in 1981, Bad Religion’s self-titled debut 7" EP stands as a raw, blistering artifact of the early Southern California hardcore punk explosion. Across six tracks and less than ten minutes, the teenager-led band delivers a chaotic burst of teenage angst and political disillusionment. Unlike the highly polished, melodic "bad religion" sound that would later define their career, this EP leans heavily into pure, unadulterated aggression. The instrumentation is fast and chaotic, driven by Jay Ziskrout’s frantic drumming and Brett Gurewitz’s buzzsaw guitar work, perfectly capturing the DIY energy of the LA underground scene.
Greg Graffin’s vocals on this release are noticeably different from the iconic, articulate delivery found on their later albums. Here, he relies on a throat-shredding, youthful bark, yet the intellectual foundations of the band are already visible in the lyrics. Tracks like Politics, Sensory Overload, and World War III trade standard punk nihilism for sharp, anxious critiques of societal decay and Cold War paranoia. While the signature "Oozin' Ahs" vocal harmonies are mostly absent, the title track Bad Religion hints at the anthemic songwriting that would eventually make them genre legends.
Ultimately, this EP is an essential time capsule that marks the birth of both a legendary band and Epitaph Records. It lacks the refined musicality of Suffer or Stranger than Fiction, but its historical importance and feral energy make it a compelling listen. For fans, it offers a fascinating glimpse into a legendary band’s primitive roots, proving that Bad Religion possessed their fierce socio-political convictions from the very first press of the vinyl.
Ripped to MP3 @ 320kbps
A1 Bad Religion 2:11
A2 Politics 1:20
A3 Sensory Overload 1:31
B1 Slaves 1:19
B2 Drastic Actions 2:39
B3 World War III 0:55
Kind of there with you AJ. Back when their first album came out I bought the cassette--somehow I decided to sell it for used back then which I didn't often do, and never got into the band again. Saw them live many years later at a festival...still no memories
ReplyDeleteyou can re-aquaint yourself with them now...and delete the file
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