well, ok. maybe, that starting line gives away my bias: they went through sort of a down period when they replaced the really efficient punk drummer they had in their far too short classic period (88-90) with somebody that had a more traditional corporate rock drumming style. they then spent a really long time making records that may have made some cogent points here and there, but didn't have the aesthetic feel or sound of punk rock records and consequently lost a lot of their fan base. i don't want this to be a purity attack, i'm just trying to get the point across that i lost interest, and i know why - they embraced cock rock drumming and, with it, a more muscular style that largely just left me flat out bored.
then, a few years ago, they went back to a punk drumming style, and the whole thing was instantly salvaged - they sounded like bad religion, again. or, at least, they sounded like so many of their fans want bad religion to sound like, even if we all know that they're listening to progressive rock records on the tour bus.
that down period, which is in truth most of their career, then got thrown down the memory hole. it never happened...and bad religion haven't changed in 30 years.
so, the question is - is the new record in their classic style, or is it toying with these cock rock structures that they got into in the 90s? it's kind of in between; it's not their worst record, but it's disappointingly unpunk, after the return to form on the last one.
chances are that you're probably more into the lyrics, though - and that hasn't changed much, and really isn't worth analyzing. if you're not familiar with bad religion, you should start with suffer and carry forward with it. if you never liked graffin in the first place, you probably won't like him much, now; if you're a fan, you don't need my analysis, you can come up with your own.
nobody likes trump. i'm just not sure if i like him less than clinton or not. but, you shouldn't expect any derangement syndrome here, or any baseless or emotional attacks. this band defines itself by it's appeals to reason, evidence and logic. in some ways, i'd actually argue that this is the right way to deal with trump, and the kind of opposition i'd be more likely to be more active in. but, he maybe loses the plot, in a sense, like the best stoics did at the end of the empire - of what value is a critique rooted in reason in a post-truth paradigm?
i'd still rather vent with syllogisms than with tears or screams, but to each their own.
this is from the previous tour:
given all that would i have showed up to the show here on the 15th?
i've been through this before with this band - the ticket prices tend to be a little on the high end.
the answer is probably not, no.
