Bad Religion is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1980, the group originally included vocalist Greg Graffin, guitarist Brett Gurewitz, bassist Jay Bentley and drummer Jay Ziskrout. [1] The band consists of Graffin, Gurewitz (who doesn't tour) and Bentley, alongside guitarists Brian Baker (since 2005) and Mike Dimkich (since 2013) and drummer Jamie Miller (since 2015).
Ziskrout left the band halfway through the recording of their debut full-length album How Could Hell Be Any Worse? and was replaced for the rest of the sessions by Pete Finestone. [2] 1983's Into the Unknown featured bassist Paul Dedona and Davy Goldman, both of whom left after the album was released. [1] Bad Religion briefly broke up in 1984, as Gurewitz left the band to focus on his record label Epitaph Records and recording studio Westbeach Recorders, before returning with guitarist Greg Hetson, bassist Tim Gallegos and drummer Finestone for the 1985 EP Back to the Known . [2]
Bentley and later Gurewitz returned to Bad Religion in 1986, with the five-piece lineup releasing three albums in three years before Finestone left again in 1991. [2] He was replaced by Bobby Schayer, whose first album with the band was Generator in 1992. [2] After Bad Religion signed to Atlantic Records and released Stranger than Fiction in 1994, Gurewitz left the band again. [3] Shortly after the album's release, Brian Baker took Gurewitz's place in the group. [4] After three more albums, Schayer departed the band in 2001 due to a shoulder injury, and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman. [5] Around the same time, Gurewitz returned to the band for a third time. [6] Longtime guitarist Hetson left in 2013 and was replaced by Mike Dimkich, [7] and in 2016 Jamie Miller replaced Wackerman after he joined Avenged Sevenfold. [8]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Graffin | 1980–present |
| all Bad Religion releases | |
| Brett Gurewitz |
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| all Bad Religion releases from Bad Religion (1981) to Into the Unknown (1983), from Suffer (1988) to Stranger than Fiction (1994), and from The Process of Belief (2002) to present | |
| Jay Bentley |
|
| all Bad Religion releases except Into the Unknown (1983) and Back to the Known (1985) | |
| Brian Baker | 1994–present |
| all Bad Religion releases from The Gray Race (1996) to present | |
| Mike Dimkich | 2013–present | guitar | all Bad Religion releases from Age of Unreason (2019) to present | |
| Jamie Miller | 2016–present |
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Ziskrout | 1980 | drums |
| |
| Pete Finestone |
|
| ||
| Paul Dedona | 1982–1984 | bass | Into the Unknown (1983) | |
| Davy Goldman | drums | |||
| Greg Hetson | 1984–2013 |
| all Bad Religion releases from Back to the Known (1985) to True North (2013) | |
| Tim Gallegos | 1984–1985 | bass | Back to the Known (1985) | |
| John Albert | drums | none | ||
| Lucky Lehrer | 1987 | |||
| Bobby Schayer | 1991–2001 |
| all Bad Religion releases from Generator (1992) to The New America (2000) | |
| Brooks Wackerman | 2001–2015 | all Bad Religion releases from The Process of Belief (2002) to Christmas Songs (2013) |
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Mid – late 1980 |
|
|
| January 1981 – late 1982 |
|
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| Late 1982 – early 1984 |
|
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| Band inactive early – late 1984 | ||
| Late 1984 – mid-1985 |
|
|
| Band inactive mid-1985 – early 1986 | ||
| Early 1986 – September 1987 |
| none |
| September 1987 – early 1988 [9] |
| |
| Early 1988 – April 1991 |
|
|
| April 1991 – summer 1994 |
|
|
| Summer 1994 – May 2001 |
|
|
| May – June 2001 |
| none |
| June 2001 – April 2013 |
|
|
| April 2013 – October 2015 |
| none |
| February 2016 – present |
|
|
Bad Religion is an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilities and extensive use of three-part vocal harmonies. The band has experienced multiple line-up changes, with singer Greg Graffin being the band's only constant member, though fellow founding members Jay Bentley and Brett Gurewitz have also been with the band for most of their history while guitarist Brian Baker has been a member of the group since 1994. Guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller have been members of the band since 2013 and 2015 respectively. To date, Bad Religion has released seventeen studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs. They are considered to be one of the best-selling punk rock acts of all time, having sold over five million albums worldwide.
The Process of Belief is the twelfth studio album by the American punk rock band Bad Religion. It was produced by its leaders Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz, and was released on January 22, 2002, through Epitaph Records. After touring in support of its previous studio album, The New America (2000), Gurewitz re-joined Bad Religion in 2001 after a seven-year hiatus. The band re-signed with Epitaph, and then began work on its first album for the label in over eight years. The album also marked the first album to feature Brooks Wackerman, who replaced former drummer Bobby Schayer.
Generator is the sixth studio album by the punk rock band Bad Religion. Although the album was completed in the spring of 1991, it was not released until 1992; the band was not happy with the artwork and packaging, and went through several ideas that were eventually scrapped. Generator was the band's first release with drummer Bobby Schayer, who replaced Pete Finestone during the Against the Grain tour.
Suffer is the third album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on the Californian independent record label Epitaph Records on September 8, 1988. It was the first album that was both released and distributed by the label. Following the release of the EP Back to the Known (1985), Bad Religion went on a temporary hiatus, then reunited with its original members and went to work on their first full-length studio album in five years.
Brett W. Gurewitz, nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and a number of sister labels. He has produced albums for Bad Religion as well as Epitaph Records labelmates NOFX, Rancid, and Pennywise, among others. Gurewitz also had a project called Error, which also featured Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Greg Puciato. He is also the co-founder of comic book and graphic novel publisher, Black Mask Studios.
Stranger than Fiction is the eighth full-length studio album and major label debut by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released in 1994. It was a major breakthrough for Bad Religion, being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and becoming the band's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at 87.
The New America is the eleventh studio album by punk band Bad Religion. It was released in 2000 and is their last album on Atlantic Records.
No Control is the fourth album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on November 2, 1989, through Epitaph Records. Bad Religion began work on the album while touring in support of their previous album, Suffer (1988). No Control is stylistically faster than its predecessor, owing more to hardcore punk. Additionally, it was the first Bad Religion album not to feature a lineup change from the previous album.
The Gray Race is the ninth full-length album of the punk rock band Bad Religion, which was released in 1996. It was the follow-up to the band's highly successful 1994 album Stranger Than Fiction.
Into the Unknown is the second studio album by Bad Religion, released in August 1983 through Epitaph Records. The album marks a distinct departure from the band's previous album; instead of featuring hardcore punk, the album is characterized by slower tempos, use of electronic organ and pianos, and a prog-influenced hard rock sound. Into the Unknown is the only Bad Religion album to feature Paul Dedona on bass and Davy Goldman on drums. Dedona was ejected from the band before their next recording and replaced by Tim Gallegos, while former drummer Pete Finestone returned to the band in 1986. The album also features Bad Religion's longest track to date, "Time and Disregard", which is seven minutes long.
Against the Grain is the fifth album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on November 23, 1990. It was the last album recorded with drummer Pete Finestone, who left in 1991 to concentrate with his new project The Fishermen. Following his departure, the band's music would take a different direction on their next album, 1992's Generator. Against the Grain was also the first Bad Religion album not to feature a lineup change from the previous two albums.
Greg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in the Los Angeles area since he was 2 years old. He is Jewish. Active since 1979, Hetson is best known as the guitarist for the influential hardcore punk bands Redd Kross, Circle Jerks and Bad Religion. He is known for his high energy stage antics which people have coined the term "The Hetson Leap". Hetson was a founding member of and also plays guitar in another supergroup, Punk Rock Karaoke, and the hardcore punk band G.F.P.
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on January 19, 1982 by Epitaph Records. Released almost a year after their self-titled EP, it was financed from the sales of the self titled EP and partly by a $1,000 loan by guitarist Brett Gurewitz's father. Its success surprised the band when it sold 10,000 copies in under a year.
Back to the Known is the second EP released by American punk rock band Bad Religion. The name of the EP is a reference to the band abandoning the progressive rock influences of its previous album, 1983's Into the Unknown, and returning to its punk roots.
All Ages is a compilation album by the American punk rock band Bad Religion. It was released on July 26, 1995, through Epitaph Records. The compilation contains songs from How Could Hell Be Any Worse? to Generator, and two live tracks recorded during their 1994 European tour, which were the first tracks to feature guitarist Brian Baker.
Punk Rock Songs (The Epic Years) is a compilation album by Bad Religion, released in 2002. All songs on this compilation are from their tenure on Atlantic and Epic Records from 1994 to 2000, in addition to four live tracks and both the English and German versions of "Punk Rock Song". Punk Rock Songs was released by Epic without any input from the band members, as Bad Religion had already returned to Epitaph Records, and as of 2017, it has not been released in the United States.
The discography of Bad Religion, an American punk rock band, consists of 17 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, one box set, two extended plays (EPs), 29 singles, five video albums and 25 music videos. Formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980, the band originally featured vocalist Greg Graffin, guitarist Brett Gurewitz, bassist Jay Bentley and drummer Jay Ziskrout, who released their self-titled debut EP in February 1981 on Gurewitz's label Epitaph Records. Pete Finestone replaced Ziskrout before the release of the band's full-length debut album How Could Hell Be Any Worse? in 1982. The following year's Into the Unknown featured bassist Paul Dedona and drummer Davy Goldman, before Bentley and Finestone returned to the band and Greg Hetson joined as second guitarist.
New Maps of Hell is the fourteenth studio album by Bad Religion, released on July 10, 2007.
Christmas Songs is the third EP album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released October 29, 2013 on Epitaph Records. It is their first full-length Christmas album, featuring eight covers of seasonal songs and an "Andy Wallace mix" version of "American Jesus". This is also the first Bad Religion album not to feature Greg Hetson on guitar since 1983's Into the Unknown, although he appears on "American Jesus", and the first time they recorded as a five-piece since 2000's The New America. Christmas Songs is also Bad Religion's final release with Brooks Wackerman on drums.
Age of Unreason is the seventeenth studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on May 3, 2019. It is the band's first studio album to feature guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller, replacing Greg Hetson and Brooks Wackerman respectively, and the first one to be produced by Carlos de la Garza, thus ending their collaboration with Joe Barresi, who had produced, mixed or engineered every Bad Religion album since 2004's The Empire Strikes First; Barresi did, however, mix "The Kids Are Alt-Right", which had already been released as a one-off single in 2018.
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