Bad Religion: The Empire Strikes First : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Hell bent on getting Bush out of office, Bad Religion sound more relevant than ever on their incendiary, political manifesto The Empire Strikes First. Now in its twenty-fourth year, the group that shaped California punk shakes some serious action on the explosive "Let Them Eat War." Here frontman Greg Graffin ponders, "Can this we what they voted for?" as his cohorts play with a force few bands can rival. Nicking its riff from L7's "Pretend We're Dead," the title cut shares the same mindset, but if anti-war sentiments hit a fever pitch of opinion and irresistibility on Empire, Bad Religion is just as effective when it sidesteps Dubya's administration to attack other issues. Graffin's Ph.D. in biology pits religion against science on anthems like "Atheist Peace," while "Los Angeles Is Burning" takes a scrutinizing look at environmental abuses. Fusing probing questions and blistering riffs, Bad Religion has created the punk album of the year. Here's hoping America is listening.