New Maps of Hell

Bad Religion

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 10, 2007)
• Original Release Date: July 9, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Epitaph / Ada
• ASIN: B000RGSOBO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,494 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Bad Religion has for years been considered by new crops of listeners to be a vital band because they're such OG hardcore kingpins. And while the band's justly revered--they've managed to stay together for almost 25 years, all while getting better and growing their audience--"political punk realness" is not where their strengths lie. As to their political numbers, they were never quite able to pen the sort of personal yet timeless anthems that the Minutemen or the Ex did, while in terms of 1-2-3-4 punch, you'd get far more visceral thrills from the first Damned single. Of course, Southern California punk bands injected bushels of melody and hooks into their songs, and B.R. added elements of metal and even psychedelia to their own taut tunes. Their fourteenth album to date, New Maps is a terrific sounding record; at least two-thirds of it begs many repeated listens. The album's second single, "Heroes and Martyrs," is exactly what the band does best. A tightly-coiled and super revved-up anthem, it pits the energy and fast Barre chord sound of the greatest hardcore with a delicious, poppy production and doubled-up backing vocals that brings to mind Queen (or at least Queens of the Stone Age), in the very best way. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

In a world ruled increasingly by superstition and intolerance, Bad Religion's rousing wall-of-sound punk seems about as necessary now as ever before. It is the impassioned sound of reason, anthems of a bittersweet idealism and a guarded hope set to propulsive guitars and charging drumbeats. And while most groups with even half the artistic output have long ago morphed into stylistic self-parody, Bad Religion is currently surging forward with a renewed creative intensity. Their fourteenth album is both a nod to the band's defiant past and an undeniable step forward in the evolution of a genre they helped to define. Look for them on this summer's Warped Tour, inspiring a new generation of fans.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lacerate eviscerate and perforate and mutilate. . ., July 9, 2007

By	L. J. Penglase "billy gnosis" (allentown PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bad Religion's third album since their triumphant return to their own Epitaph Records is surely the fastest and angriest of them all. All sense of hope ("It's time to turn the tides. . .") is gone here, replaced by a looming dark reality ("Welcome to the new dark ages") and sadness ("Pity yet another casualty's demoralized decline").

On first listen, the sonic blasts and scathing lyrics elicit thoughts of their late 80's albums (No Control, Against the Grain) but the song structures and impeccable musicianship is something we have not heard from them since Into the Unknown, except here it is punk and not prog, and it is produced so slick you could slide off it.

A major achievement by a band that already has enough major achievements to retire with a great legacy. More younger acts should look to them and follow their maps through hell.

Grab yourself a neighbor's skeleton to lean upon, and prepare for the decent.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "New Maps of Hell" - Bad Religion, July 13, 2007

By	Mick V. Nicholas (Allentown, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"New Maps of Hell" proved to be a very unexpected turn for Bad Religion. If you listen to "Process of Belief" and then "The Empire Strikes First" you will notice that Bad Religion seemed to be going in the direction of straight melodic rock with only a seasoning of punk influence. This album, on the other hand, sounds like a straight punk album with only a few songs ("Honest Goodbye" and "Lost Pilgrim" to name two) falling into the category in which Bad Religion was starting to wedge itself.
That being said, this album is an astonishing achievement from an already well established and respected punk rock band. I haven't heard this type of energy from this band since the album "Generator" and I have to say that the mix of old and new is quite refreshing.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent as Always, July 11, 2007

By	charlieheston (Portland, Or United States) - See all my reviews

New Maps of Hell is yet another Bad Religion record, the third since Brett and Brooks (re)joined. The quality has not dipped. There are throwbacks on this album (the artwork, the hell references to the first album, generally less poppy/more fast punk), and less experimentation than particularly the last album (nothing like Beyond Electric Dreams here) - it's with a couple exceptions straight ahead classic fast BR from start to finish.

This record opens with a faux lo-fi hardcore tinged "52 Seconds" and keeps a slightly junky production throughout. Definitely worse production than the last couple - more like Stranger Than Fiction with lots of mid-range tones, but it sounds fairly analog. In some ways it sounds like they are going through the motions on this one - but at the same time, there are no duds like usual (The Quickening, Television)...pretty much every track is strong. I don't care for "Prodigal Son" too much, but whatever.

Faster and less dark than the last album, and angrier than Process of Belief - you can blind buy this one is you are a BR fan, not much has changed. I love it. Brooks still impresses as well.