'The Profane Rights Of Man': Bad Religion Are Still The Best Nearly Four Decades On

19 October 2018 | 11:49 am | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

Bad Religion's 'The Profane Rights Of Man' proves these ageing punks do it better than most bands half their age.

'The Profane Rights Of Man' proves that Bad Religion still do it better than most bands half their age.



Bad Religion's length of existence as a band is only a few years off from being my twice my own human timestamp. Yet despite the group's grey hairs and an incredible legacy left upon the landscape of punk rock, Bad Religion still rock harder than most. Earlier this year, Bad Religion dropped 'The Kids Are Alt-Right', and you can bet the comments around that track were fully civilised and totally respectful. Yet newest single, 'The Profane Rights of Man', most likely won't garner as much heat, but is also Bad Religion doing what Bad Religion does best.

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Produced by guitarist Brett Gurewitz and mixed by Gurewitz and Joe Barresi, 'The Profane Rights Of Man' has got all of the band's usual hall-marks; the breakneck speed, the core punk beats, catchy refrains, those mournful backing harmonies, simple but solid chord progressions, and plenty of fast riffage. To now expect a change of style this deep into their career would be silly, and yet, there's just something about this band's style and lyricism that staves off that repetition and monotony that other long-running peers fall into.

While Bad Religion are definitely consistent with their sound, it's always about the message for them. As per the new song's title, the two-minute melodic punk rock jam is a concerned look at human rights in America and the West; a topic Bad Religion have written about many times over the last three and a bit decades. Almost as if governments and politics have been pretty shitty since the 1970s and '80s. Huh. Anyway, the band's always well-spoken vocalist and songwriter, the-father-of-good-punk-rock Greg Graffin, explained the well-meaning discussions behind their latest take, saying that:

“The song is based on the 1789 document, "The Universal Rights of Man." Since we’re a band that has a longstanding tradition of championing the enlightenment, we wanted to emphasize that our society is based on a profane rather than a sacred theological justification for human rights. In sum, the song is about Bad Religion’s belief in a secular basis for the protection of human rights for all people.”

Currently, Bad Religion is in the studio working away on some new music. And while it very well might just be another familiar Bad Religion record, I don't even mind, to be real with you. I'll honestly take whatever I can get from this legendary act. 38 years in and they're still one of the best.

Stream 'The Profane Rights Of Man' below:



[caption id="attachment_1104491" align="aligncenter" width="760"] Bad Religion, 2018.[/caption]