Full Album Stream: Bad Religion - True North

So one of the newest sections I created was "Full Album Streams".  Not only did this gave folks something to listen to when they are cruising the site (being that the original intention of this site was to acts as a hub to explore), but also a chance for people to explore new artists, new genres, and new albums before deciding to purchase them (also from links on AFGM's site).

Full album streams seem to be a new fad that a lot of internet savvy people are jumping on.  It can be in the form of a Soundcloud widget, a YouTube playlist, or even a single YouTube video.  This often gives record labels a chance to promote new artists and for people to subscribe to their social media pages.  So hopefully this provides you access to some new music, bands, and/or artists.  Cheers!

PS - Feel free to send us an email if you have any albums you think you should be on this list or a new one coming out we missed.  We're always listening!

(Artwork by AFGM.  Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Dating back to 1979, Los Angeles' Bad Religion has been considered a staple in the punk rock scene for the past three decades.  Bad Religion is one of the best selling punk bands of all time, with record sales of over 5,000,000+.  Their latest album, "True North", was released on January 22nd, 2013 via Epitaph Records, and is their sixteenth LP overall.

(Photo courtesy of Bad Religion's Facebook Page)

For "True North", Bad Religion consisted of:

Greg Graffin – Lead vocals | Brett Gurewitz – guitar, vocals | Brian Baker – lead guitar

Greg Hetson – guitar | Jay Bentley – bass, vocals | Brooks Wackerman – drums

(Album artwork courtesy of Bad Religion and Epitaph Records)

1. True North*
2. Past is Dead
3. Robin Hood in Reverse
4. Land of Endless Greed
5. Fuck You*
6. Dharma and the Bomb*
7. Hello Cruel World
8. Vanity
9. In Their Hearts is Right
10. Crisis Time
11. Dept. of False Hope
12. Nothing To Dismay*
13. Popular Consensus*
14. My Head is Full of Ghosts
15. The Island
16. Changing Tide

(* = AFGM Recommendations)

And so it is that, in fewer than three minutes, this Californian sextet manages to showcase a number of qualities on various levels. There’s high-class songwriting, blistering pace, superior musicality, highbrow lyrical concerns and a lovingly throwaway reference to a group the naivety of which Bad Religion are capable of making a mockery.

Despite being too cerebral and too damn fast to ever be truly a mainstream concern, over a 30-something year career Bad Religion have amassed a body of work of sufficient quality to secure its authors a seat at the high table in the American punk rock hall of fame. The truly impressive thing about this most intellectually probing of groups, however, is their refusal to sunbathe on past glories, and the effort and care they bring to taking forward steps. -BBC



Musically, ‘True North’ bears Bad Religion’s classic stamp, so expect no shock or surprise in the construction of the record. They’ve still got those rich vocal harmonies, guitar leads with plenty of distorted bends and choruses that will get stuck in your head for days. The album will fulfill both casual listeners and those searching for lyrical wisdom while clutching a notebook and magnifying glass, which has been Bad Religion’s M.O. for well over 30 years. -Loudwire