Bad Religion is one of the most influential and commercially successful American punk groups of all time. Their intelligent (if sesquipedalian) lyrics, often dealing with religious and political philosophy, ecology and personal themes, set them apart from their legions of musical imitators, some of whom (such as NOFX) are themselves successful, influential bands.
Along with Black Flag and the Descendents, Bad Religion made southern California one of the nation's hotspots for punk rock; guitarist Brett Gurewitz's Epitaph Records, originally Bad Religion's vanity imprint, has grown into perhaps the largest, best-known punk label in the world. Nearly two decades after forming Bad Religion remains one of the freshest groups around, as passionate now as when they were teenagers.
In 1998 Bad Religion came out with No Substance, which was recorded by the band in several different locations in Ithaca, N.Y., where Greg Graffin is finishing his PhD in evolutionary biology at Cornell University.
They celebrated the album's release with an unusual series of small club dates, as well as a headlining slot on Warped Tour '98. Graffin is currently at work on an advice guide for young bands titled BandAid: The Music Industry From a Band's Perspective. ~ writing credit Seth Hindin
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