Bad Religion
“Live at the Palladium”
Epitaph Records

Surprisingly, after being together for over 25 years and pumping out 13 or so records, Bad Religion has only released one proper video. Available only on VHS and out of print for years (until a year ago), “Along the Way” was the only official video capturing the band on their “Suffer” tour.

That’s about to change as the godfathers of punk prepare for the release of “Live at the Palladium” a DVD chock full of goodness, including interviews, a full concert, ancient footage of the band a video collection.

With the release of the band’s biggest record in years, “The Empire Strikes First” and the recent boost in MTV punk rock fans, it makes sense to get new and old fans off to a good start by documenting the band’s progression as told in their words, and showing off just how awesome they are live.

The concert footage is top quality, featuring a bevy of tunes from every record sans the evil Atlantic years (i.e., no New America or No Substance stuff). Sadly, their modern classic “Epiphany” also is absent. But don’t be sad; everything from “21st Century Digital Boy” to “Infected” is on here.

Interspersed between the concert footage are interviews with the band documenting their history. For the most part, it’s solid stuff, but alas, it all seems to be shot on site at the Palladium. It would have been nice to have had some older Bad Religion members (including some of the older drummers) on here. The history also polished to a shine–no mention of their no wave record “Into The Unknown” or certain members extracurricular drug use that many members of the band have gone public with in the past. I would love to see an uncensored version of the band’s life released down the line.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s wonderful to hear the guys talk. They have 25 years of history worth telling, and there’s no way you can fit that on a single DVD disc.

The bonus stuff is where this disc shines. The footage from ’81 and ’83 is incredible, and the quality is flawless. Each segment features three or four songs and is a great testament to how far the band has gone through the years.

The videology is nice if you haven’t seen this stuff on VH1′s the Alternative a million time, and it’s kind of lame that they are missing all the Atlantic videos (I’ve been waiting years to see the video for “Punk Rock Song.”

All in all, this is a must have for Bad Religion diehard fans and newbies alike. Sure, Greg Graffin isn’t doing jump kicks like in the band’s heyday, but they sure can still kick ass.

Doesn’t Rock l Kinda Rocks l Rocks l Really Rocks