Bad Religion
New Maps of Hell
Epitaph

“New Maps of Hell” is a tale of two Bad Religion records—one that really rocks, and one that kinda sucks. Right from the start, this album kicks ass, slugging out power punk songs like “Heroes & Martyrs” and “New Dark Ages.” We’re talking pure Bad Religion songs that sway towards their “Stranger Than Fiction” work, but with top notch production. Then somewhere around “Honest Goodbye” the album starts hitting and missing. The songs turn monotonous and sluggish, and the rock tunes just stop coming.

Sure, songs like “Scrutiny” and “Grand Delusion” have all the right oohs and ahhs, and the guitars shred, but the songs are also boring and drone on and on. By the end of the record you’re really left wondering just how much substance there really is on it. I think the biggest problem is the lack of hooks in the choruses. They just don’t have the high-impact singalongs that made the band so much fun in the “American Jesus” days. This is by the numbers punk that 99 percent of the cookie cutter acts out there wish they could sound like, but it just sounds tired when legends are doing it.

I have no doubt that fans that jumped on the Bad Religion with the last two albums (and judging by record sales, there’s a ton of you) will love ” New Maps of Hell.” And for old time fans, a good half of this record is pretty awesome, but somewhere during the middle eastern riffs on “Submission Complete” you have to start wondering whether it’s just time to give up.

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