Bad Religion

Bad Religion formed in 1980 in the Los Angeles area, with Greg Graffin on vocals, Brett Gurewitz on guitar, Jay Bentley on bass, and Jay Ziskrout on drums. Influenced by the punk of the Ramones and the Sex Pistols and the California hardcore scene, the group developed a distinctive sound characterized by fast, melodic songs, striking vocal harmonies, and lyrics that challenge religion, politics, and social conventions.

Greg Graffin is the only member who has remained with the band throughout its entire history. Bentley left in the early 1980s and returned in 1986, while Gurewitz took breaks from the band and returned in 2001 (though he does not participate in tours). Guitarist Brian Baker joined the band in 1994 and has remained a constant presence alongside Graffin.

With the band’s formation came the birth of Epitaph Records, founded by Gurewitz. The label released the first records by Bad Religion and would become a global benchmark for Californian punk, driving genres such as melodic hardcore and skate punk.

The band’s significance to 1990s rock began with its third and fourth albums, respectively Suffer (1988) and No Control (1989), albums that helped shape their definitive style. In the 1990s, the band released Against the Grain (1990), Generator (1992), Recipe for Hate (1993), Stranger Than Fiction (1994), The Gray Race (1996) and No Substance (1998). Starting with Stranger Than Fiction, the band began releasing its albums through Atlantic Records, greatly expanding its visibility during punk’s rise to mainstream popularity.

Bad Religion helped establish melodic punk as a dominant force in rock in the 1990s, proving that speed and catchy choruses could coexist perfectly with profound social commentary and reflective lyrics. At the same time, Gurewitz transformed Epitaph into a pivotal label for the scene of that era, releasing works by iconic bands such as NOFX, Pennywise, The Offspring, and Rancid.

In the 2000s, the group kicked off the decade with The New America (2000), produced by Todd Rundgren and the final album under their contract with Atlantic. With Brett Gurewitz’s official return to the lineup, the band released The Process of Belief in 2002, marking their return to Epitaph. The discography continued to expand with The Empire Strikes First (2004) and New Maps of Hell (2007). By the 2010s, the group had cemented its legacy with critically acclaimed albums such as The Dissent of Man (2010), True North (2013) and Age of Unreason (2019), remaining relevant and influential after four decades on the road.