Editing Bad Religion

{{Short description|American punk rock band}}
{{about|the punk rock band|other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Bad Religion
| image             = Hellfest2018BadReligion 07.jpg
| image_upright     = 1.25
| caption           = Bad Religion performing at [[Hellfest]] in 2018. From left: Dimkich, Bentley, Miller, Graffin, and Baker.
| origin            = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Melodic hardcore]]
* {{nowrap|[[punk rock]]}}
* {{nowrap|[[skate punk]]}}
* [[hardcore punk]]
}}
| discography       = [[Bad Religion discography]]
| years_active      = <!-- In an episode of Loudwire's "Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?", Greg Graffin claims Bad Religion did not officially form until 1980: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hcnjiZtclQ -->1980–present
| label             = {{flatlist|
* [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]]
* [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
* [[Epic Records|Epic]]
* [[Sympathy for the Record Industry]]
}}
| website           = {{URL|badreligion.com}}
| current_members   = {{plainlist|
* [[Greg Graffin]]
* [[Brett Gurewitz]]
* [[Jay Bentley]]
* [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]]
* [[Mike Dimkich]]
* [[Jamie Miller (US musician)|Jamie Miller]]
}}
| past_members      = {{plainlist|
* [[Jay Ziskrout]]
* Pete Finestone
* Paul Dedona
* Davy Goldman
* [[Greg Hetson]]
* Tim Gallegos
* John Albert
* [[Lucky Lehrer]]
* [[Bobby Schayer]]
* [[Brooks Wackerman]]}}
}}

'''Bad Religion''' is an American [[punk rock]] band, formed in [[Los Angeles]], California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilities and extensive use of three-part vocal harmonies. The band has experienced multiple lineup changes, with singer [[Greg Graffin]] being the band's only constant member, though fellow founding members [[Jay Bentley]] and [[Brett Gurewitz]] have also been with the band for most of their history while guitarist [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]] has been a member of the group since 1994. Guitarist [[Mike Dimkich]] and drummer [[Jamie Miller (US musician)|Jamie Miller]] have been members of the band since 2013 and 2015 respectively. To date, Bad Religion has released seventeen studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs. They are considered to be one of the best-selling punk rock acts of all time,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/178220/9 |title=Bad Religion Announce Shows In Manchester And London |publisher=Stereoboard UK |date=April 4, 2013 |access-date=April 4, 2013}}</ref> having sold over five million albums worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/2047332/a/Tested:+Live.htm |title=Bad Religion Tested: Live CD |publisher=Cduniverse.com |date=July 15, 2002 |access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>

After gaining a large underground following and critical praise through their releases on Gurewitz's label [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]] in the 1980s and early 1990s, Bad Religion experienced mainstream success after signing to the major-label [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] in 1993. The band pioneered the [[Punk rock#Pop-punk and mainstream success|punk rock revival]] movement of the 1990s, establishing a formula for [[Punk rock in California|California-based punk bands]] such as [[Green Day]] and Epitaph-signed acts [[the Offspring]], [[NOFX]] and [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]].<ref name="autobiography">{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/bad-religions-autobiography-do-what-you-want-due-in-august/|title=BAD RELIGION's Autobiography 'Do What You Want' Due In August|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=January 8, 2020|access-date=March 13, 2020}}</ref> They are also cited as an inspiration or influence on the 1990s and 2000s [[pop punk]], [[skate punk]], [[post-hardcore]], [[screamo]] and [[emo]] scenes.{{refn|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/7-reasons-why-bad-religions-brett-gurewitz-is-the-godfather-of-punk-rock | title=7 reasons why Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz is the godfather of Californian punk | date=December 6, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/02/archives/recordings-view-punk-relives-its-heyday.html | title=RECORDINGS VIEW; Punk Relives Its Heyday | work=The New York Times | date=October 2, 1994 | last1=Diehl | first1=Matt }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/03/the-100-greatest-pop-punk-songs-of-all-time.html | title=The 100 greatest pop punk songs of all time | date=March 2, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://thewarwhoop.com/10082/ae/punks-not-dead-punk-then-and-now/ | title=Punk's Not Dead: Punk then and Now }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-albums-on-epitaph-records | title=The 10 best albums on Epitaph Records | date=June 26, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/04/arts/punk-s-earnest-new-mission.html | title=Punk's Earnest New Mission | work=The New York Times | date=January 4, 2004 | last1=Azerrad | first1=Michael }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.noecho.net/features/pop-punk-hardcore-connection | title=The Pop-Punk and Hardcore Connection &#124; Features | date=December 20, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Punk vs Screamo| website=The Content Authority | date=29 June 2023 | url=https://thecontentauthority.com/blog/punk-vs-screamo | access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Banda deny lidera festival de metalcore en auditorio sur de temperle |url=http://ar.omg.yahoo.com/noticias/banda-deny-lidera-festival-metalcore-auditorio-sur-temperle-113403647.html |website=Yahoo! |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105110510/http://ar.omg.yahoo.com/noticias/banda-deny-lidera-festival-metalcore-auditorio-sur-temperle-113403647.html |archive-date=5 January 2013 |language=es |date=23 February 2012}}</ref>}}

Atlantic reissued the previously-released-on-Epitaph album, ''[[Recipe for Hate]]'' (1993), which became commercially successful, as did its 1994 follow-up ''[[Stranger than Fiction (Bad Religion album)|Stranger than Fiction]]''.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bad-religion-mn0000062823/awards|title=Bad Religion - Awards|publisher=[[AllMusic|AllMusic.com]]|access-date=October 10, 2015}}</ref> ''Stranger than Fiction'' included some of Bad Religion's well-known hits, including "[[Infected (song)|Infected]]", "[[Stranger than Fiction (Bad Religion song)|Stranger than Fiction]]", and the re-recorded version of "[[21st Century (Digital Boy)]]" (the latter of which its original version appeared four years earlier on ''[[Against the Grain (Bad Religion album)|Against the Grain]]'');<ref name="allmusic" /> the album was later certified gold in both the United States and Canada. Shortly before the release of ''Stranger than Fiction'', Gurewitz left Bad Religion to run his label Epitaph on a full-time basis, and was replaced by [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]]. The band's success had slowly dwindled by the late 1990s, and, after three more albums, they were dropped from Atlantic in 2001; this resulted in Bad Religion returning to Epitaph and Gurewitz rejoining the band. Since then, they have undergone a resurgence in popularity, with "[[Sorrow (Bad Religion song)|Sorrow]]", "[[Los Angeles Is Burning]]", and "[[The Devil in Stitches]]" becoming Top 40 hits on the [[Alternative Airplay|US charts]] while their sixteenth studio album, ''[[True North (Bad Religion album)|True North]]'' (2013), became Bad Religion's first album to crack the top 20 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart where it peaked at number 19.<ref name="allmusic" /> The band's seventeenth studio album, ''[[Age of Unreason (album)|Age of Unreason]]'', was released on May 3, 2019.<ref name="blabbermouth">{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/bad-religion-to-release-age-of-unreason-album-in-may/|title=BAD RELIGION To Release 'Age Of Unreason' Album In May|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=February 26, 2019|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref>

==History==
===Formation and early recordings (1980–1983)===
[[File:Badreligion1980.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Bad Religion in 1980]]
Bad Religion was formed in [[Los Angeles]], California, in 1980<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/media/item.asp?itemID=43|title=Greg Graffin interviewed by Kelly E. and Cathy D – Media -–The Bad Religion Page – Since 1995|website=Thebrpage.net|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/media/item.asp?itemID=60|title=Bad Religion Is Spreading – Media – The Bad Religion Page – Since 1995|website=Thebrpage.net|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/media/item.asp?itemID=112|title=Addicted to the Opiate of the Masses – Media – The Bad Religion Page – Since 1995|website=Thebrpage.net|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.badreligion.com/legacy/|title=Bad Religion – 30 Years.|website=Badreligion.com|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hcnjiZtclQ|title=Bad Religion's Greg Graffin – Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?|last=Loudwire|date=August 16, 2017|access-date=May 27, 2018|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> by high school students [[Greg Graffin]], [[Jay Bentley]], [[Jay Ziskrout]], and [[Brett Gurewitz]]. Their first public performance was playing six<ref name="30 questions"/> or eight<ref name="anarchy 21" /> songs at a [[Fullerton, California]],<ref name="30 questions">{{cite web|url=http://www.yuppiepunk.org/2010/03/bad-religion-30-years.html |title=Bad Religion: 30 Questions for 30 Years |publisher=YuppiePunk |date=March 22, 2010 |access-date=March 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209171449/http://www.yuppiepunk.org/2010/03/bad-religion-30-years.html |archive-date=December 9, 2013}}</ref> or [[Santa Ana, California]],<ref name="anarchy 21">{{cite book |last1=Graffin |first1=Greg |last2=Olson |first2=Steve |date=2010 |title=Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science, and Bad Religion in a World Without God |location=New York |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |pages=21–23 |isbn=978-0-06-182850-8}}</ref> warehouse [[opening act|opening]] for [[Social Distortion]]. Their first official show was on November 11, 1980, at Joey Kills Bar in [[Burbank, California]].<ref name="It All Happened">{{cite web|title=The Forms at Joey Kills Bar|url=http://www.itallhappened.com/the-forms-at-joey-kills-bar-1980-11-11|work=It All Happened – A Living History of Live Music|access-date=April 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016230629/http://www.itallhappened.com/the-forms-at-joey-kills-bar-1980-11-11|archive-date=October 16, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Graffin has said that the name "Bad Religion" came about when the then-[[adolescent]] members of the band wanted to "piss people off".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dolgins |first=Adam |title=Rock Names: How Rock Bands Got Their Names |publisher=[[Carol Publishing Group]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-8065-2046-9 |edition=3rd |pages=16 |language=English}}</ref>

In 1981, the band released their initial [[eponymous]] six-song EP as a 7" record on the newly formed label, [[Epitaph Records]], which was and continues to be managed and owned by Gurewitz. Also in 1981, the band began recording their first full-length album, ''[[How Could Hell Be Any Worse?]]'' During the recording of this album, [[drummer]] Jay Ziskrout quit the band, and was replaced by Pete Finestone. Released in 1982, ''How Could Hell Be Any Worse?'' was also distributed by the band under the Epitaph label, and sold roughly 12,000 copies.<ref name="opiateofthemasses">{{cite news|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/media/item.asp?itemID=112|title=Addicted to the Opiate of the Masses|author=Greene, Jo-Anne.|date=May 23, 1997|work=Goldmine: The Collectors Record and Compact Disc Marketplace}}</ref>

===''Into the Unknown'', ''Back to the Known'' and hiatus (1983–1985)===
In 1983, the band released ''[[Into the Unknown (Bad Religion album)|Into the Unknown]]'', a keyboard-driven [[progressive rock|progressive]] [[hard rock]] album with a slightly slower pace.<ref name="intotheunknown">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/into-the-unknown-mw0000836297|title=Into The Unknown (review)|author=Dougan, John|publisher=allmusic.com|access-date=June 23, 2012}}</ref> Almost all of the albums the band produced were sold out of the warehouse they were housed in without the band's knowledge, after which this album went out of print. This incident, as well as band members' increasingly divergent personal lives, led to the band's temporary dissolution shortly after the album's release.<ref name="opiateofthemasses" />

Soon after, Graffin reassembled Bad Religion with [[Circle Jerks]] guitarist [[Greg Hetson]] replacing Gurewitz, who had gone into rehab for his drug problem. Bad Religion returned to a somewhat mellower, [[rock and roll]] version of their original sound with the ''[[Back to the Known]]'' EP. Eventually the band split toward the middle of 1985.

===Reunion, ''Suffer'', ''No Control'', ''Against the Grain'' and ''Generator'' (1986–1992)===
Bad Religion slowly reformed in 1986 out of the ''Back to the Known'' line-up when Graffin called Bentley and asked him to return. Bentley's response was tentative, but after being assured that the setlist consisted mostly of tracks from ''How Could Hell Be Any Worse?'', he agreed to return for one show, and ended up staying on because he had so much fun. A freshly rehabilitated Gurewitz was eventually convinced to come back aboard, and with Pete Finestone returning on drums and Greg Hetson on second guitar; Bad Religion was back.<ref name="opiateofthemasses" /> This lineup recorded the band's third album, ''[[Suffer (album)|Suffer]]'', which was released in 1988. The album received positive reviews in the independent music press and was voted Best Album of the Year by publications such as ''[[Trust (magazine)|Trust]]'', ''[[Maximumrocknroll|Maximum Rocknroll]]'' and ''[[Flipside (fanzine)|Flipside]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/theanswer/?article=suffer_%28album%29 |title=Suffer (album) &#124; The Answer &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref>

During the ''Suffer'' tour in 1988, Bad Religion began writing new material. In early 1989, while the band was on break from touring, they commenced work on their next album, and entered the [[Westbeach Recorders]] studio in June of that year to record it. The resulting album, ''[[No Control (Bad Religion album)|No Control]]'', was released in November 1989, and was Bad Religion's best-selling album at the time, eventually selling more than 80,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/theanswer/?article=no%5Fcontrol%5F%28album%29 |title=No Control (album) &#124; The Answer &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>

Bad Religion's hardcore punk style continued with their next album, ''[[Against the Grain (Bad Religion album)|Against the Grain]]'', which was released in 1990. While the album still did not break the band into mainstream audiences, it was the first 100,000 seller, and showed how quickly they were growing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/theanswer/?article=against_the_grain_(album) |title=Against The Grain (album) &#124; The Answer &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref> "[[21st Century (Digital Boy)]]", one of the tracks off the album, is generally regarded as the band's most well-known song, and has been played at almost every live show.

Drummer Pete Finestone left Bad Religion again in April 1991 to focus on his other band, the Fishermen, which had signed with a major label, and [[Bobby Schayer]] joined the band as his replacement. In May 1991, Bad Religion entered the Westbeach Recorders studio to begin recording material for their sixth studio album, ''[[Generator (Bad Religion album)|Generator]]'', which was not released until March 1992. The album was recorded almost live in the studio,<ref name="Generatorinfo">{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/theanswer/?article=generator_(album)|title=Generator - the album|website=Thebrpage.net|access-date=September 12, 2009}}</ref> because, at the time, Gurewitz had moved Westbeach to larger premises, and for the first time, the entire band could play in the studio at the same time. He stated that it was "time to change" and the band "did it in a different studio, but as far as the songwriting, it was a deliberate effort to try something different."<ref name="Generatorinfo" /> To accompany the album, Bad Religion filmed their first music video "[[Atomic Garden (song)|Atomic Garden]]", which was also their first song to be released as a single.

To coincide with the band's success, Bad Religion released a compilation album, ''[[80–85]]'', in 1991. It is a repackaging of their debut album, ''[[How Could Hell Be Any Worse?]]'', their two EPs, ''[[Bad Religion (EP)|Bad Religion]]'' and ''[[Back to the Known]]'' and the band's three track contributions to the ''[[Public Service (EP)|Public Service]]'' EP. This compilation did not include ''[[Into the Unknown (Bad Religion album)|Into the Unknown]]''. ''80–85'' is now out of print and has been replaced by the 2004 re-issued version of ''[[How Could Hell Be Any Worse?]]'' with the same track listings.

===Mainstream success and departure of Gurewitz (1993–1995)===

With [[alternative rock]] and [[grunge]] breaking into the mainstream, Bad Religion signed to [[Atlantic Records]] in 1993 and quickly re-released their seventh full-length studio album ''[[Recipe for Hate]]'' on the label that same year. Despite receiving mixed reviews from music critics, the album finally broke Bad Religion into mainstream audiences and got their highest U.S. chart position to date, debuting at No.&nbsp;14 on [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'s [[Top Heatseekers|Heatseekers]] chart, with "[[American Jesus]]" and "[[Struck a Nerve]]" in particular becoming major rock radio hits at their time. During their ''Recipe for Hate'' Tour, the band would support several opening acts, including then [[Lookout Records]]-signed punk band [[Green Day]].<ref name="pearn">{{cite news |last1=Pearn |first1=Frank Jr. |title=Punk Band Green Day Taking a 'Bookish' Turn |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1994-03-18-2957839-story.html |access-date=February 6, 2022 |work=The Morning Call |date=March 18, 1994}}</ref>

''Recipe for Hate'' was followed up by Bad Religion's eighth studio album ''[[Stranger than Fiction (Bad Religion album)|Stranger Than Fiction]]''. The album met high critical reception upon its release in September 1994, and was their most successful album at the time, scoring such hits as "[[Stranger than Fiction (Bad Religion song)|Stranger Than Fiction]]", "[[Infected (song)|Infected]]", and a re-recording of "[[21st Century (Digital Boy)]]", which was originally released on ''Against the Grain''. The band also recorded the song "Leaders and Followers" (which later appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese version of ''Stranger Than Fiction'') for the soundtrack for the [[Kevin Smith]] film, ''[[Clerks (1994 film)|Clerks]]''. The album was Bad Religion's first to enter the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]; the release peaked at number 87, and was awarded [[RIAA Certification|gold certification]] on March 4, 1998, for sales of over half a million copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |title=RIAA Certification (type in "Bad Religion" in the artist box) |work=[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] |access-date=October 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |archive-date=June 26, 2007 }}</ref> With the success of that album, Bad Religion became a key member of the 1990s [[Commercial broadcasting|commercial]] punk rock explosion, alongside Green Day and fellow Epitaph bands such as [[the Offspring]], [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]], and [[NOFX]].<ref name="autobiography" />

Gurewitz left the band right before the release of ''Stranger Than Fiction''. He officially cited the reason for his departure as the increasing amount of time he was needed at Epitaph as the Offspring (who had just released ''[[Smash (The Offspring album)|Smash]]'' to unexpected success and acclaim) became one of the biggest bands of the mid-1990s. Gurewitz, along with many fans, accused the band of [[selling out]] for leaving Epitaph to seek greater financial success.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rogers|first=Neal|title=The Higher Calling|date=May 9, 1996|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=248&iType=25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050427023721/http://www.thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=248&iType=25|archive-date=April 27, 2005}}</ref> As tensions increased, Graffin would sing alternate lyrics during concerts, such as, "I want to know where Brett gets his crack" or "I want to know why Gurewitz cracked", on the song "[[Stranger than Fiction (Bad Religion song)|Stranger Than Fiction]]".<ref name="strangerthanfiction">{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/theanswer/?article=stranger_than_fiction_%28song%29 |title=Stranger Than Fiction (song) &#124; The Answer &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |website=Thebrpage.net |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref> These barbs referred to Gurewitz's struggles with crack, heroin, and other addictions which plagued him for years. Brett discussed his drug use in an interview on the band's ''Suffer Tour'' documentary, ''[[Along the Way]]'', and claimed that he was clean and sober. In response, Gurewitz recorded a song with his new band, [[The Daredevils (band)|the Daredevils]], titled "[[Hate You (Daredevils song)|Hate You]]".

Gurewitz was replaced as guitarist by [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]], a former member of the bands [[Minor Threat]], [[Dag Nasty]], and [[Junkyard (band)|Junkyard]]; Baker declined a spot with [[R.E.M.]] to join Bad Religion.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sharpe-Young|first=Garry|title=New Wave of American Heavy Metal|year=2005|publisher=Zonda Books Limited|isbn=0958268401|page=46}}</ref> With Gurewitz gone, Graffin became Bad Religion's primary songwriter (songwriting duties were originally split between the two).

===Post-Gurewitz period, departure of Bobby Schayer (1996–2000)===
Bad Religion continued touring and recording without Brett Gurewitz, releasing three more albums for Atlantic, starting with ''[[The Gray Race]]'' (1996), produced by former Cars frontman [[Ric Ocasek]]. Despite never garnering the amount of attention that ''Stranger Than Fiction'' received, it scored Bad Religion a minor U.S. radio hit with the song, "A Walk", as well as the European release of "Punk Rock Song".

[[File:Badr1995.jpg|thumb|[[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]] (left) with Bad Religion live in the Netherlands, 1995]]
In 1998, Bad Religion released their tenth full-length album, ''[[No Substance]]'', produced by [[Alex Perialas]], Ronnie Kimball, and the band themselves. Although the album was anticipated by music critics and fans alike as a result of the band's previous worldwide successes with ''Stranger Than Fiction'' and ''The Gray Race'', it was given mixed reviews by both critics and fans.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r348580|pure_url=yes}} Ankeny, J: "No Substance" review]</ref> Following the release of ''No Substance'', the band embarked on a year-long tour.

In 1999, Gurewitz reunited with Graffin to co-write a song together called, "Believe It", which would appear on their next album, ''[[The New America]]'' (2000). For this new album, [[Todd Rundgren]], an early musical inspiration for Graffin, was brought in to produce. "Todd was kind of an underground sensation back in 1974. Here's a guy who was making pop music but in a way that you wouldn't hear on the radio. So much of my early musical identity was wrapped up in the way he conducted himself." In the summer of 2000, they set out on a successful 3-month U.S. arena tour opening for [[Blink-182]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/shows/tour.asp?tourID=33|title=2000 - The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show Tour (supporting Blink 182) &#124; Tours & shows &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995|website=Thebrpage.net|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref> Interest in recording the record waned due to Rundgren's poor attitude. Jay Bentley reflects on this by saying, "I didn't feel we were going anywhere and so did Greg. Todd didn't like Greg and that made Greg so mad! He met his idol, and he was a jerk! I don't think Todd gave a shit about anything."<ref name="chartattack">{{cite web|url=http://www.chartattack.com/features/1515/bad-religion-the-process-of-labels|title=Bad Religion: The Process of Labels|first=Keith|last=Carman|work=[[Chart (magazine)|Chart]]|date=July 19, 2002|access-date=September 27, 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606183720/http://www.chartattack.com/features/1515/bad-religion-the-process-of-labels|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> However, Graffin later writes in his book, "Anarchy Evolution", that, although Rundgren was difficult to work with, he and Graffin remain friends to this day. Meanwhile, [[Bobby Schayer]] left the band following a serious shoulder injury and was replaced by [[Brooks Wackerman]] ([[Suicidal Tendencies]]).

===Return to Epitaph and reunion with Gurewitz (2001–2004)===
In 2001, Bad Religion departed from Atlantic Records. They returned to Epitaph, and Brett Gurewitz rejoined the band. The expanded six-piece line-up then recorded and released ''[[The Process of Belief]]'' (2002). Graffin stated, "There was a little bit of disappointment on my part when he left the band, but we never had any serious acrimony between the two of us. I can't say the same for the rest of the band. But he and I, being the songwriters from way back, we really wanted to try again."<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/badreligion/articles/story/5927776/the_new_state_of_bad_religion|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930221821/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/badreligion/articles/story/5927776/the_new_state_of_bad_religion|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2007|title=The New State of Bad Religion|first=Jennifer|last=Vineyard|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=May 11, 2000}}</ref>

Their next album, ''[[The Empire Strikes First]]'', was released in June 2004. Like ''The Process of Belief'', it was widely regarded by fans{{who|date=June 2012}} as a return to the faster punk-style songwriting that some felt was less prominent in the band's music during their time on Atlantic.

In April 2004, the band also re-released digitally-remastered versions of all of their first six studio albums on Epitaph Records (except ''Into the Unknown''). The ''How Could Hell Be Any Worse?'' reissue, though reclaiming the original title of the band's debut LP, contained all of the same material as the previously issued ''80–85'' compilation, including their first EP, the ''[[Public Service (EP)|Public Service]]'' EP (with different versions of the songs Bad Religion, Slaves, and Drastic Actions than the self-titled EP) and the "Back to the Known" EP. To coincide with the reissues, they also released their long out-of-print live VHS, ''[[Along the Way]]'', on DVD for the first time. ''Recipe for Hate'', though, could not be re-issued, even though it was originally released on Epitaph, due to the fact that it had already been re-issued through Atlantic, and so problems with rights ownership made a reissue unlikely.

===''New Maps of Hell'' (2005–2008)===
[[File:Bad Religion 2005-6-22.jpg|left|thumb|Bentley (left) and Graffin (right) with Bad Religion live in the House of Blues, 2005]]
On March 7, 2006, a live DVD, ''[[Live at the Palladium (Bad Religion DVD)|Live at the Palladium]]'', was released. This DVD featured a live show performed in late 2004 at the Hollywood Palladium as well as extensive interviews, several music videos, and a photo gallery. During one of the interview segments, guitarist [[Brett Gurewitz]] said the band's next album would be a double-length release, but this turned out to not be the case.<ref name="palladium" />

[[Greg Graffin]] released his second solo album, ''[[Cold as the Clay]]'', on July 11, 2006.

Bad Religion's fourteenth studio album, ''[[New Maps of Hell (Bad Religion album)|New Maps of Hell]]'', was released on July 10, 2007. On June 29 of that year ([[Greg Hetson]]'s 46th birthday), [[Epitaph Records]] started selling ''New Maps of Hell'' at the [[Warped Tour]] in Pomona, California. The album was a commercial success and spawned three hit singles: "[[Honest Goodbye]]", "Heroes and Martyrs", and "[[New Dark Ages]]". As a result, ''New Maps of Hell'' reached number 35 on the ''Billboard'' 200, marking Bad Religion's highest-ever chart position. The band joined the 2007 Warped Tour to support the album.<ref name="warpedtour">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_tours/bad_religion_sign_on_for_warped_tour.html|title=Bad Religion Sign On For Warped Tour|date=November 28, 2006}}</ref>

Hetson formed a [[Supergroup (music)|supergroup]] band called [[Black President (band)|Black President]], consisting of Charlie Paulson (from [[Goldfinger (band)|Goldfinger]]), Jason Christopher, Wade Youman (both from [[Unwritten Law]]), and [[Christian Martucci]] (from [[Dee Dee Ramone]]).<ref name="blackpresident">In the January issue of the magazine Alternative Press, it was revealed that their 14th album would be released in late spring 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/20720|title=Greg Hetson, Charlie Paulson form Black President|date=November 6, 2006}}</ref>

In early March 2008, Bad Religion played several night residences at [[House of Blues]] venues in [[Southern California]] as well as [[Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/27616 |title=Tours: Bad Religion (California / Nevada) |website=Punknews.org |date=February 6, 2008 |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref> They performed four European festival appearances in May and June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/27779 |title=Bad Religion announce European festival appearances |website=Punknews.org |date=February 19, 2008 |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref>

On July 8, 2008, Bad Religion released their first-ever deluxe edition CD, a reissue of the then-current album, ''[[New Maps of Hell (Bad Religion album)|New Maps of Hell]]''. The deluxe version included the original 16-song CD along with seven new acoustic tracks recorded by Graffin (vocals/guitars) and Gurewitz (guitars/back vocals). Three of the acoustic songs were new, written specifically for this release, while the other four tracks were acoustic versions of existing Bad Religion songs. The release also included a DVD with an hour-long live performance, music videos, and behind-the-scenes footage.

===''30 Years Live'' and ''The Dissent of Man'' (2009–2010)===
In June 2008, [[Jay Bentley]] said in an interview at the [[Pinkpop Festival]] in [[Landgraaf]], Netherlands, that Gurewitz had already begun writing new material for the next Bad Religion album. He stated that the band was planning to return to the studio to start work on the follow-up to ''New Maps of Hell'', planned for a June 2009 release, after Graffin teaches UCLA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/29193 |title=Bad Religion looks ahead to 2009 album |website=Punknews.org |date=June 8, 2008 |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref> However, according to a December 2008 report on the fan site, "The Bad Religion Page", Bentley revealed that due to Bad Religion's upcoming touring commitments for 2009, the band would not have a chance to record their new album until around the end of the year, for an expected 2010 release date.<ref name="nextBRalbum">{{cite web|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/31481 |title=Bad Religion to release next album in 2010? |website=Punknews.org |date=December 3, 2008 |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref>

In August 2009, guitarist Brett Gurewitz sent an email to a fan site mentioning he was writing new material for the next Bad Religion album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1653 |title=15 in 2010 &#124; News from the front &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |website=Thebrpage.net |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref>

In December 2009, Bentley revealed to the fan site that the band was expected to go into the studio on April 26, 2010, to start recording their new album. He stated that a few songs for the album had been written and, "It feels like the songwriting is picking up momentum. Baker said he was going to drive up to Graffin's, and Brooks and I are going to do some demos with Brett, so we have a pretty good jump."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1671 |title=UPDATE: Bad Religion plans to hit the studio in April for a fall release &#124; News from the front &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |website=Thebrpage.net |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref> According to Brett's [[Twitter]], Bad Religion is aiming for a fall release of the new album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/OblivionPact |title=Brett Gurewitz (OblivionPact) on Twitter |date=December 12, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017055628/https://twitter.com/OblivionPact |archive-date=October 17, 2014 }}</ref> In January 2010, Bentley revealed that Bad Religion would record their new album at a studio in [[Pasadena, California]], with [[Joe Barresi]], who engineered 2004's ''The Empire Strikes First'' and produced its 2007 follow-up, ''New Maps of Hell''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1675|title=Minor League news No.&nbsp;12|date=January 28, 2010}}</ref> Despite the statement made by Bentley about entering the studio in April, he noted that the recording date was now May 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/albumdiary/ |title=2012 Album diary &#124; the Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |access-date=November 5, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008103643/http://www.thebrpage.net/albumdiary/ |archive-date=October 8, 2012 }}</ref>

In March and April 2010, to commemorate their 30th anniversary, Bad Religion toured Southern California's and Nevada's House of Blues locations, playing 30 Shows in 30 Nights with a 30-song set each night. At the House of Blues concert in [[Anaheim, California]], on March 17, 2010, the band debuted a new song called "Resist-Stance" from their upcoming album. To coincide with the tour, Bad Religion announced a live album, entitled ''[[30 Years Live]]'', which was released as a free download for those who had signed up to the mailing list at Bad Religion's website. It consists of songs recorded during their House of Blues tour. It also included some new songs from their 15th studio album, before the new album was released. ''[[30 Years Live]]'' was mixed by [[Mike Fraser (record producer)|Mike Fraser]] and was released on May 18, 2010.

On May 1, 2010, Brett posted an update on his Twitter saying, "Threw me a going away [to the studio] party and all my friends hung with me tonight – thx everybody, I love you guys."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BrettGurewitz/status/13232357600|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715133702/http://twitter.com/BrettGurewitz/status/13232357600|url-status=dead|title=Twitter / BrettGurewitz: @ginaemiko threw me a goin|date=July 15, 2012|archive-date=July 15, 2012|publisher=[[Twitter]]|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref> This adds fuel to the possibility of the band's new album being recorded the first week of May. On May 12, 2010 (which happened to be Brett's 48th birthday), bassist Jay Bentley posted an update on their Facebook page regarding the recording process of the album: "First week of recording at Joe's house of compression and Brooks gets the medal for superasskicking. Brian has finished 14 basics ... a couple more to go. I started getting some good bass sounds late, late last night, the liver wins the shootout again. Brett is playing late night tracks on his birthday, some way to celebrate! happy birthday bg! quote of the day; BG "what percentage of the sound is coming from the snakeskin?". haha ... working of album titles and ideas today. It's all coming together. Joe says the corn flavored kit kats are gross, but the wasabi ones are quite delicious ... get back to work. Work work work. Will send photo's soon."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thebrpage.net/albumdiary/ |title=2010 Album diary &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=October 15, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929073404/http://www.thebrpage.net/albumdiary/ |archive-date=September 29, 2011 }}</ref>

In June 2010, the fan site reported that the new album would be released on September 28, 2010. Jay (who goes by jabberwock on the Bad Religion Page) mentioned on the site's message board that Bad Religion had finished recording their new album and was mixing it. In an interview at the Azkena Rock Festival on June 26, 2010, the band members announced that the new album would be called ''[[The Dissent of Man]]''. ''The Dissent of Man'' was released on September 28, 2010. The album debuted at No. 35 on the Billboard 200 chart and at No. 6 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200?tag=chscr1#/album/bad-religion/dissent-of-man/1390918 |title=Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Album Charts |publisher=Billboard |access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref> On August 30, 2010, the album version of the song, "The Resist Stance", was released on Bad Religion's MySpace page. The song was also made available for streaming on the page a week before the album's release. The band had been touring throughout 2011 to support the album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/shows/ |title=Tours & shows &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>

On October 18, 2010, Bad Religion released a vinyl box set of all their albums that is limited to 3000 copies, including their 1983 album, ''[[Into the Unknown (Bad Religion album)|Into the Unknown]]'', which had been out of print for over 25 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2010/10/bad-religion-release-limited-edition-anniversary-box-set |title=Bad Religion release limited-edition anniversary box set |publisher=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]] |date=2010-10-31 |access-date=2021-08-30}}</ref>

===''True North'' (2011–2013)===
[[File:Provinssirock 20130614 - Bad Religion - 35.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Bad Religion performing in 2013]]
In an April 2011 interview with ''[[The Washington Examiner]]'', guitarist [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]] was asked if Bad Religion was going to make another album after ''The Dissent of Man''. His response was, "It's all very punk [attitude] just like it's always been. We will record when we have enough songs. For us, it just kind of happens."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/2011/04/bad-religion-recruiting-tour|title=Bad Religion on a recruiting tour|date=April 24, 2011|publisher=[[The Washington Examiner]]|access-date=April 25, 2011}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> During the Boston show on April 29, 2011, frontman [[Greg Graffin]] said, "After this year you probably won't be seeing much more of us. We're going to try one more album and then all join the navy, do honest work", hinting at a possible split or hiatus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/default.asp?newsID=1916|title=Guitar Center interview with Greg and Brett|date=May 6, 2011|publisher=The Bad Religion Page|access-date=May 6, 2011}}</ref> Bassist [[Jay Bentley]] mentioned an early 2012 timeframe for going back into the studio in an interview at [[KITS|Live 105]]'s BFD festival, which took place the day after the Weenie Roast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1921|title=A couple of interviews and early news about a new album|date=June 7, 2011|publisher=The Bad Religion Page|access-date=June 7, 2011}}</ref> In February 2012, it was reported that Brett had written two songs for the album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1940|title=Minor League news No.&nbsp;20|date=February 18, 2012|publisher=The Bad Religion Page|access-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref>

On June 25, 2011, Bad Religion performed a live set for "[[Guitar Center]] Sessions" on [[DirecTV]]. The episode included an interview with program host, [[Nic Harcourt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sessions.guitarcenter.com/bad-religion/ |title=Bad Religion &#124; Guitar Center Sessions |publisher=Sessions.guitarcenter.com |access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref>

According to a May 2012 interview with [[Pennywise (band)|Pennywise]] guitarist [[Fletcher Dragge]], Brett is writing a "fast" Bad Religion album. He also said that Pennywise's then-new album, ''[[All or Nothing (Pennywise album)|All or Nothing]]'', inspired Brett to write a sequel to the band's 1989 album, ''[[No Control (Bad Religion album)|No Control]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idioteq.com/pennywise-guitarist-says-all-or-nothing-inspired-brett-gurewitz-to-write-another-fast-bad-religion-record/ |title=Idioteq – PENNYWISE guitarist says "All or Nothing" inspired Brett Gurewitz to write another fast BAD RELIGION record |publisher=Idioteq.com |date=May 7, 2012 |access-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1947 |title=Brett inspired to write another No Control &#124; News from the front &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref>

On June 4, 2012, [[Jay Bentley]] told the Bad Religion fan site, "The Bad Religion Page", that they were expected to begin recording their new album in July and August. He also stated that Brett and [[Joe Barresi]] are going to produce it. On July 23, the band uploaded a picture to Bad Religion's [[Facebook]] page of all the members (except [[Greg Hetson]], who was taking the picture) in the studio with the caption, "here we go again", indicating that work on their sixteenth studio album had begun. On August 22, [[Brett Gurewitz]] tweeted that they were mixing the album, and, a month later, he tweeted that the band was finishing it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/albumdiary/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008103643/http://www.thebrpage.net/albumdiary/|url-status=dead|title=Thebrpage.net|archive-date=October 8, 2012}}</ref> [[Greg Graffin]] later stated that the album was supposed to be out by Christmas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1959 |title=Some details about the upcoming record &#124; News from the front &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref> "Fuck You" was the album's lead single and released on [[iTunes]] on November 6, which happened to be Greg Graffin's 48th birthday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1961 |title=UPDATE: New single details appear in iTunes - Now with high-res images &#124; News from the front &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref>

On November 5, 2012 (Bad Religion Day), it was announced that Bad Religion's sixteenth studio album, ''[[True North (Bad Religion album)|True North]]'', would be released on January 22, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=1962 |title=The name of the new album is True North &#124; News from the front &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref> On that same day, they premiered the new single "Fuck You". ''True North'' has received mostly positive reviews and managed to reach number 18 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] albums chart, marking Bad Religion's first ever top-20 album and highest ever peak on that chart in their entire 34-year career.<ref>{{cite web|title =Bad Religion Chart Career High|date=January 30, 2013|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3031171|publisher=Drew Beringer|access-date=January 31, 2013}}</ref>

===Departures of Hetson and Wackerman, and ''Christmas Songs'' (2013–2017)===

Bad Religion played a few shows as a four-piece (without [[Greg Hetson]] and [[Brett Gurewitz]]) in mid April - May 2013—starting with their appearance at "That Damn Show" in Mesa, AZ, on April 20, including some high profile shows such as [[Groezrock]] in Belgium—leading fans to speculate over Greg Hetson's continued involvement in the band.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skatepunkers.net/2013/05/greg-hetson-left-bad-religion.html |title=Greg Hetson left Bad Religion? |publisher=skatepunkers |date=May 1, 2013 |access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref>

On May 7, 2013, [[Jay Bentley]] issued a statement to the fan site, which read, "Greg Hetson is dealing with some personal issues, if he wishes to make a statement we will support that, if he chooses not to we will support that. [[Mike Dimkich]] is indeed helping us out right now, and we are genuinely appreciative. Right now we are just looking forward and getting ready to play our shows."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailypunk.com/7216/bad-religions-jay-bentley-addresses-issue-on-greg-hetson |title=Bad Religion's Jay Bentley addresses issue on Greg Hetson |publisher=Daily Punk |access-date=December 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211162406/http://www.dailypunk.com/7216/bad-religions-jay-bentley-addresses-issue-on-greg-hetson |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7810&PID=169404&title=the-mysterious-hetson-case |title=Forum &#124; The Bad Religion Page - Since 1995 |publisher=Thebrpage.net |access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref> The reason Hetson had not been touring with Bad Religion was likely due to the divorce of his second wife Alia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://noisecreep.com/bad-religion-greg-hetson-wife-legal-action-against-each-other/ |title=Bad Religion's Greg Hetson + Wife Take Legal Action |publisher=Noisecreep.com |date=July 28, 2013 |access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref> On January 11, 2014, Bentley confirmed on "thebrpage.net" that Dimkich is a permanent member of the band.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=2120#comments |title=True North as Team Coco web exclusive |date=January 8, 2014 |website=The Bad Religion Page |access-date=January 17, 2014}}</ref> A few days later, [[Download Festival]]'s official website uploaded a photograph of the new lineup (without Brett Gurewitz).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=2122 |title=Does this make it official? It seems so |date=January 16, 2014 |website=The Bad Religion Page |access-date=January 17, 2014}}</ref>

Later, in 2022, Hetson appeared on the podcast Fat Mike's Fat Mic stating he was let go due to his admitted addiction to painkillers and the behavior he exhibited due to this addiction.<ref name="fatmikepodcast2-18-2022">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAcwuPJ46Q&t=1332s&ab_channel=FatWreckChords|title='Fat Mike's Fat Mic - Greg Hetson gets kicked out of Bad Religion for doing painkillers'|work=[[YouTube]]|date=February 18, 2022|access-date=February 18, 2022}}</ref>

On September 10, 2013, it was announced that Bad Religion would be releasing their first [[Christmas music|Christmas]] album, titled ''[[Christmas Songs (Bad Religion album)|Christmas Songs]]'', on October 29, 2013. It was their first album to not feature [[Greg Hetson]] since 1983's ''[[Into the Unknown (Bad Religion album)|Into the Unknown]]''.<ref name="epitaph9-10-2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.epitaph.com/news/news/3726/BAD_RELIGION_To_Release_Christmas_Songs_On_October_29|title='BAD RELIGION To Release 'Christmas Songs' On October 29|work=[[Epitaph Records]]|date=September 10, 2013|access-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref>

In a November 2013 interview, guitarist [[Brett Gurewitz]] stated that Bad Religion would start writing their seventeenth studio album in 2014,<ref>{{cite web|title=Brett in the media. Plus a first sign of a next album?|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=2111|publisher=Drew Beringer|access-date=November 27, 2013}}</ref> and guitarist [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]] said that he hoped Bad Religion would start recording the album in the fall of 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bad Religion returning to studio!|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=2145|date=March 21, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref> However, in a September 2015 interview, frontman [[Greg Graffin]] stated that he had been working on his first solo album since 2006's ''[[Cold as the Clay]]'', and that the band would begin writing their new album after the release of his third solo album, ''Millport'',<ref>{{cite web|date=November 9, 2015|title=Greg Graffin Wants to Provoke People to Think|url=http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/Blogs/Cityfiles/Fall-2015/Greg-Graffin-Wants-to-Provoke-People-to-Think/|access-date=November 11, 2015|publisher=[[San Diego Magazine]]}}</ref> so a new Bad Religion album would not be released until around late 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=2151 |title=New solo album Greg Graffin? |publisher=The Bad Religion Page |date=September 26, 2015 |access-date=October 2, 2015}}</ref> Baker said, however, that the new album would not be released until 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bad Religion Planning a New Album for 2017|url=http://www.riffyou.com/bad-religion-new-album-2017/|access-date=April 27, 2016|website=Riffyou.com|date=February 18, 2016}}</ref> Asked in a March 2017 interview about the follow-up to ''True North'', Graffin said, "It's one of the great challenges as artist is to maintain the tradition of his or her prior work. That's hard to do. It normally takes (Bad Religion) two years to put out an album. Why has it taken us four years to release an album after ''True North''? Well, ''True North'' was such a great album — and we owe it to our fans to take it seriously as a great album — that to do another one is going to take a lot more work."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://punx.uk/ds-interview-greg-graffin-on-his-latest-solo-effort-and-new-bad-religion/ |title=DS Interview: Greg Graffin on his latest solo effort and new Bad Religion |publisher=punx.uk |access-date=March 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330091804/http://punx.uk/ds-interview-greg-graffin-on-his-latest-solo-effort-and-new-bad-religion/ |archive-date=March 30, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Millport'' was eventually released on March 10, 2017.

From July to September 2014, Bad Religion embarked on the Summer Nationals Tour with [[Pennywise (band)|Pennywise]]; their former labelmates the Offspring, [[the Vandals]], [[Stiff Little Fingers]], and [[Naked Raygun]] supported them on selected dates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://offspring.com/news/402/summer-nationals-2014-tour-announcement |title=Summer Nationals 2014 Tour Announcement |date=May 12, 2014 |publisher=Offspring.com |access-date=May 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003101434/http://offspring.com/news/402/summer-nationals-2014-tour-announcement |archive-date=October 3, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebrpage.net/news/?newsID=2130 |title=Summer Nationals tour announced |date=May 12, 2014 |publisher=thebrpage.net |access-date=May 31, 2014}}</ref>

On October 27, 2015, drummer [[Brooks Wackerman]] officially left the band in order to pursue other projects,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t%3D3735295 |title=Brooks Wackerman Leaves Bad Religion - News Article - AbsolutePunk.net |access-date=October 28, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20151125123957/http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3735295 |archive-date=November 25, 2015 }}</ref> joining [[Avenged Sevenfold]] a week later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/avenged-sevenfold-recruits-ex-bad-religion-drummer-brooks-wackerman/ |title=Avenged Sevenfold Recruits Ex Bad Religion Drummer Brooks Wackerman |website=Blabbermouth.net |date=November 4, 2015 |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref> He was replaced by [[Jamie Miller (US musician)|Jamie Miller]] ([[...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead]], [[Souls at Zero (band)|Souls at Zero]] and [[Snot (band)|Snot]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://shockedblog.com/2016/02/05/jamie-miller-es-el-nuevo-baterista-de-bad-religion/ |title=Jamie Miller es el nuevo baterista de Bad Religion – Shocked |website=Shockedblog.com |access-date=April 27, 2016 |archive-date=May 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530124955/https://shockedblog.com/2016/02/05/jamie-miller-es-el-nuevo-baterista-de-bad-religion/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://rockaxis.com/rock/novedades/brian-baker-jamie-miller-es-el-nuevo-baterista-de-bad-religion |title=Brian Baker: "Jamie Miller es el nuevo baterista de Bad Religion" &#124; Novedades &#124; Rock, Xcore |language=es |website=Rockaxis.com |access-date=April 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313043218/http://rockaxis.com/rock/novedades/brian-baker-jamie-miller-es-el-nuevo-baterista-de-bad-religion |archive-date=March 13, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===''Age of Unreason'' and follow-up album (2018–present)===
[[file:Bad Religion - 2018154161731 2018-06-03 Rock am Ring - 5DS R - 0045 - 5DSR6365.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Bad Religion performing in 2018]]
On February 14, 2018, vocalist [[Greg Graffin]] posted on Twitter a picture of himself with guitarist [[Brett Gurewitz]] in the studio, tweeting, "New songs in the pipeline," indicating that they were working on Bad Religion's seventeenth studio album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.twitter.com/DoctorGraffin/status/963952352179847170|title=Greg Graffin on Twitter|publisher=[[Twitter]]|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref> Speculations about the album resurfaced in April of that year when Gurewitz and guitarist [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]] posted pictures from the studio on their respective Instagram accounts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh9tRM8HRX-/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/Bh9tRM8HRX- |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |url-access=registration|title=Brett Gurewitz on Instagram: "Today's office"|website=Instagram|access-date=May 27, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh7Y79PnaSr/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/Bh7Y79PnaSr |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |url-access=registration|title=Brian Baker on Instagram: "FINALLY"|website=Instagram|access-date=May 27, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On June 20, 2018, the band released the song, "The Kids Are Alt-Right",<ref>{{cite web|date=June 20, 2018|title=BAD RELIGION Takes Down Alt-Right Movement With New Single, 'The Kids Are Alt-Right'|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/bad-religion-takes-down-alt-right-movement-with-new-single-the-kids-are-alt-right/|access-date=June 20, 2018|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]}}</ref> their first single in five years.

Despite earlier reports that they had been in the studio since February, up to mid 2018, and the fact that they had already released a new song, Gurewitz told ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' in July 2018 that, "We're writing for a new album, recording this fall or late summer. No release date announced yet, but we should have an album's worth of 'Fuck [[Donald Trump|Trump]]' songs pretty soon. It's exactly what we need."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/super-powers-and-punk-rock-brett-gurewitz-crosses-mediums-to-spread-important-messages-9625890|title=Super Powers and Punk Rock: Brett Gurewitz Crosses Mediums to Spread Important Messages|last=Callwood|first=Brett|date=July 11, 2018|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref> On February 26, 2019, Bad Religion announced ''[[Age of Unreason (album)|Age of Unreason]]'' as the title of their seventeenth studio album, which was released on May 3, and the album's lead single, "Chaos from Within", was premiered.<ref name="blabbermouth" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wallofsoundau.com/2019/02/27/bad-religion-announce-new-album-age-of-unreason-and-release-new-song-chaos-from-within/|title=Bad Religion announce new album Age of Unreason and release new song 'Chaos From Within'|last=brownypaul|date=February 26, 2019|website=Wall Of Sound|language=en-US|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref>

On August 18, 2020, ''Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion'', an autobiography covering the band's 40-year career, was released by [[Hachette Books]].<ref name="autobiography" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/bad-religion/do-what-you-want/9781549143021/|title=Do What You Want|date=January 7, 2020|isbn=9781549143021|language=en-US}}</ref>

About four months after the release of ''Age of Unreason'', guitarist [[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]] was asked if Bad Religion was already working on a follow-up album. His response was: "No, I'm not really thinking about a new album right now because this one is still developing and there is a lot of world yet to play. 2020 is going to be a busy year for us, it's our 40th Anniversary year. We have a book coming out at the end of the year – it'll be our first authorized, somewhat participatory, biography of Bad Religion. So there is a lot more to do with this record. The good thing about Bad Religion is that you don't really have to have a new product out to go work. The catalogue we have is so extensive and we are so fortunate to have the fan base that we have. So we don't really worry about a new album cycle, those thing just sort of come when they come. The next one might take four or five years, it might take two, I don't know. It's just about whether songs have come together in a way that is respectful of the Bad Religion standard. But in the meantime, we have Brazil to rock."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/bad_religions_brian_baker_talks_guitar_horror_stories_recalls_wild_jam_with_santana_when_he_was_12.html|title=Bad Religion's Brian Baker Talks Guitar Horror Stories, Recalls Wild Jam With Santana When He Was 12|work=[[Ultimate Guitar]]|date=September 30, 2019|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref> When asked in August 2019 about the future of the band, Bentley stated, "Everything I know about everything came from being in this band and came from some conversations driving in the van for hours on end. We're just these guys who don't want to stop asking why. We are what we are as Bad Religion. We're the thinking man's punk band, and that's kept us out of the mainstream. We're writing smart songs, and that makes us dumb."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bad Religion revels in being 'the thinking man's punk band,' with new album 'Age of Unreason' and Agora date|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/08/bad-religion-revels-in-being-the-thinking-mans-punk-band-with-new-album-age-of-unreason-and-agora-date.html|website=cleveland.com|date=August 6, 2019|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> In an August 2020 interview with ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', Graffin said, "We've been working on some music, just as we're socially distant from each other; each of us has home recording studios. I always write music acoustically."<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Bad Religion's Greg Graffin on cramming 40 years of punk-rock chaos into one book|url=https://ew.com/music/bad-religion-interview-do-what-you-want/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly|ew.com]]|date=August 17, 2020|access-date=August 18, 2020}}</ref> In November 2022, Baker confirmed that Gurewitz was "starting to dust off his writing boots" and expressed hope that the band's next album will be recorded in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/bad-religion-hopes-to-have-new-music-recorded-next-year|title=BAD RELIGION Hopes To Have New Music Recorded Next Year|work=Blabbermouth.net|date=November 15, 2022|access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref>

On April 29, 2020, Bad Religion announced on their social media accounts that they had to cancel all of their tour dates for that year due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], including a co-headlining US tour with [[Alkaline Trio]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/bad-religion-cancel-2020-touring-225847408.html|title=Bad Religion's Brian Baker Talks Guitar Horror Stories, Recalls Wild Jam With Santana When He Was 12|work=[[Yahoo! News]]|date=April 29, 2020|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref> therefore marking 2020 as the first year the band did not perform at least one show since their inception in 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebrpage.net/shows/?startDate=1/1/1980&endDate=12/31/2020|title=Tours & shows|work=The Bad Religion Page|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref> They subsequently also rescheduled their South American and European tour dates with [[Suicidal Tendencies]], [[Millencolin]], and [[Pulley (band)|Pulley]] to 2022 (originally scheduled for May and June 2021), once again due to the COVID pandemic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebrpage.net/shows/tour.asp?tourID=117|title=2021 - 40th + 1 Anniversary European Tour|work=The Bad Religion Page|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebrpage.net/shows/tour.asp?tourID=120|title=2022 - 40th + 2 Anniversary European Tour|work=The Bad Religion Page|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> They also rescheduled their North American tour with Alkaline Trio, which was slated to take place in the fall of 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebrpage.net/shows/tour.asp?tourID=123|title=2021 - North America Tour|work=The Bad Religion Page|access-date=July 18, 2021}}</ref>

In October 2020, Bad Religion released a new song, "What Are We Standing For", on streaming platforms, which was an outtake from the ''Age of Unreason'' sessions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/bad-religion-releases-new-track-what-are-we-standing-for/|title=BAD RELIGION Releases New Track 'What Are We Standing For'|work=Blabbermouth|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref>

On January 20, 2021, Bad Religion released a previously unreleased song called "Emancipation of the Mind", which was recorded during the ''Age of Unreason'' sessions. The release of the song coincided with the [[inauguration of Joe Biden]], and it had more hopeful themes compared to other songs that they've written while also being a rejection of [[Donald Trump|Trumpism]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=2021-01-20|title=Hear Bad Religion's Hopeful New 'Emancipation of the Mind,' Timed to Inauguration Day|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bad-religion-emancipation-of-the-mind-new-song-1116767/|access-date=2021-01-23|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref>

As of February, 2025, Bad Religion is in the studio to record a follow up album to ''Age of Unreason''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.punknews.org/article/84853/bad-religion-in-the-studio | title=Bad Religion in the studio | date=February 14, 2025 }}</ref>
==Style and influences==
Bad Religion has been described as [[melodic hardcore]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barnard|first=Laurent|date=July 9, 2015|title=This Is Hardcore: Bad Religion – "Suffer"|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/this-is-hardcore-bad-religion-suffer|access-date=July 12, 2020|website=[[Louder Sound]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jul/13/popandrock.shopping2 |title=Bad Religion, New Maps of Hell |work=[[The Guardian]] |last=Thomson |first=Jamie |date=July 13, 2007 |access-date=January 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-17 |title=Bad Religion – "The Profane Rights Of Man" |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2019188/bad-religion-the-profane-rights-of-man/music/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[Stereogum]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=2020-01-08 |title=first-ever Bad Religion autobiography coming for band's 40th anniversary |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/first-ever-bad-religion-autobiography-coming-for-bands-40th-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[BrooklynVegan]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/bad_religion_announce_canadaus_summer_tour |title=Bad Religion Announce Canada/U.S. Summer Tour |work=[[Exclaim!]] |last=Adams |first=Gregory |date=February 17, 2015 |access-date=January 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name="sacher"/> [[punk rock]],<ref name=Nashville/><ref name="Erlewine">{{Cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen|title=Bad Religion|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bad-religion-mn0000062823|access-date=July 12, 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-03 |title=Bad Religion's Greg Graffin talks about the band's 40 years of punk rock |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2020/06/03/bad-religions-greg-graffin-talks-about-the-bands-40-years-of-punk-rock |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-27 |title=BAD RELIGION - 'Emancipation Of The Mind' A White House Welcome |url=https://www.hysteriamag.com/bad-religion-emancipation-mind-white-house-welcome/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=Hysteria Magazine}}</ref> [[skate punk]],<ref name="Erlewine"/><ref name=Nashville>{{cite web|url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/article/13047368/how-bad-religion-transcended-the-ages-of-american-punk-rock|title=How Bad Religion transcended the ages of American punk rock|website=Nashvillescene.com|date=March 14, 2013 |access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cimarusti |first=Luca |date=2019-08-02 |title=Nearly 40 years into their career, Bad Religion are the best west-coast punk band in existence |url=http://chicagoreader.com/music/nearly-40-years-into-their-career-bad-religion-are-the-best-west-coast-punk-band-in-existence/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[Chicago Reader]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 14, 2020 |title=Bad Religion Ask 'What Are We Standing For' on New Single |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/bad_religion_ask_what_are_we_standing_for_on_new_single |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=[[Exclaim!]]}}</ref> and [[hardcore punk]].<ref name="Erlewine"/><ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=March 1, 2017|title=Top 10 Hardcore Punk Bands|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/top-10-hardcore-punk-bands/amp/|url-status=live|access-date=August 29, 2021|website=UDiscoverMusic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407192606/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/top-10-hardcore-punk-bands/amp/ |archive-date=April 7, 2019 }}</ref><ref name="baraz">{{cite web |last1=Baraz |first1=Danny |title=SHOWSBad Religion at The Mayan: Hardcore Punk Lives On Through a Soft Generation |url=https://www.jankysmooth.com/bad-religion-at-the-mayan-fck-all-you-other-fake-a-toys/ |website=Janky Smooth |date=November 11, 2014 |access-date=April 16, 2022}}</ref><ref name="sacher">{{cite web |last1=Sacher |first1=Andrew |title=Bad Religion's 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse' turns 40, 'The Process of Belief' turns 20 |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/bad-religions-how-could-hell-be-any-worse-turns-40-the-process-of-belief-turns-20/ |website=[[Brooklyn Vegan]] |date=January 19, 2022 |access-date=April 16, 2022}}</ref> The band's major influences stemmed from late 1970s punk acts like the [[Ramones]], the [[Germs (band)|Germs]], the [[Sex Pistols]], and [[the Clash]], along with early 1980s American hardcore bands such as [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]], [[Minor Threat]], and the [[Circle Jerks]]. Unlike many other hardcore bands of the era, they also acknowledged [[proto-punk]] bands like the [[New York Dolls]], [[MC5]], and [[the Stooges]]. Even more unusual for a band of the scene that spawned them, they were also informed by such [[New wave music|new wavers]] as [[Elvis Costello]], [[the Jam]], and [[Nick Lowe]], as well as authors like [[Jack Kerouac]].<ref name="prosody">{{cite web|url=http://thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=245&iType=25 |title=Bad Religion's Punk Prosody |first=Sandy|last=Masuo |date=September 1994 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003620/http://thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=245&iType=25 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref> [[The Beatles]] were also a huge influence on Bad Religion. The band had said that the Beatles were about the only band everyone in Bad Religion really liked.

Reviewers have repeatedly cited an upbeat and positive tone to both the band's melody and lyrics, even when dealing with dark topics.<ref name="Spin review of True North">{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2013/01/bad-religion-dept-of-false-hope-true-north/ |title=Bad Religion Direct Digital Boy's Lame Dad to the 'Dept. Of False Hope' |date=January 12, 2013 |access-date=April 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.craveonline.com/music/reviews/134190-bad-religion-the-dissent-of-man| title=Bad Religion: The Dissent of Man | access-date=April 16, 2014}}</ref>

Greg Graffin called his influences, "Pop-sounding rock tunes that were not necessarily commercial."<ref name="palladium">{{cite video|people=Greg Graffin|title=Bad Religion Live at the Palladium|medium=DVD|publisher=Epitaph Records|date=2005}}</ref> Brett Gurewitz acknowledges attempting to emulate Germs singer [[Darby Crash]] early on in Bad Religion's lyrical style. "He wrote some intelligent stuff and didn't shy away from the vocabulary, which I thought was cool."<ref name="mrbrett">{{cite web|url=http://thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=216&iType=21 |title=A Conversation with Mr. Brett |author1=Matt Taylor|author2=Mateo Rojas |date=September 27, 1996 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003514/http://www.thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=216&iType=21 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref> In addition to their use of unusually sophisticated vocabulary for a punk band, Bad Religion is also known for their frequent use of vocal harmonies. They took their cues from [[the Adolescents]] in the way they used three-part harmonies. Bassist Jay Bentley said, "Seeing the Adolescents live, it was so brilliant. So, in a way, the Adolescents influenced us into saying we can do it too, because look, they're doing it."<ref name="opiateofthemasses" /><ref name="seemag">{{cite web|url=http://www.seemagazine.com/Issues/2005/1103/mus4.htm|title=Acting Their Rage|first=Trent|last=McMartin|date=November 3, 2005|access-date=November 16, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060116025935/http://www.seemagazine.com/Issues/2005/1103/mus4.htm|archive-date=January 16, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Various bands have cited Bad Religion as an influence, including [[Rise Against]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Culture |first=Andrew |date=February 21, 2023 |title=Rise Against interview |url=https://beatmotel.com/interviews/rise-against-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721222329/https://beatmotel.com/interviews/rise-against-interview/ |archive-date=July 21, 2024 |access-date=July 21, 2024 |website=Beat Motel}}</ref> [[AFI (band)|AFI]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apicella |first=Vinnie |date=2000 |title=AFI's (guitarist) Jade Puget |url=https://www.amzmusiczine.com/11_00/jpuget.htm |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020507033530/http://www.amzmusiczine.com/11_00/jpuget.htm |archive-date=May 7, 2002 |access-date=July 21, 2024 |website=AMZ music zine |quote=Other bands such as [[Black Flag (band) | Black Flag]], [[Minor Threat]], [[Germs (band) | the Germs]], Bad Religion, etc. were influences as well.}}</ref> [[Parkway Drive]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010 |title=INTERVIEW MIT PARKWAY DRIVE |url=https://www.allschools.de/article/show/Interview_mit_Parkway_Drive_1279000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919201752/https://www.allschools.de/article/show/Interview_mit_Parkway_Drive_1279000 |archive-date=September 19, 2021 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=Allschools |quote=[I]t’s like our influences are old bands like Bad Religion, Metallica...}}</ref> [[NOFX]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/qa/qa_read.php3?page=3 |title=Q & A &#124; Read fuck Answers &#124; NOFX |publisher=Nofxofficialwebsite.com |access-date=March 27, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100323082055/http://www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/qa/qa_read.php3?page=3| archive-date= March 23, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> [[I Am the Avalanche]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 27, 2011 |title=I Am The Avalanche |url=https://beat.com.au/i-am-the-avalanche/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708062332/https://beat.com.au/i-am-the-avalanche/ |archive-date=July 8, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2024 |newspaper=Beat Magazine |quote='Our last record was a little more mid-tempo, heavy rock feel,' [Bret Romnes] explains, 'we were a new band when we did our first record, we were only a band for a few months at that point. This one, we found our sound, it’s totally honed in, and you’ll definitely hear Descendants and Bad Religion in our influences...' |author1=Bigspin }}</ref> and [[Miss Vincent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alreadyheard.com/fives-5-albums-that-influenced-miss-vincent/|title=Fives: 5 albums that influenced Miss Vincent|website=Already Heard|date=18 May 2015|access-date=8 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vanguard-online.co.uk/interview-with-south-coast-punks-miss-vincent-who-are-making-waves-with-stunning-new-ep/|title=Interview with South Coast Punks Miss Vincent who are making Waves with stunning new EP|date=1 June 2017|access-date=8 June 2021}}</ref> [[Funeral for a Friend]] vocalist Matt Davies-Kreye has also mentioned Bad Religion as an influence, particularly with their ''[[Against the Grain (Bad Religion album)|Against the Grain]]'' album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUoBnfiFhkU&feature=relmfu  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/DUoBnfiFhkU| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Funeral For A Friend interview - Matthew Davies-Kreye (part 2) |publisher=YouTube |date=August 11, 2011 |access-date=October 30, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Beliefs==
===Politics===
Many of Bad Religion's songs are about different social ills, although they try not to ascribe the causes of these ills to any single person or group. Greg Graffin believes that the current political situation in the United States can make it difficult to voice these concerns as he does not want to feed the polarization of viewpoints.<ref name="Lyxzén">{{cite web|url=http://www.badreligion.com/news/?id=9 |title=Brett Gurewitz Interview |first=Dennis|last=Lyxzén |date=June 29, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070406100750/http://www.badreligion.com/news/?id=9 |archive-date=April 6, 2007 }}</ref>

The band contributed a song to the ''[[Rock Against Bush]]'' series organized by [[Fat Mike]]'s Punkvoter, a political activist group and website whose supporters are primarily [[left-liberal]] members of the punk subculture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.punkvoter.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718095516/http://www.punkvoter.com/|url-status=dead|title=PunkVoter.com - Sign Up|archive-date=July 18, 2014|website=Punkvoter.com|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref>

Brett Gurewitz attributed his anger towards former U.S. president [[George W. Bush]] as the major inspiration for ''[[The Empire Strikes First]]''. "Our whole album is dedicated to getting Bush out of office. I'm not a presidential scholar, but I don't think you'll find a worse president in the history of the United States. He's probably one of the worst leaders in the history of world leaders. I just hate the guy."<ref name="Lyxzén" /> In a similar fashion, the album ''[[Age of Unreason (album)|Age of Unreason]]'' was inspired by the band's disdain for [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.laweekly.com/super-powers-and-punk-rock-brett-gurewitz-crosses-mediums-to-spread-important-messages/|title=Super Powers and Punk Rock: Brett Gurewitz Crosses Mediums to Spread Important Messages|first=Brett|last=Callwood|date=July 11, 2018|website=[[LA Weekly]]|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref>

Bad Religion performed at [[L7 (band)|L7's]] [[Abortion-rights movements|abortion-rights]] benefit [[Rock for Choice]] at the [[Hollywood Palladium]] on April 30, 1993, with acts such as [[Stone Temple Pilots]], [[White Zombie (band)|White Zombie]], [[Bikini Kill]], [[King Missile]], and [[Free Kitten (band)|Free Kitten]] with [[Kim Gordon]]. Hetson often wore a Rock for Choice T-shirt when performing, as he did when the band performed "21st Century (Digital Boy)" on [[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]] in 1994. Bentley has also worn Rock for Choice T-shirts, such as when they performed the [[Phoenix Festival#1993|Phoenix Festival]] in the United Kingdom in 1993. The band's song, "Operation Rescue", on ''Against the Grain'' is a pro-choice song (named after [[Anti-abortion movements|anti-abortion]] organization [[Operation Save America|Operation Rescue]]).

===Religion===
{{blockquote|Faith in your partner, your fellow men, your friends, is very important, because without it there's no mutual component to your relationship, and relationships are important. So, faith plays an important role, but faith in people you don't know, faith in religious or political leaders or even people on stages, people who are popular in the public eye, you shouldn't have faith in those people. You should listen to what they have to say and use it.|Greg Graffin<ref name="nyrock">{{cite web|url=http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/badreligion.htm |title=NYRock Interview with Greg Graffin |date=April 1998 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061108210720/http://nyrock.com/interviews/badreligion.htm |archive-date=2006-11-08 }}</ref>}}

Despite the name of the band, or the band's logo, the members do not consider themselves [[antitheist]]. Singer Greg Graffin states that, more often than not, the band prefers to use religion as a metaphor for anything that does not allow for an individual's freedom to think or express themselves as they choose. In this way, their songs are more about anti-conformity than anti-religion.<ref name="kellycathy">{{cite web|url=http://thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=327&iType=21 |title=Graffin Interview |date=October 15, 1993 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003612/http://www.thebrpage.net/article/detail.asp?iArt=327&iType=21 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref> Contrary to popular belief, Graffin identifies himself as a [[Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalist]] rather than an atheist.

{{blockquote|Wired Magazine came out with a big exposé of "the new atheists." I was interviewed for it—and yet I think I was included as a sidebar but not as a main feature, and I think the main reason they did that was because they noticed that I wasn't that happy billing myself as an atheist. To me it just doesn't say that much; it doesn't say much about you. Instead I bill myself as a naturalist, which I think says a lot more. Because a ''naturalist'' is someone who ... first of all—they study natural science, and they have a hopeful message—I think—to send to the world, which is ... we can agree on what the truth is ... and it has to be through experimentation, verification, and new discoveries, followed by more verification. So ... if we can agree on those terms, we can agree that the truth changes, based on new discoveries, and the ''structure'' of science is such that you can never be so sure of something, because a new discovery can rework the framework—it can ''reconstruct'' the framework of your science and you have to look at the world differently. That makes it a very dynamic and exciting place to be. And if you say you're an atheist, it's not really saying much about how you came to that conclusion. But if you say you're a naturalist, I think it says something. You've reached that point because you've studied science, because you believe there's a ''fundamental'' way of looking at the world that is part of a long tradition. And so, I prefer naturalist.|Greg Graffin<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwqJ7X6yOaw  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/mwqJ7X6yOaw| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Greg Graffin acoustic performance and interview at Harvard |publisher=YouTube |date=2008-04-28 |access-date=2011-10-15}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}}

Despite this, he did co-author the book ''Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant?'', which is based on a series of lengthy debates about science and religion between Graffin and historian Preston Jones.<ref>{{cite book|last=Max |first=Tucker |title=Is Belief In God Good, Bad Or Irrelevant?: A Professor And A Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism: Amazon.ca: Intervarsity Press: Books |id={{ASIN|0830833773|country=ca}} }}</ref> In 2010, Graffin released ''Anarchy Evolution'', in which he promotes his naturalist worldview.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNDPXEn-RTQ  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/dNDPXEn-RTQ| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Greg Graffin from Bad Religion Talks About Anarchy Evolution |publisher=YouTube |date=December 8, 2008 |access-date=October 15, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The band's bassist Jay Bentley has stated that he has spiritual beliefs.<ref name="Bentley">{{cite web|url=http://www.bad-religion.net/jaybentley_tribute_page/interviews/interview2.htm |title=Bentley Interview |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329125602/http://www.bad-religion.net/jaybentley_tribute_page/interviews/interview2.htm |archive-date=March 29, 2008 }}</ref> Brett Gurewitz is a "provisional [[deism|deist]]".

On March 24, 2012, Bad Religion headlined the [[Reason Rally]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], sharing the stage with [[Eddie Izzard]], [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Tim Minchin]] and [[James Randi]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/03/reason-rally-bad-religion-washington-dc.html |title=Bad Religion in lineup for March 24 Reason Rally in Washington, D.C. |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 21, 2012 |access-date=April 5, 2012}}</ref>

==Logo==
{{Over-quotation|section|date=August 2019}}
[[File:Crossbuster symbol.svg|thumb|The Crossbuster]]

Bad Religion's logo, a black [[Latin cross]] with a red [[prohibition sign]] over it, has been referred to by fans as the "Crossbuster". It was created by guitarist [[Brett Gurewitz]], who drew it on a piece of paper and showed it to the rest of the band.

In the live documentary, ''[[Along the Way]]'', Greg Hetson, Greg Graffin, and Jay Bentley were all asked the question, "What's the meaning of the Bad Religion symbol?"

Hetson's answer: "The meaning of the symbol? It's—to me it's just against any established set of rules, and the church just seemed to be the easiest target. It has a ... you know, the Christian religion has this symbol, it has a bunch of beliefs. They say, 'You either believe it or not, this is the way it is,' and that's not the way the world works. So, it was just an easy target to use, to be [[anti-establishment]]."

Graffin's answer: "Yeah. When it first came out, we all liked it, you know? We were little kids, and we thought, 'Yeah, this is a great idea. It'll piss people off.' You know, when you're fifteen years old, the first thing you think about is, 'How can I piss people off?' you know? And it's very good to ... it's very easy to piss people off when you're fifteen, especially it's easy to piss off your parents and adults in general. But as you get a little older, or as I've gotten older, I've looked back on the symbol of Bad Religion as still having some meaning, but I wish it wasn't so offensive to other people, because other people could benefit from the ideas, I think, that we've laid down. For instance, what we look at it today as is just a symbol ... the cross is sort of the international symbol [points to a [[no parking]] sign behind him] as this parking symbol, the no parking is ... everybody in the world can recognize it. The cross we look at as an international symbol for religion, and it's not anti-Christian, it's not anti-Buddhist, it's not anti-Jewish, it's not anti-anything. It's simply is [''[[sic]]''] showing ... it's our way of showing that we don't like to subscribe to dogmatic ways of life and dogmatic views on life, and that religion, in general, is founded in dogma and in restriction of ideas, restriction of thought, and it's these things that I feel are bad about religion. It's also very bad about nationalistic views, it's very bad ... It's something that mankind, as a group, is not going to benefit from; it's only something that mankind will ... it's something mankind will ... I'm sorry, it's something that will instill violence, and it will instill fighting, and it will instill non-cooperation of different groups of humans."

Bentley's answer: "Brett made that when we were fifteen years old. Brett came up with a piece of paper and said, 'Look at this!' and, and we all laughed and said, 'That's really funny,' 'cause the concept of taking that symbol and putting the 'no' thing on top of it was just ... it seemed shocking enough and good enough, because it represented ... sometimes people took it that it represented that we were like Satan worshipers and that we were not liking God, but it was more against, in America, is [''sic''] there's too much TV evangelism, of, you know, 'Send me monies and God will love you', and it's like [scoffs]. So that was, at the time, that was very popular, when we were starting, so that was one of the, one of the things that we still hate the most, is having to pay to be saved in some, like, ridiculous ... you don't need that. You don't need anybody to tell you that you have to pay money. So, that was one of the reasons why we did that, and it's just ... it's one of those things that, it happened and we took it and, maybe ... it was a really easy symbol for kids to spray paint and it's an easy symbol to put on a shirt and, so, it became, maybe, bigger than what it really was in the beginning. It was just, it was something that we liked and we thought that it would piss our parents off or something, you know? And then, when the records came out it just came everywhere, and so then everyone said, 'What does that mean? What does that mean?' Whatever you want it to mean, you know ... you decide."

Brian Baker, who joined the band later in their career, summed it up as follows:

"The name Bad Religion and the crossbuster logo came to pass in the minds of two fifteen-year-olds who were trying to find the most offensive name and image they could possibly find for the punk band they were starting in their garage ... These are not people who thought that 21 years later they would be on the telephone doing interviews."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.decapolis.com/musicreviews/interviews/badr.shtml |title=NewsPro Archive |publisher=Decapolis.com |date=November 30, 2001 |access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>

The crossbuster logo features prominently in the band's merchandising and album art.

==Concert tours==
*Early shows (1980–1987)
*Suffer Tour (1988–1989)
*No Control Tour (1990)
*Against the Grain Tour (1991)
*Generator Tour (1992–1993)
*Recipe for Hate Tour (1993–1994)
*Stranger than Fiction Tour (1994–1995)
*The Gray Race Tour (1996–1997)
*Tested Tour (1997)
*[[Vans Warped Tour]] (1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009)
*No Substance Tour (1998–1999)
*The New America Tour (2000–2001)
*The Process of Belief Tour (2002–2003)
*The Empire Strikes First Tour (2004–2006)
*New Maps of Hell Tour (2007–2009)
*30 Years Live Tour (2010)
*The Dissent of Man Tour (2010–2011)
*[[Rise Against]] and [[Four Year Strong]] Tour (2011)
*Australian Soundwave Tour (2012)
*True North Tour (2013–2014)
*[[Smash: 20th Anniversary Tour|Summer Nationals Tour]] with [[the Offspring]] and [[Pennywise (band)|Pennywise]] (2014)
*North American and European Tours (2015)
*South American and European Tours (2016)
*The Vox Populi Tour with [[Against Me!]] and [[Dave Hause]] (2016)
*European Tour (2017)
*Punk in Drublic Tour (2017)
*Punk in Drublic Tour Germany (2019)
*Age of Unreason Tour North America (2019)
*United States Tour with [[Alkaline Trio]] and [[War on Women (band)|War on Women]] (2021)

==Band members==
{{main|List of Bad Religion members}}
'''Current members'''
*[[Greg Graffin]] – lead vocals <small>(1980–present)</small>, keyboards <small>(1980–1983)</small>
*[[Brett Gurewitz]] – guitar, backing vocals <small>(1980–1983, 1988–1994, 2001–present; inactive on tours since 2001)</small>
*[[Jay Bentley]] – bass, backing vocals <small>(1980–1982, 1986–present)</small>
*[[Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker]] – guitar, backing vocals <small>(1994–present)</small>
*[[Mike Dimkich]] – guitar <small>(2013–present)</small>
*[[Jamie Miller (US musician)|Jamie Miller]] – drums <small>(2016–present)</small>

==Discography==
{{Main|Bad Religion discography}}
<!-- Please DO NOT include any other releases (example: EPs, compilations, live recordings, etc.) on this table as this is only intended to list the studio albums of Bad Religion's discography. The reason why there is a new page for the discography is that the band has put up many releases other than studio recordings, so this clutters up this article. -->

'''Studio albums'''
* ''[[How Could Hell Be Any Worse?]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Into the Unknown (Bad Religion album)|Into the Unknown]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Suffer (album)|Suffer]]'' (1988)
* ''[[No Control (Bad Religion album)|No Control]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Against the Grain (Bad Religion album)|Against the Grain]]'' (1990)
* ''[[Generator (Bad Religion album)|Generator]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Recipe for Hate]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Stranger than Fiction (Bad Religion album)|Stranger than Fiction]]'' (1994)
* ''[[The Gray Race]]'' (1996)
* ''[[No Substance]]'' (1998)
* ''[[The New America]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Process of Belief]]'' (2002)
* ''[[The Empire Strikes First]]'' (2004)
* ''[[New Maps of Hell (Bad Religion album)|New Maps of Hell]]'' (2007)
* ''[[The Dissent of Man]]'' (2010)
* ''[[True North (Bad Religion album)|True North]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Age of Unreason (album)|Age of Unreason]]'' (2019)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://badreligion.com}}
*{{allMusic}}
*[http://thebrpage.net/ The Bad Religion Page], Bad Religion fansite, established 1995
<!-- DO NOT add additional links here unless they comply with WP:EL and have been POSTED TO THE TALK PAGE first -->

{{BadReligion}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bad Religion| ]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1980]]
[[Category:Sympathy for the Record Industry artists|Bad Religion]]
[[Category:Epitaph Records artists]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles|Bad Religion]]
[[Category:Skate punk groups]]
[[Category:Punk rock groups from California]]
[[Category:Political music groups]]
[[Category:Melodic hardcore musical groups from California]]
[[Category:Hardcore punk groups from California]]
[[Category:1980 establishments in California]]