Bad Religion - Suffer

(Review) 6/19/07
Release Year: 1988

"Punx" not dead, right? It’s a tired argument started by individuals with too much time on their hands when they suggest “Punk is dead.” Many argue that punk died along with hardcore in ’84, but then again they have no idea what the hardcore scene meant to punk. Others will argue that punk simply faded away once people started throwing around the punk label. The truth is that punk is a constantly evolving beast, just like democracy and other questionable government systems. Bad Religion is a cornerstone of punk and a large part of punk’s evolution, given that they were a force in the hardcore scene and are now the model of success as the headlining band for the Warped Tour (for which they are hard to fault). Bad Religion has grown much *** to kiss.

“Suffer” was released in 1988, beginning an incredible four-albums-in-four-years production span that would include the release of “No Control,” “Against the Grain,” and “Generator.” “Suffer” essentially perfected the disorganized messages that typical punks spread during their youthful discontent. It is difficult to take punk seriously because of its liberal messages that stem from seemingly uneducated individuals, and even more difficult because the majority of its supporting audience is brash, crass, and often drunk. However, “Suffer” turns a laughable exhibition into an album carrying a distinguished concept with unrelenting dexterity. The music hits you so fast that you find yourself catching up, and when the words fall you scramble to make sense of their meaning. The music demands the listener to understand that the message cries “this is what we meant all along!” and forces one to finally give consideration to this thematic display of pent up rage and individualism. “Suffer” doesn’t just examine life, or love, or even corrupt politicians. It examines you and I while demonstrating punk’s importance in a society that could hardly give a damn.

It is not a secret that Bad Religion front man Greg Graffin is a very educated individual. His lyrics often call for the use of a dictionary, or to put one to good use, a friend pursuing an English major. Graffin puts English majors to the test from alpha to omega, with “1,000 More Fools” where Graffin voices his dissatisfaction with the world stating “the masses are obsequious / contented in their sleep /the vortex of their minds ensconced within / the murky deep.” However, it’s about much more than education. A frequent punk message is that society is blind and reveling in its own happiness like a pig in its sty. This theme is recurrent throughout the album. On “Best for You,” Graffin examines the perception of the individual with “judgments not tomorrow it's today / but no it isn't Jesus / take a look at all your peers / they're all looking down on you.” These sonic discussions go further and further ranging from topics of mankind’s futility and the irony of our existence that we will one day be merely fossils embedded in the Earth.

Though the lyrics can stand on their own, the reason they resonate so well is because of Graffin’s voice and the pattern by which Bad Religion designs their music. Graffin has one of the most accessible voices in punk rock and he never shows any sign of struggle in his singing. The apparent musical system that Bad Religion has developed in punk rock is often replicated and is a testament to the influence of Bad Religion. Their sound can be considered repetitive because their beats have little variation. Their music is guitar driven, including the occasional solo. Although there is an air of repetition, the music is concise, getting the point across swiftly and knowing when its work is done. Concise music in the punk rock universe usually means fast, raw, and energetic. Maybe this connotation derived from Bad Religion’s work, because they employ each component into their musical construction with tenacity.

“Suffer” means so much to punk because it forced punk to evolve in a sensible direction, contributing intelligence and elegance. It centralized frustrated emotions that had been brewing for over a decade. It showed that punk is dynamic, and made the question of punk’s life or death irrelevant. Most importantly, it told you that you were going to die, and you would just become another piece of unrecognized history. And when the next 13-year old comes along and listens to this album, we will see that’s why punk lives, and why it will continue to evolve.