Bad Religion The Gray Race (Atlantic)

I, like many fans of Bad Religion, approached this album very warily. My skepticism had derived from several factors: Stranger Than Fiction (the last album) was pretty disappointed; Mr. Brett (Brett Gurewitz), guitarist and lyricist, had left the band to concentrate on running Epitaph (a California punk label); Ric Ocasek (yes, the very same frontmen for the Cars) was producing this one; and, let's face it, these guys are getting old. The CD even came wrapped in one of those silly NIN-esque outer shells. There was, however, some hope of solace: Mr. Brett's replacement was the one and only Brian Baker, formerly of Minor Threat and Dag Nasty; the two unreleased tracks form Stranger Than Fiction ("Markovian Process" and "News From The Front") were incredible; and the core tracks for this album were cut live, with the band together as a unit. So I left the parentheses and semicolons behind and listened to the album. And I'm happy to say, it's pretty damn good.

The Gray Race is powerful, raucous, and reassuringly fast, successfully recapturing the energy that Bad Religion had on albums like Against the Grain and Generator. "The Gray Race," "Nobody Listens," and "Them and Us" are the best tracks, the ones that rip like spandex on Rush. Other highlights include the catchy vocal-driven intro to "Come Join Us," sarcastic mock-political chants in "10 in 2010," and BR's hallmark time and tempo changes as demonstrated in "Cease" and "Parallel." "Punk Rock Song," while not the definitive punk anthem as the promo sheet claims, is still one of the strongest tracks. The guitar work is great all around, and the bass is highlighted far more than in previous albums, affording the album a very deep, guttural sound. Low points are few; for example, I didn't like "A Walk" because it was too slow and would lend itself too easily to a cheesy avant-garde MTV video. In all, though, this is BR's best musical offering in years.

Greg Graffin and Brian Baker wrote all the lyrics for this album, and they're some of BR's best: "closed wounds harbor pestilence, when you lick them from within/ charity has a redolence chastity cannot rescind," Greg shouts in "Spirit Shine." there's also the more straightforward "Punk Rock Song:" "This is just a punk rock song/ written for the people who can see something's wrong/ Like ants in a colony we do our share/ but there's so many other fuckin' insects out there."

The Gray Race is a great album overall, definitely worth adding to your collection. (Bad Religion will be touring this spring with Dance Hall Crashers...be sure to check them out.)

Mr. T Experience Love is Dead (Lookout!)

So you want the best lyrics you've ever heard, wrapped up in California's catchiest two-and-three-chord punk rock, garnished with themes of youth and love, served with a smile, and guaranteed to give you your recommended daily allowance of jumping around your room singing loudly into the end of the hairbrush? Well, then, you're pretty strange. But you'll definitely need as soon as possible to listen to Love is Dead, MTX's current release and my early vote for punk album of the year.

MTX is a three-piece from California whose music, like most Lookout! bands, is heavily influenced by the likes of the Ramones and Screeching Weasel. Dr. Frank's and Joel's (guitar and bass, respectively) instrumentation is remarkably precise, accentuated and punctuated by Jym's emotional drumming. The songs are very simple but very addicting high-speed rock and roll, ranging stylistically from the giddy bounciness of "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba" to the high-energy drive of "Hangin' On to You." The band's real strength, though, is in Dr. Frank's lyrics. He writes stories more than songs: humorous, accessible prose that just happens to rhyme in places. For example, in "Sackcloth and Ashes," he sings, "She's got pretty fake eyelashes, slanted plastic glasses, everyone who passes says she looks beautiful, but don't even think of asking her to dance, 'cause in your sackcloth and ashes you're never gonna have a chance." Overall, Love is Dead is a fantastic album, one of MTX's finest and the best stuff that California has to offer.