Age of Unreason

On Age of Unreason, Bad Religion once again prove they remain one of punk rock’s sharpest, most politically charged voices. Their seventeenth studio album arrives after the longest gap between releases in their career—six years since the excellent True North. With a fresh lineup featuring guitarist Mike Dimkich (who replaced Greg Hetson) and drummer Jamie Miller (who stepped in for Brooks Wackerman), this album is a statement of renewed energy and intent, all set against a backdrop of escalating global tension.

The album was produced by Carlos de la Garza, marking the end of their long-standing collaboration with Joe Barresi, who had worked with the band since 2004. The result is a sound that is at once familiar yet more direct and finely honed. The clarity of de la Garza’s production allows the band’s signature blend of melodic aggression to cut through with remarkable force, while their lyrics remain as sharp and pointed as ever.

Age of Unreason may be their most urgent album in years, an antidote to the swirling chaos of today’s political landscape. The lead singles—“Chaos from Within”, “My Sanity”, and “Do the Paranoid Style”—serve as blistering critiques of the world’s descent into irrationality. With tracks like “Chaos from Within”, Graffin reflects on a world where division and paranoia reign, while “Do the Paranoid Style” cleverly skewers the populist, conspiracy-driven politics that have become all too prevalent.

One of the album’s standout tracks is “The Kids Are Alt-Right”, a track that first appeared as a single in 2018. It’s an outright rebuke of the far-right, melding Bad Religion’s quickfire political commentary with their signature melody-driven punk. That track, now included as a hidden bonus on the album, reinforces their willingness to confront uncomfortable truths head-on.

Age of Unreason may not offer anything radically new sonically—it’s still the Bad Religion we know and love—but it’s an album that’s vital in its relevance. While the band’s earlier records were more personal in nature, this one fully embraces the role of the socially conscious punk band, delivering a commentary on an era defined by fear, misinformation, and nationalism. It’s punk with a purpose, and for Bad Religion, that purpose has always been about more than just music—it’s about making people think, to question authority, and ultimately to push for change.

Critical reception for Age of Unreason has been largely positive. The album scored 78/100 on Metacritic, and publications like Wall of Sound gave it a glowing 9/10, praising its intellectual depth and the way it continues the band’s tradition of challenging the status quo. Loudwire even included it in their list of the 50 best rock albums of 2019, cementing its place as a standout release that year.

For a band that’s been at it since 1980, Age of Unreason is a powerful reminder that Bad Religion is still capable of speaking truth to power with the same fire and intelligence that made them icons of punk rock.