The third in a flurry of releases that followed
Bad Religion's 1988 reunion,
Against the Grain found the band's edge honed sharper than it had been in years. Epitaph's 2004 remaster respects this. Increased clarity between mouthpiece
Greg Graffin, guitarists
Brett Gurewitz and
Greg Hetson, and the rhythm section of
Jay Bentley and Pete Finestone increases the inherent melodic tension and amplifies
Graffin's righteous lyrical anger. "My path renewed/Against the grain/That's where I'll stay" -- for many,
Graffin's resolve over
Grain's martial pace was a restatement of purpose, a refueling of belief in the punk and hardcore ethos as a new decade dawned. "21st Century (Digital Boy)" was a throaty, gritty, gang-vocal anthem that name-checked
No Control and bitterly dismantled middle-class complacency in the technology era. One of
Graffin/
Gurewitz's pet themes, it also guided cuts like the rapid-fire opener, "Modern Man" ("I'm a cyborg just like you"), and the acerbic anti-greed rant "Quality or Quantity."
Bad Religion had always warned against the excesses of the future and the assimilation of individuality. But the gospel cut deeper with
Against the Grain. Songs began in an instant, with the single crack of a snare drum signaling the beginning of another screed. The guitars came in, twining between fiery leads and urgent, sometimes hyper chording -- the album seemed like a signal fire to the lost tribes of hardcore. Its best moment might be "Turn On the Light." As a thick, trademark
Bad Religion melody rips in the background,
Graffin spits out lyrics that define ideology with literate pacing, even as they ignite the genre's base emotions. "I'll construct a rack of tempered beams and trusses and equip it with a million tiny suns,"
Graffin sings. "...and I'll burn like a Roman f*cking candle." ~ Johnny Loftus