5 Years Later Bad Religion’s “Age of Unreason” Has Aged Like Fine Wine (Which Isn’t Great)

The album is amazing, beautifully vocalizing the madness and anger many felt during the time period. Except that time has not come and gone after 5 years…

Like many in the punk community, I was disappointed in the outcome of Tuesday’s Presidential election. Why are you reading about that on a guitar site? Well it is because this is a punk guitar site, so sometimes you’re gonna get opinions and musings from me. But trust me, this is really an article about punk music, not politics.

So, my preferred candidate lost, and it seems she lost fair and square. It’s important to acknowledge when you lose in a democratic election, as this is an opportunity for us all to do better going forward. Okay, now back to Bad Religion.

2019’s “Age of Unreason” was one another strong release, with several powerful songs that tackle populism, Trump’s rise to power, and the unfortunate wave of anger, xenophobia, and unreason that swept through the world. Tracks like “Chaos From Within”, “Candidate”, and “Old Regime” discuss these topics pretty head on. But no matter how heavy the guitar riffs are, catchy the chorus is, or how smooth Brian Baker is shredding solos, why is this album worth talking about 5 years later?

Well, let’s just say that listening to this album in the wake of the 2024 election cycle has brought a new level of appreciation from my perspective. I thought this album was more of a knee jerk reaction to Trump, but really it is a key indictment of America of the late 2010s and 2020s. This album goes deeper than Trump and his first presidency, one that we all thought may be a thing of the past.

Of course, the band did not know how relevant these songs would be 5 years later during yet another election cycle. But here we are, in a very similar place in American history despite the time has passed. That has made revisiting and reconnecting with this album all the better. “My Sanity” is an important reminder that it is okay to feel like you’re going crazy, when the entire world is going crazy around you. Well, we certainly have quite the crazy world these days in need of this album as a soundtrack.

Moving On

One aspect I really appreciate about this album and Bad Religion’s larger catalog is how the band remains positive as can be. “Lose Your Head” is a timely reminder to not lose our heads, our world is not yet crumbling and no one is coming and pulling us out of our homes. Things may be bleak, but they will only get bleaker if we lose our heads, give up, and roll over. As Greg Graffin dictates in the song; “despite darker tendencies, I’ve always had a strong bias to exist”.

“What Tomorrow Brings” offers further reminders to look ahead during troubling times.

“Tranquility without conflict, potential free to find, incalculable bounty randomly decentralized, these are more than sociological things, yeah they’re promises of what tomorrow brings”.

These songs, like many Bad Religion tracks, offer a roadmap forward. Like many of their albums, this one has aged like a truly fine wine. To see such agency and aggression from a veteran band is impressive, but it is most importantly, matched by their wisdom.

What’s the point of all this? The point is that Bad Religion have an album that should provide some comfort, direction, and catharsis to those who feel they need it during the election cycle. It’s a testament to the band’s ability to live in the moment and absorb the life around them, even this far into their career. “Age of Unreason” is exactly what the title implies, the sound track to a period of time where we’ve tried to reason with unreasonable things. Let’s not lose our heads just yet, especially when there’s still great punk music to listen to.