Bad Religion Recipe For Hate

By 1993, Bad Religion had built a reputation as one of the country's most reliable and consistent punk outfits. Fans knew the kind of straightforward music they could expect from a Bad Religion album, which is why some of the fanbase initially rejected Recipe for Hate. Instead of hewing to punk rock tropes, the album expanded the group’s sonic palette and slowed things down. For perhaps the first time, the goal seemed not to make great punk songs but to make great rock songs, period. “Watch It Die” and “Struck a Nerve” eschew the breakneck tempos altogether, and the resulting tracks have more in common with the gritty roots rock of Bruce Springsteen than anything by The Sex Pistols. Even when Bad Religion turns up the tempos for “Kerosene” or “Lookin’ In,” it finds new ways to approach the old formula. These songs may play by punk rules, but they aren’t dismissible as simple “punk." The best song here is easily “Man with a Mission,” a country-tinged tune that captures the underlying poignancy and maturity that's unique to Bad Religion’s style.