Bad Religion

Christmas Songs EP

Written by: PP on 26/11/2013 23:26:56

So if you're like me, you've been listening to Bad Religion for as long as you can remember, always noting down their methodological renouncement of religion through an intellectual lyrical universe that often has required a dictionary or alternatively some serious vocabulary skills to keep up. You're then probably wondering why Bad Religion are putting out an EP called "Christmas Songs" featuring eight classic songs and carols for the season, alongside a rare remix of "American Jesus" from Andy Wallace as a bonus track? The answer, it turns out, is just because they can. Because they want to throw a curveball at their listeners. Not because the band have turned religious, but in fact, because there's a deeper irony to be found at a band called Bad Religion re-interpreting some of the most sacred songs of Christianity into their revered punk rock format.

You see, these aren't just faithful covers of "White Christmas", "Angels We Have Heard On High",or "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". Instead, these classic Christmas songs have been translated to sound like something outta late 80s / early 90s Bad Religion discography. You know, the period with "Suffer", "No Control" and a bunch of other classic albums. Take "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", for instance. You may recognize the original melody line in the song, but it's only a faint reference as the melody has been embedded within their soundscape to feel almost unmistakably like "Suffer"-era Bad Religion.

At the same time, a song like "Little Drummer Boy" is so freaking weird that I guarantee you've never heard Bad Religion sound like this before. "Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum" - hearing Greg Graffin enunciate those rhythms is ridiculous to say the least. While "American Jesus (Andy Wallace remix)" sounds not too different from the original Bad Religion songs, all the remainder of the tracks are great re-interpretations of classic Christmas songs by arguably the best punk rock band to have walked on our planet. That many of them sound re-energized in their new format is the sort of irony that shouldn't be lost on anyone.

Download: White Christmas, Angels We Have Heard On High
For the fans of: Bad Religion, Christmas songs in punk rock format
Listen: Facebook

Release date 29.10.2013
Epitaph

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