Bad Religion was formed in Southern California's San Fernando Valley in 1980 by vocalist Greg Graffin, guitarist Brett Gurewitz and bassist Jay Bentley. The hardcore punk band released its debut full-length, How Could Hell Be Any Worse, in 1982 on Epitaph Records (the indie label founded by Gurewitz in 1981). Greg Graffin remained the only constant member of Bad Religion throughout the 1980s, with former Circle Jerks guitarist Greg Hetson joining the lineup in 1987. Bad Religion released several influential punk albums on Epitaph before signing with Atlantic Records, which re-released Recipe for Hate in 1993. Stranger Than Fiction, released the following year, gave the group some success outside of its core audience, with tracks like "21st Century Digital Boy" and "Inner Logic." That same year, Gurewitz officially quit the group to focus on Epitaph as the label grew with the release of breakthrough albums from the Offspring and Rancid. Bad Religion have continued to release albums consistently, including 2002's The Process of Belief, which saw Gurewitz's return after a six-year absence.

Reviews

• The Process of Belief
• The Empire Strikes First