The Process of Belief\nBad Religion\nEpitaph Records\nCan young punks ever grow old gracefully? With The Process of Belief, Bad Religion hopes to answer this question with a resounding yes. With Brett Gurewitz back in tow after his years of running Epitaph Records and struggling with drug addiction, Bad Religion returns to its core lineup for the first time since 1994's Stranger Than Fiction. And what Gurewitz provides is not only a third lead guitar (BR kept Gurewitz's replacement, Brian Baker) and an extra voice for BR's patented harmonic punk-rock, but also the reunion of the Greg Graffin/Brett Gurewitz songwriting team that created and perfected BR's signature sound. \nIf these punks have, in fact, grown weary with age, one wouldn't be able to tell by the way The Process of Belief opens, blasting through three songs in just a hair more than four minutes. After this dynamic trio, the songs begin to show further progression toward the purer pop sensibilities of later-era BR. "Broken" comfortably swings from acoustic guitar strummed verses, sounding almost like Billy Joel crossed with Metallica, to heavier punk-inflected choruses, none sacrificing the band's patented spirit and conviction. "Sorrow" begins with new wave guitar chime and echoed intro segueing into perhaps the most melodic of all Bad Religion tunes, "Harmony to spare." And then there's the near Indian-flavored "The Defense" with its engaging call and response, three-part harmony choruses.\nAs far as subject matter, Graffin and Gurewitz continue to attack relevant issues with the same literacy and intelligence as always. They examine the inattention of today's youth ("Can't Stop It," sample lyric: "Lack of restraint is a complaint of those around me/I know that others postpone gratification, well I lack that affectation."), youth alienation and its consequences ("Bored and Extremely Dangerous"; "Yeah sure I might do harm and bear my right to arms") and politics ("Kyoto Now," condemning societal and political inaction). \nBut let's get back to the question of growing old gracefully. Perhaps the band provides an answer in "You Don't Belong," a song dedicated to those who don't fit in, which seems to conclude that we are all outcasts in our own way. With The Process of Belief, Bad Religion has proved that somehow a punk rock band can remain true to its past while its members creep up on middle age. Yes, Bad Religion has become more pop-minded. Yes, the band still has their old fiery spirit. And yes, they probably will never give up. So, can young punks grow old gracefully? The answer has to be yes.\n
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