Bad Religion New Maps of Hell:B+

How do they keep doing it? After getting back on track and back on Epitaph Records, Bad Religion has put out three amazing albums. These guys are indisputably at the top of the punk game. And they're in their 40s! Singer Greg Graffin manages to teach life science at UCLA and keep singing and touring with Bad Religion.\nNew Maps of Hell is slower, darker, angrier and more pessimistic than the band's last two efforts. But it's still poppy enough to keep you singing along to the ooh's and aah's of revolution.\nBad Religion are progressing forward on this one while nodding to their older releases. The album title and artwork are reminiscent of 1982's How Could Hell be any Worse?. The production value, however, is scratchier and more raw. They might have used this combination to recreate the feel of their classic records such as Suffer and Generator. Regardless, it's refreshing.\nLike the last record, almost any of the album's songs could be singles. But they chose "Honest Goodbye," a slower ballad reminiscent of the song "Slumber" from their 1994 album Stranger than Fiction. The song "Heroes and Martyrs" is a searing razor blade of a punk anthem, leaving you bleeding after a minute and 25 seconds. And "Fields of Mars" is a cathartic ender, complete with a piano intro, soaring vocals and that classic Bad Religion guitar. What's left is more intelligent metaphors, pop choruses and the punk energy you've come to expect from Bad Religion.\nIt's a solid release -- right up there with their last album, 2004's The Empire Strikes First. These guys still have it in them. They aren't just going through the motions; you can feel the heart in their music. While many punk bands don't last more than a couple of years, Bad Religion is still kicking ass after 27 years. If you haven't gotten a chance to see them live, do it. They'll blow you away.