Against the Grain

Against the Grain
Studio album by Bad Religion
Released	November 23, 1990
Recorded	May 1990 at Westbeach Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre	Punk rock
Length	34:27
Label	Epitaph
Producer	Bad Religion
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau link
Bad Religion chronology
No Control (1989) Against the Grain (1990) '80-'85 (1991)

Against the Grain is the fifth album (and seventh release overall) by punk rock band Bad Religion released on November 23, 1990.^[1] This is the last album recorded with drummer Pete Finestone who left in 1991 to concentrate with his new project The Fishermen. Following his departure, the band's music would take a different direction on their next album, 1992's Generator.

Like Bad Religion's albums up to Generator, Against the Grain was remastered on April 6, 2004. As of 2008, the album's original pressing has been out of print. Against the Grain also marked the 10th anniversary of Bad Religion playing together after their formation.

Release and reception

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Against the Grain was released shortly after the conclusion of the No Control Tour which had lasted until the middle of 1990. The album was highly anticipated by both music critics and fans as a result of the band's success with their 1988 post-reunion album Suffer and its 1989 follow-up No Control. While Against the Grain still failed to break Bad Religion into mainstream audiences, it was the first 100,000 seller, and showed how quickly they were growing.

Like the last two Bad Religion albums, Against the Grain is considered by many to be the band's greatest album, and it contains many songs that are constantly cited as the band's best, including "Faith Alone", "21st Century (Digital Boy)", "Anesthesia," "Walk Away," and "Modern Man."^{[citation needed]} More than just an influential album, Against The Grain gave many punk fans and many punk bands hope for the survival of punk in the 90s.^{[citation needed]}

The album's 13th track, "21st Century (Digital Boy)", was re-recorded and appeared on their eighth full-length studio album Stranger Than Fiction, released in 1994; four years after the release of Against the Grain, and became a single. "21st Century (Digital Boy)" was actually written for No Control but never appeared on that album.

Album cover

The album cover of Against the Grain symbolizes anti-violence. It depicts rows of corn that, with the exception of one, bear right-facing, missile-tipped stalks. The lone ear of corn faces left, hence the album title.

Track listing

Release history

References

Personnel

• Greg Graffin – vocals
• Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backing vocals
• Greg Hetson – guitar
• Jay Bentley – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Pete Finestone – drums
• The Legendary Starbolt – mixing
• Eddie Schreyer – mastering
• Joy Aoki – art direction