Suffer (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Suffer
Type = Album
Artist = Bad Religion


Released = September 6, 1988
Recorded = April 1988 at Westbeach Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre = Punk rock
Length = 26:14
Label = Epitaph
Producer = Bad Religion
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4gjleaw04xk7 link]
*Robert Christgau (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=bad+religion link]
*Ultimate Guitar rating|10|10 [http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/bad_religion/suffer/index.html link] |
Last album = "Back to the Known" (1984)
This album = "Suffer" (1988)
Next album = "No Control" (1989)

"Suffer" is the third full-length album (and fifth recording overall) by the American punk rock band Bad Religion, which was released on September 8, 1988."All Ages" booklet.] It was their first album featuring the original line-up since their previous break-up. It is also the band's first official studio album recorded with second guitarist Greg Hetson (although he contributed one track on "How Could Hell Be Any Worse?" and also played on the "Back to the Known" EP). Like their albums up to "Generator", "Suffer" was also remastered on April 6, 2004. The original release is now out of print.

Although "Suffer" was not charted in Billboard, it is considered by many to be one of the best punk albums of the 1980s, as well as its follow-up "No Control". After its release, "Suffer" quickly became Epitaph Records best seller and was the label's best-selling third album for a number of years, until the release of The Offspring's 1994 highly acclaimed album "Smash". A plethora of third-wave punk bands cite this album as a major inspiration; NOFX's Fat Mike has called it "the record that changed everything."

Album cover

The distinctive and slightly disturbing album cover features a drawing of a teenager on fire wearing a t-shirt of Bad Religion's crossbuster logo, designed by Jerry Mahoney. The cover art was parodied for NOFX's Surfer EP.

Reception and legacy

The album received the following reviews:

*Alternative Press (3/02, p.96) - Included in AP's "Essential Punk Influences '02 Style" - "...Their definitive album....they'd never eclipse this fireball of creative energy."
*Kerrang! (p.51) - " [With] sonorous, soaring vocal hooks. The melding of power and melody proved a statement of absolute power."The information regarding accolades attributed to "Suffer" is adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net. [cite web | url=http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A3217.htm|title=List of Suffer Accolades|accessdate=2007-08-08|publisher=Acclaimed Music]

Personnel

* Greg Graffin – vocals
* Brett Gurewitz – guitar
* Greg Hetson – guitar
* Jay Bentley – bass guitar
* Pete Finestone – drums
* Donnell Cameron – engineer
* Legendary Starbolt – engineer
* Jerry Mahoney – artwork

References