Songwriting and Brett’s official return: After the New America tours ended, Bad Religion started writing their new album even before the campaign had finished. They were in a bit of a limbo because their label obligations were completed, making them free agents. Greg Graffin expressed his desire for Brett to come back to the band, and Brett was impressed by the production and sound quality of the shows. They both felt that they could create something great together.
Recording and production: Recording began in June 2001, and the band had high anticipation for making the record. Brett and Greg produced the album, with some songs mixed by Jerry Finn. They aimed to create a classic sounding Bad Religion album that fans had been waiting for.
Album title: The album was titled “The Process of Belief” to reflect the band’s growth and songwriting during the past year. The title comes from the song “Materialist” and represents their human nature.
Release: The album was originally planned to be released in October 2001 but was delayed until January 2002. It was the first record with Brett back in the band since 1994. The success of the album confirmed their decision to start co-writing songs again.
Reception: Brett called it “the ultimate Bad Religion album.” Greg’s favorite Brett song was “The Defense,” and Brett’s favorite Greg song was “Epiphany.”
Extra effects: The album featured unique elements such as fuzz guitars, explosion samples, and nifty noises generated by an analog filter bank. The artwork for the album was also unique and unlike anything they had seen before.
Who We Are: “Who We Are” was an outtake from the album that was left off due to dissatisfaction with the mix. It was later released on Punk-O-Rama 8. The song was a collaborative effort between Greg and Brett.
Artwork: The album cover featured a duality between religion and science, symbolizing the rational-materialistic and spiritual-religious aspects of life. The artwork was done by Mackie Osborne, who created elaborate mock-ups that impressed the band.
Overall, the process of creating “The Process of Belief” was a collaborative and exciting journey for Bad Religion. They aimed to create their best album yet and were satisfied with the outcome.
This content was originally written by the badass contributors of thebrpage.net, the best superfan resource and website that exists for any band, let alone the best band in the whole entire world. I’ve been lurking on that site for over 20 years and if you’re into Bad Religion as much as I am, I’m sure you’re familiar. If you are not, go there right now and never come back to this site again. You should, and I totally understand.
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