Live album Tested is an absolute blast! It’s Bad Religion’s thirteenth release, and they even put 13s on the artwork to celebrate. The band believes in enduring against all odds, and they think Tested is the perfect title for this album. They’ve stood the test of time, and they’re confident this album will too. It’s a personal project that showcases their live heritage and the consistency of their music over the past 16 years.
The idea for Tested started before the Gray Race Tour even began. Greg wanted to capture the emotional spontaneity of their album Suffer and recreate it in a live setting. They wanted to keep it simple and raw, just like Suffer. They recorded the live shows with a 16-track digital recording, no overdubs. All the tracks on the album are the original takes from the live shows.
Tested features three previously unreleased songs: Dream Of Unity, It’s Reciprocal (half of which was written by Brian), and Tested. These songs were written during the Gray Race Tour.
Atlantic Records turned down releasing the album, so Bad Religion decided to import copies to the US themselves. They wanted to make sure fans could buy it at a non-import price. It was released as an import record on the Dragnet label from Germany in the US, and on the Dragnet label or regional SONY affiliate label in the rest of the world. There was some confusion and delays in distribution, but eventually, fans were able to get their hands on it.
Brett wasn’t initially on board with the idea of a live album. He felt it was too early in Bad Religion’s career and that live albums usually mark the end of a group’s career. He also thought it was too soon after the release of “All Ages.” Brett was hurt and angry that only four of his songs were included on the album. He felt it was a low blow and accused Greg of doing it for more money. Greg defended the song choices, stating that the live show doesn’t depend on who wrote the songs.
Despite the initial controversy, Bad Religion released Tested because they believed in it. They recorded and produced the album themselves, and it represents who they are and what they’re doing now. They didn’t want to follow a marketing plan or go on tour to promote it. They just wanted to put something out for the fans who had been with them for a long time.
To promote the album, Bad Religion created “Tested
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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