Well let’s see since doing the last review, I decided to continue with bands from the 90’s. Now normally I don’t review punk bands because to me it’s more of an attitude and let’s be honest, the music just isn’t very good. There are exceptions to this where you have bands like The Misfits and Bad Religion but for this review, I thought I’d put Rancid up on the chopping block. So let’s take a look…….
Rancid- so if you are familiar with Operation Ivy, then you will hear that this is a continuation of sorts from that album. The great thing about this album is that unlike a lot of early punk music, this one has talent and doesn’t sound like a bunch of angry guys playing. For an album to come out when punk wasn’t really in fashion, it’s really good. Definitely check this one out. I give it 8/10
Standouts: Adina, Animosity, Rejected
Let’s Go- oh man I remember going to CD City across the street from my high school and buying this album and I thought that this was just the best album ever. I think I listened to it so much so I had to eventually buy a new copy which eventually ended up getting stolen. Anyway, the album is a little bit more of the same and I think the songs on here are actually a bit more focused. I also think this is the first album to feature Lars Frederikson on guitar too who I’ve always thought was the better guitar player. Definitely a great predecessor to the next album. I give this one 9/10
Standouts: Side Kick, Tenderloin, Ghetto Box
…And Out Come The Wolves- this album right here is like the quintessential Rancid album. Like seriously if you want a good album to start then this should be your go to. In fact if you are seriously getting into punk music then I’d also say listen to this album. It’s a fun album and musically it’s awesome from start to finish. Yes it’s that good and a perfect 10/10
Standouts: 11th Hour, Olympia WA, She’s Automatic
Life Won’t Wait- I feel like this one is overlooked or at least not talked about enough. No it’s not as strong as Wolves but it’s an excellent follow up to that record. This record is very different from other Rancid albums as it incorporates reggae music into it. It actually works quite well and if you ever wanted to know what reggae and punk sound like well then this is an example of that kind of music. Overall, an interesting record to say the least and I give it 8.5/10
Standouts: New Dress, Leicester Square, Crane Fist
Rancid- this one is probably their most hardcore sounding album. Now it still sounds like Rancid but it’s one of their more faster sounding albums. While the past records had a ska punk sound, this one doesn’t have much of that. I would actually say that this is one that I didn’t realize was out until way later. Overall, a pretty good album and I give it 9/10
Standouts: Axiom, Disgruntled, Dead Bodies
Indestructible- so if you know anything about the going on outside of the band, then you will realize that lyrically, this record is about Tim Armstrong’s divorce from his wife Brody Dalle. Musically, I’d say it’s their most accessible to those that think punk is too “hardcore” for them. Lyrically it’s fine but as a whole, the record is just ok. Live though the songs sound great off this record. I don’t know it feels like they were going for a radio friendly type of record with some of these songs. I give it 7/10.
Standouts: Indestructible, Roadblock, Spirit of ‘87
Let The Dominoes Fall- I remember streaming the song Last One To Die on the bands MySpace page and thinking that it was pretty good. It’s not Wolves or Let’s Go good but still a good track nonetheless. The album overall isn’t bad but it just seems to be missing something. I mean yes it was about 6 years between this one and the last one and it seems to pick up where the last one left off but I don’t know I would hope that they would’ve returned back to their roots a little here. To me this one is good but not great. I give it 6/10
Standouts: East Bay Night, The Bravest Kids, Damnation
….Honor Is All We Know- ok here we go. This record does see them return to that old sound that was present on the first albums. This was one of the albums I can remember downloading into my iPod and listening to on the way home from England. This one definitely has the ska sound back in it mixed with the punk and it’s definitely worth checking out. I give this one 9/10
Standouts: Honor is All We Know, Raise Your Fist, Grave Digger
Trouble Maker- if you’re a Rancid fan, then you will definitely enjoy this record. If you are a new fan, then you might want to start with another record. Not to say that this one isn’t good but it doesn’t offer anything new. I personally like that because I know exactly what I’m getting with this band. I will admit I had to listen to this one a couple times to really appreciate it but once I did, I really came around to liking this record. I think I wasn’t a fan of the song Ghost of a Chance and that’s all I had heard from this record. Definitely check this one out. I give this 8/10
Standouts: Farewell Lola Blue, Track Fast, Make It Out Alive
As I said earlier, this band is a perfect start to those who are just getting into punk rock. This is one of those bands where when they put out a new album, I know what to expect. Another thing that I appreciate about this band is that in an era of bands like Greenday putting out shitty albums, this is a band that has never gone that route. If you ever get the chance to see them live, I definitely recommend you do so because these guys are a lot of fun to see live.
Album Rankings:
- …And Out Come The Wolves
- Rancid
- Let’s Go
- ….Honor Is All We Know
- Rancid
- Life Won’t Wait
- Trouble Maker
- Indestructible
- Let The Dominoes Fall
Sinister Reviews 