IN REVIEW: Rancid - "...Honor Is All We Know"

In the tight-knit, narrow annals of punk, it can be a risky proposition just to evolve. The bands that last the longest are more often than not the ones who change the least; if you disagree, kindly see Exhibit A: Bad Religion. Rancid has been catching heat for the better part of their career, especially after achieving success with 1995's undisputed classic ...And Out Come the Wolves. That album's follow-up, the underrated Life Won't Wait, saw the group draw as much influence from reggae as punk, the group going so far as to record some of it in Jamaica.

Going to Jamaica was a smart move, a way to use some of the financial rewards from their breakout hit for the purpose of furthering the band's sound. But much of the punk community wasn't hearing it, opting to tear them apart for paying tribute to The Clash. So, when their fifth album (their self titled release from 2000) kicked out 22 jams in under 40 minutes, it was hailed as a return to form rather than a step back.

Rancid comes into their eighth album in a similar position, by which I mean they seem to feel obligated to go back in an effort to rebound from the lukewarm reception of their previous release. That album, 2009's Let The Dominoes Fall, dared to stretch their sound with the use of acoustic guitars among other things, resulting in decidedly mixed reviews from their fans.

So here we are, five years later, with Rancid cranking out a (mostly) straight ahead punk rock record, minimizing experimentation, and being hailed for another glorious return to form by fans. From the moment the needle drops, the album isn't shy about provoking nostalgia of the band's heyday (they even used an ellipsis in the title); the first song is called Back Where I Belong, and is about (ahem) being back.

That's not to say that the album completely lacks adventure; Already Dead and Grave Digger play around with cowpunk, although it isn't exactly a new concept for the group; after all, in 2003 they drew inspiration from the original Django movies for a song. The biggest surprise is Malfunction, a song that stops strutting and sneering long enough to have a little fun with a sun soaked garage rock vibe. Elsewhere, though, there isn't really anything that tries to differentiate itself from past career highlights. It does, admittedly, take more liberties than the 2000 self titled record; rather than running away from what made Life Won't Wait a great record, they've incorporated it into the overall sound in the hopes that the majority of fans have let that grudge go (as well they should).

That said, the songs are by and large enjoyable despite serving as a consistent reminder that they've done most of this better before. Even Rancid By Numbers is better than a lot of punk rock, and I can't fault them for using their third and fourth albums as a sonic crutch because it's a damn sturdy crutch. Plus, the band sounds like they're having a lot of fun on this record, which makes even the bitterest pills go down easy. Bottom line: it's a good record that might serve as the final reminder (keep in mind this is only the group's second record in eleven years) of Rancid's hallowed place in punk.

October 27, 2014 • Hellcat/Epitaph

Highlights Evil's My Friend • Already Dead • Malfunction