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

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Sam Roberts Band

SAM ROBERTS BAND I Feel You From: Collider Released: May 10 Having already endured the breakout success ( Brother Down was Canada's it rock song of 2002), the tentative dabbling in the U.S. market, as is the rite of passage for all moderately successful Canuck artists (2003's debut We Were Born in a Flame was the best time to try; one of the best albums of the year, it made a small dent in the American mindset upon its release there a year later), the difficult, druggy third album (the aptly named 2005 disc Chemical City ), and the subdued creative step backward (2008's Love at the End of the World , aside from hit single Them Kids , was really kinda bland), it seems according to script that Sam Roberts would start settling in on his fourth album (and first with the band credited as equal contributors), Collider (you know, I think it was a bad idea to give me brackets). Well, as far as settling in goes, Roberts does and doesn't on Collider . W...

IN REVIEW: Rancid - "Trouble Maker"

As far as punk rock goes, it's hard to name a hotter hot streak than the trio of records Rancid cranked out between 1995 and 2000; the star making ...And Out Come the Wolves , the far-reaching Life Won't Wait and their balls-to-the-wall second self-titled album solidly positioned Rancid as leaders of the second generation of punk. It also preceded a period of slow progression, as Rancid would take eleven years to release their next three records. By the time ...Honor Is All We Know came in 2014, many fans (myself included) had to wonder whether or not this was the end of the road. Such concerns are handily dealt with on the closing track of the standard edition of their ninth record, the positively punishing This Is Not the End . Well, okay then, that's sorted. Now, what of this new record? What do we make of the use of their original logo on the cover, a logo that hasn't graced a Rancid record in 25 years? Is this a throwback to the band's heyday, a new begin...

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