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RANCID “…And Out Come The Wolves” – Punk Rock To Cure The Rainy Day Blues

Posted in 1990's punk rock bands, 1990's punk rock music, Album Review, american punk rock bands, classic punk rock, collecting rock music, cool album covers, current punk rock music, essential punk rock albums, everyday experiences, feel good stories, independent record labels, legends of punk rock, metal odyssey, Music, old school punk rock, personal stories, Punk rock, punk rock album covers, punk rock album review, punk rock albums, punk rock bands, punk rock bands today, punk rock music, punk rock music 1995, punk rock music 2009, punk rock music today, punk rock musicians, recent punk rock albums, rock & roll, rock and roll with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

RANCID "...And Out Come The Wolves" small album picI am listening to Rancid today, all day. In my house, in my car, it does not matter. Rancid is my band of choice due to the slick and groove saturated Punk Rock style they bestow. They are Street Punk at many turns, yet they are so much from the Old School Punk Rock mold of the Ramones too. Kickin’ and fun, (gasp), did I just use the F word there? In my area today, the weather is miserable – rainy, semi-cold, of course cloudy and dank. What better band for me, than Rancid… to get my energy level back on high and to kick start my day and attitude. I am actually going to settle on one Rancid CD to crank today – …And Out Come The Wolves. The richness and foundation of Rock and Roll 101 is so evident in the Punk Rock of Rancid, especially on this album. My adoration for Rancid grows each and every time I listen to their Punk Rock. Out of the nineteen songs on this album, there is not one to skip over. I apologize to no one for being a rabid Rancid fan. Life is too short, I love the music I listen to – end of Metal story. Uh, not really… Rancid rules.

I have my core Punk Rock Band favorites… getting swallowed up by this addicting genre is an easy thing to do. It is funny, to see me today, driving the family taxi and picking up my daughters from school… you would never know that I am a devout lifetime Metalhead, who is experiencing his Punk Rock fever of Rancid. I’m certain I am not alone… there are too many of us out there who look like the average Johnny or Beatrice… and were cranking up the Metal and/or Punk Rock in the family taxi’s or mini vans. Funny stuff, however, it is the Metal truth.

RANCID "Let The Dominoes Fall" small album picI just can’t explain it though, there are those certain bands that just make you feel like everything is cool and alright. Rancid is just that band for me. Over the weekend, I just hung up the very large Rancid poster that comes inside their new CD – let the dominoes fall. The front of the poster is the front cover group photo on that CD, (pictured to the left of this paragraph). On the back of the poster are all of the songs lyrics – real cool. I put this poster inside a very large, thick plastic sleeve for protection too. It is hanging up in my Rocked out basement. It serves me right. Plus, my daughters dig Rancid like there is no tomorrow and this poster being hung makes the basement that much more homey for us all. Rancid is a Punk Rock Band that you should give a try, especially those who are sitting on the fence about wanting some Punk Music in their life. The social commentary and relevance of Rancid’s lyrics are entertaining as they are legitimate. In my most honest of Metal opinions, I just cannot resist the damn credibility of Rancid. The overall realness of …And Out Come The Wolves and any of the other Rancid albums overflows. I can’t ever jump onto that dreaded word – Pop, and attach it to this band… never. Rancid is not Pop Punk – period.

So, if you are looking for something really cool to do today, take my advice and buy RancidAnd Out Come The Wolves. If you already have it, you know what I am talking about. (Hey, it is not like I am telling you to go out and buy the latest artificial crap from some televised talent show winner). Here is some more solid advice to adhere to from Metal Odyssey – buy any Rancid CD today and know that this is Punk Rock that was Made In America.

RANCID IS:

Tim Armstrong – vocalist, guitarist and all around musician

Lars Frederiksen – guitarist and vocalist

Matt Freeman – bass guitarist

Branden Steineckert – drums

** Brett Reed was the drummer for Rancid on …And Out Come The Wolves

* …And Out Come The Wolves was released on August 22, 1995.

* let the dominoes fall was released on June 2, 2009.

RANCID "...And Out Come The Wolves" large album pic

RANCID – “let the dominoes fall” is Punk Rock to devour

Posted in 1990's punk rock music, Album Review, current punk rock music, essential punk rock albums, extreme music today, punk rock album reviews, punk rock albums, punk rock music, punk rock music 2009, punk rock music today, punk rock songs, recent punk rock albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 9, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

fullsizeRancid“let the dominoes fall” took me by surprise as I walked the CD aisles at Target today. Why is this? Well, for one, it was actually there, in stock. Secondly, the humane price of  $7.98 was screaming out at me to – buy now! $7.98… that is cheaper than buying two happy meals for my daughters. Talk about value… there are also 19 songs on the new Rancid CD as well. It is a cool treat to finally not get ripped off by the retail CD prices… when I find a great deal, I tell people. The liner notes in this Rancid CD are a bonus – it is a very large Rancid poster (depicting the CD cover of band and logo). This poster is so large, it is suitable for hanging on your wall of choice. (Sorry, I did not take an actual measurement of this poster, take my word for it, it is large). On the backside of the poster you will find all the lyrics to the songs. 

As for the songs – excellent stuff, this Rancid Punk Rock is. What I like most about Rancid, is there are no hidden agendas – just Punk Rock comin’ at ya’ the way it should be… with plenty of Old School Punk Rock sound and feel to rejoice over. I always found the Ramones and Misfits to be an instant cure to the doldrums and stagnant complacency, that an ordinary day may bring. Rancid fits this bill for me as well. I need Punk Rock as much as any of my Metal Music genres I revere. To make my point about curing the doldrums… my first listen to the tune “LA river” and I was stoked. “LA river” now and forever will get me moving, this songs beat and lyrics are instantly memorable and very addicting. In my opinion, Rancid does a convincing and yet, modest job at airing out some social commentary… “this place” tackles the subject matter of monster corporations causing the demise of Lake Shore foundries. “civilian ways” is for me, lyrically, a commendable Punk Rock statement. This song touches on the life of a U.S. soldier returning home from war… only this soldier now finds civilian ways to be foreign. Rancid does not overstate themselves while staying true to their music, the lyrics of “i ain’t worried” is a proud rallying cry for the Punk Rock genre.

Overall, “let the dominoes fall” has proven to be an excellent Punk Rock CD for me, Rancid has 19 tunes here for a reason… they’re all credible. Truth be told, I listened to this CD four times today alone… not counting the number of times I listened to “LA river”, which was many times more. I highly recommend Rancid “let the dominoes fall” to all Punk Rock fans and all Extreme Music fans across the globe. Rancid are: Tim Armstrong on guitar & vocals, Lars frederiksen on guitar & vocals, Matt Freeman on bass & vocals and Branden Steineckert on drums. Rancid “let the dominoes fall” was released on June 2, 2009, on Hellcat Records/Epitaph Records.

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