Published on Jan 2, 1998
Try to label most any band “punk” and you usually got some
problems. Try to say Rancid is punk to a punk purist and you’ve got
some serious problems. Rancid has the look (mohawks), the
social-oriented lyrics, the loyalty to a smaller record label and
lead singer Tim Armstrong even has “punk” tattooed on his fingers,
but for some reason, that isn’t enough for many purists of the punk
community.
Fortunately, Rancid doesn’t give a shit about trying to impress
the masses at their own expense. That is especially evident with
their adventureous 1995 ‘ release,
…And Out Come the Wolves While the album could have been
trimmed by two or three tracks, it’s a bracing declaration of true
punk ethos. Green Day would rather be labeled “power pop,” Henry
Rollins would kick your ass if you were to limit his music range to
just “punk,” but Rancid proudly wears the label throughout
…And Out Come the Wolves.
Rancid attacks racism (“Avenues & Alleyways”), urban
violence (“Maxwell Murder”) and gives a strang, empathetic tale of
drug addiction (“Junkie Man”). All songs are addressed with a
pulverising, catchy beat and are less than three minutes. And like
the best punk bands, Rancid thrives on a duling chemistry. Duo
guitarists and lyric writers Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen
provide a strong balance, especially with their differing vocal
styles. Tim beautifully sneers most of his lyrics while Lars
provides some smooth harmonies.
Andy Wallace certainly doesn’t hurt the chemistry. The master
mixer of Slayer, Faith No More and Nirvana’s best works mixed
…And Out Come the Wolves, giving it a gritty, yet pristine
sound. And with Jerry Finn and Rancid producing the entire album,
the creative juices were flowing througout the album.
General boredom and stagnation get their share of coverage in
the song “Roots Radicals.” Armstrong spits, “Something struck me
funny when we ran out of money/where do you go now when you’re only
15?” I laugh at the lyrics now, but I imagine when I was 15, those
exact same words were going through my head.
Even though most of the lyrics are strong, the tag-team vocal
delivery is the highlight of
…And Out Come the Wolves. The pass-the-mike thunder of
“Lock, Step & Gone” is one of the best punk anthems of recent
memory.
With
…And Out Come the Wolves, Rancid proves they’ve almost
arrived as a great band. The only time they fault is when they
focus on personal relationships that are failing. “The Way I Feel
About You” is a weak closer, “Avenue & Alleyways” would have
been a much more appropriate way to close the album, especially
with its use of the often-associated skinhead “oi” chant. “She’s
Automatic” is also a tad too adolecent for your average
listener.
Three misfires (“You Don’t Care Nothin'” being the third) out of
nineteen still isn’t bad. And with a new album on the way,
hopefully Rancid will have made up for the occasional blemishes of
…And Out Come the Wolves If you’re a fan of the genre,
this is almost an essential purchase, easily one of the best punk
albums of the ’90s. And fortunately for me, any punk purist is
going to have a tough time tracking down and keying my car for
having the audacity to label this album “punk.”