Punk Rises From The Dead
By Kat Robinson
When many fans listened to Rancid’s 2003 album Indestructible it felt as if punk rock had, indeed, finally died. Fronted by the seemingly unbeatable duo of Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederickson, the group stood as the predominant voice of modern punk rock for nearly two decades; yet with Indestructible being released at the dawn of emotional punk it seemed as if Rancid too were joining in the whining emotional purge that defined this new wave of punk. It seemed that Tim Armstong’s recent breakup from Brody Dalle had become not just the subject, but the obsession of the album, with it seeming to be less a case of ‘when the music hits I feel no pain at all’ and more a case of the work acting as his own inconclusive therapy.
On learning of the band’s intention to tour the UK as a forerunner to their next album, I duly bought my ticket and went along to their show in the Glasgow Barrowlands. The spirit was still there, and the loyal fans turned up, but an almost palpable antipathy could be felt when the band played anything off their 2003 release, as opposed to their classics. I myself went out of a great sense of nostalgia for the favourite band of my youth- but when they announced the date of their next album release it went straight over my head.
I’ll admit it was my disappointment in Indestructible that caused my delay in listening to their next release, Let the Dominoes Fall, released June 2009, the six year silence the longest between any of their albums.
This was a big mistake on my part. I will quite happily put my hands up and admit I stand corrected.
Let the Dominoes Fall is the perfect example of the phoenix rising from the ashes, with a return to form reminiscent of the glory days of Let’s Go and And Out Come the Wolves…
The album hits the ground running with East Bay Night, and is a blaze of 19 amazing tracks, all with the characteristic frenetic guitarwork of Tim, and the lyrically perfect incongruity of Tim’s slurrs and Lar’s throaty growls.
My suggestions for essential listening are the tracks Damnation, Disonnected and the eponymously titled Dominoes Fall. All three bear the anthemic traits of the band’s classics, with similarities to Roots Radicals and Ruby Soho.
The album does manage to capture some of the positive traits of the previous, with its borrowing and reworking of the reggae and ska genres, done to their advantage in Indestructible in tracks such as Red Hot Moon and Tropical London. Similar tracks on the latest release include LA River and I Ain’t Worried.
Whether you are a disillusioned fan or have never even heard of Rancid, I highly encourage you to give Let the Dominoes Fall a listen. The band are on the cusp of celebrating their twentieth anniversary, which stands as a testament to the power and appeal of their uniquely raucous yet joyful brand of punk rock.
On learning of the band’s intention to tour the UK as a forerunner to their next album, I duly bought my ticket and went along to their show in the Glasgow Barrowlands. The spirit was still there, and the loyal fans turned up, but an almost palpable antipathy could be felt when the band played anything off their 2003 release, as opposed to their classics. I myself went out of a great sense of nostalgia for the favourite band of my youth- but when they announced the date of their next album release it went straight over my head.
I’ll admit it was my disappointment in Indestructible that caused my delay in listening to their next release, Let the Dominoes Fall, released June 2009, the six year silence the longest between any of their albums.
This was a big mistake on my part. I will quite happily put my hands up and admit I stand corrected.
Let the Dominoes Fall is the perfect example of the phoenix rising from the ashes, with a return to form reminiscent of the glory days of Let’s Go and And Out Come the Wolves…
The album hits the ground running with East Bay Night, and is a blaze of 19 amazing tracks, all with the characteristic frenetic guitarwork of Tim, and the lyrically perfect incongruity of Tim’s slurrs and Lar’s throaty growls.
My suggestions for essential listening are the tracks Damnation, Disonnected and the eponymously titled Dominoes Fall. All three bear the anthemic traits of the band’s classics, with similarities to Roots Radicals and Ruby Soho.
The album does manage to capture some of the positive traits of the previous, with its borrowing and reworking of the reggae and ska genres, done to their advantage in Indestructible in tracks such as Red Hot Moon and Tropical London. Similar tracks on the latest release include LA River and I Ain’t Worried.
Whether you are a disillusioned fan or have never even heard of Rancid, I highly encourage you to give Let the Dominoes Fall a listen. The band are on the cusp of celebrating their twentieth anniversary, which stands as a testament to the power and appeal of their uniquely raucous yet joyful brand of punk rock.