Rancid is back!
I anxiously waited for the day to come, the new album release day of the Bay Area’s punk titan. That would be a judgment day for Rancid’s future, whether they would continue the direction of the last album, Trouble Maker, released in 2017, or go back to their earlier sound. I sincerely hoped Rancid would return to their pre-...Honor is All We Know (2014) era.
To be honest, Trouble Maker was the first Rancid’s album that left me feeling dull, despite its agitative title. The only song I liked was “An Intimate Close Up of a Street Punk Trouble Maker,” which remains one of my personal anthems. That was shocking for me because I had always enjoyed the majority of the songs on each album. The other songs on Trouble Maker were still speedy punk as always, but they lacked solidity and focus. But wait, didn’t Rancid gain more solidity with …Honor is All We Know after Branden Steineckert became their new drummer? Branden is a good drummer who brought additional technique and power to the punk band, making their sound tighter compared to their previous drummer, Brett Reed. The chemistry between Branden and bass beast Matt Freeman was also perfect. The result was making …Honor is All We Know one of Rancid’s most impressive albums. Literally back where they belonged, like its opening track “Back Where I Belong”. So I couldn’t accept the quality of Trouble Maker. However, I was still confident Racid would revive with the new album. They were wonderful songwriters. The previous album was just a brief loss of vision. Plus, the upcoming album would be a significant milestone for them, marking their 10th album and 30th anniversary since their first album.
And they did.
The first and the title track is the Rancid I was familiar with, and its typicalness gave me a sigh of relief. Speed, sharp edges, catchiness, and Tim Armstrong’s upbeat vocals. No dull. The album storms through 16 songs in only 29 minutes, their shortest album ever. Especially, the flow between “New American” (4th) and “Prisoners Song” (10th) is breezy and seamless. And both songs are spectacular. Yes, they’re back as I wanted.
The overall album follows the same direction that Rancid has pursued throughout their long career: simple and energetic punk rock. However, there are some noticeable new elements. For example, there’s a touch of heavy metal in the openings. The synchronized crush of guitar and bass in each pre-chorus of “Tomorrow Never Comes” adds more headbanging quality. The intro of the second “Mud, Blood, & Gold” is like Metallica, needless to say, another trailblazer of the Bay Area music scene, even though it quickly returns to normal punk in the verses. The self-titled album in 2000 also had a similar element, but that was more hardcore. Another notable change is Tim’s vocal style. Lower voice and more laid-back approach than before. At 57 years old, his voice may finally be showing signs of aging (it was quite a miracle that his vocals maintained the same youthful upbeat and aggression from 1993 until the last album). But the change is nothing harmful. The new vocal style perfectly complements their speedy punk music while still maintaining power. Neither of these elements feels experimental like their 7th album released in 2009, Let the Dominoes Fall, which heavily featured ska. Eliminating ska punk songs also contributed to making the album tighter.
Tomorrow Never Comes has other noteworthy aspects. Smoothness is back, which was lacking in the last Trouble Maker album. One of the key factors in regaining smoothness is making the songs very short again. Trouble Maker had many songs longer than 2 minutes, with some reaching 3 minutes. Tomorrow Never Comes gains back the art of short songs. Only 6 songs out of 16 songs are longer than 2 minutes with 2:38 being the longest. The rest are all under 2 minutes, with the shortest track being a mere 58 seconds (“Don’t Make Me Do It”, the 6th track), and none is longer than 3 minutes. It might sound like what the fuck I am talking about, but this is punk rock. It doesn’t have to be complicated. But no mistake, being compact doesn’t mean simplifying the songs. What sets Rancid apart from other punk bands is their exceptional songwriting skills, particularly their ability to create superior melodies. Each song on Tomorrow Never Comes is filled with unforgettable melodies, regardless of whether the track lasts 1:22 or 2:21. Also, the sound quality has significantly improved compared to the last two albums. The last two albums lacked dynamism, resulting in the music sounding somewhat outdated, especially …Honor is All We Know.
Rancid has another exceptional factor that I eagerly anticipate every time I listen to their new album, in addition to their exciting songs and Tim’s vocal performance. Matt Freeman, Matt Freeman, Matt Freeman. He is the best bassist. Absolutely underrated bassist. No other bassist catches my ears quite like him. His bass performance is equivalent to guitars, making Rancid’s songs special. Since I first listened to Rancid back in 1994, this hasn’t changed. Matt possesses both phenomenal techniques and an incredible sense of musicality. I am thrilled that he continues to deliver an outstanding performance once again.
30 years, new tomorrow. Rancid gradually provided it with Tomorrow Never Comes. Rancid continues to prove that they haven’t lost any momentum and will continue to dominate the scene as the kings of punk
OVERALL POINTS: 90/100
- Songs: ★★★★+1/2
- Originality: ★★★★★
- Thrills: ★★★★★
- Song orders: ★★★★★
- Vocal: ★★★★
- Background: ★★★★+1/2
- Sound: ★★★★
- Production: ★★★★
- Strong songs: “New American”, “It’s a Road to Righteousness”, “Prisoners Song”, “Magnificent Rogue”, “Hellbound Train”
EXTRA (NOT COUNTED TOWARD THE OVERALL POINTS)
- Title: A
- Album cover: A+
RELEASE DATE (US): 06/02/2023
RECOMMENDED
