Rancid
Let the Dominoes Fall
Hellcat (2009)
I could write a thousand words on Rancid here if I wanted. I spent the better part of the 90's defending them amongst the punx, though my enthusiasm for the band has waned markedly as the current decade has passed. It's been a few years since their last release: Tim Armstrong's divorce is history, The Transplants experiment is over, and the band has suffered their first member change. The leak of "Last One to Die" only solidified my impression that the band is running on fumes these days and the generic street punk title, Let the Dominoes Fall didn't get me excited. Sure, street punk has always been a big part of Rancid's sound, but as songwriters they've gone so far beyond the basics that it's hard to go back. From Let's Go until the second self-titled record the band showed steady progress as songwriters and musicians. Sure, they weren't changing the world - or even the world of punk rock - but they were masterfully showing different influences while maintaining a steady "Rancid sound." For the most part, Let the Dominoes Fall does exactly what 2003's Indestructible did: it shows a stagnant band. The most adventurous songs on here … Read more
Samothrace
Life's Trade
20 Buck Spin (2008)
Doom metal is something that's an acquired taste; either you're a fan of it or you're not, and those who … Read more
Deep Snapper
Into the Ugly
Edna Peppers (2008)
Deep Snapper is back with another album of almost familiar songs that bring to mind a type of punk rock … Read more
End of a Year
End of a Year
Deathwish Inc. (2009)
Yes, End of a Year give us yet another new record into which we can sink our collective teeth (if … Read more
