RANCID
...And Out Come the Wolves

Submitted by: Nicky

The year was 1994, Green Day and Offspring landed straight into the mainstream, signed in big labels: Green Day at Reprise and Offspring at Columbia. Nirvana had done that before them but the bitter gun shot of April the 5th 1994 left a deep space for some light punks bands. After Green Day's and Offspring's success, the record companies sought greedily for the same scene. In November 1994, After Rancid returned from half a year of oppressing touring, tempting offers with 7 figures were waiting for them. They rejected all of the offers and stayed at Epitaph, wanting their artistic freedom and remaining loyal to their idols, Bad Religion.

The title "And Out Come the Wolves" refers to the insane battle the record companies fought to sign Rancid. Nevertheless, Rancid made it to MTV and radio without being on a big label thanks to three hits; "Ruby Soho", "Time Bomb" and "Roots radicals". The songs in the album can be compared to exploring through the band's family picture album, torn pictures, parts of dialogues and heart breaking pieces of memories. They tell the little, bitter-sweet stories of punks from Berkley and Oakland, they take the listener to a guided tour through the alleys of their memories, where they were running around the East Bay broke, fighting Endlessly with the bus drivers to let them in, remembering all the people the knew and lost. In "Olympia WA" Tim and Lars are wandering in the streets of New York, consumed with longing for home. "Ruby Soho" is about two lovers separating when he goes for a tour and deep inside of them they know they'll never be together again. "Journey to the End of East Bay" is the most emotional point of the album. Mattie arrived all the way form New Orleans because he believed The East Bay is a Punk's paradise but discovered that it's just a fucked-up place. In three minutes and three stanzas it reveals a summary of the Gilman's and Operation Ivy's life story.

The music in "And Out Come…" is a blast of energy, pure and compact, Rancid is showing a confident ability, impressive and convincing based on the speed and power of the hardcore, the emphasized beats of the Reggae and Ska and Tim's and Lars's talent for melodic. Without a worthy bass there is no Punk and Hardcore, and the Ska and Reggae are based from beginning to end on the bassist lean shoulders. And if there was a school for bass, "And Out Come the wolves" was a lesson you just can't miss. Matt Freeman is distinguishing in 19 out of 19 songs, but especially at the opening track "Maxwell Murder" with a 10 seconds bass solo, "Time Bomb", "Roots Radicals", "Old Friend" and…All the other songs.

The album closes with ''Alleyways and Avenues'', the Oi-Oi-Oi Rancid Anthem for freedom, peace, fraternity and rebellion. It's not only the call for unity that captures every soul, the magic and nature of Rancid. This is the great love between the band mates and the way the learned to support each others through the years. Now they are offering the listener some of the love they shared between them. Who wouldn't take it?