Californian punk legends Rancid have released their self-titled debut EP on streaming services for the first time since it was released more than 30 years ago.
Originally released on 7in vinyl only back in 1992 on Lookout! Records, the five-track Rancid EP is the band’s seminal induction to the punk rock world.
It set the tone for a prolific and subversive career which has seen them become on of the biggest punk bands in the world, alongside the likes of Green Day and The Offspring.
Rancid’s B Sides and C Sides compilation of early works was also recently made available on streaming services as a collection for the first time. Originally released in 2007, the blistering 24 track set features songs spanning 1992 to 2004.
The Rancid EP’s gruff duelling vocals and pummeling drums, slick basslines and furious riffs were a first taste of the trademark street-punk sound they’ve honed and tinkered with throughout the years.
It features the songs I’m Not The Only One, Battering Ram, The Sentence, Media Controller and Idle Hands, and for some it remains the quintessential Rancid release.
Formed in 1991 by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman (formerly of Operation Ivy), Rancid’s original line-up included Armstrong’s roommate, Brett Reed, on drums.
After multiple attempts at trying to recapture the magic of Op Ivy’s brief but critically-acclaimed run, they caught a spark with Rancid and recorded their introduction just months after forming.
Having their earliest work available at last on streaming platforms means Rancid’s legacy is even more accessible, allowing a new audience to experience the raw energy and rebellious spirit which made the Bay Area band a household name.
Rancid – now a four-piece with the addition of Lars Frederiksen, and with Branden Steineckert on drums – has remained fiercely independent, never losing their loyalty to the punk community or each other.
