New releases last eight weeks: Punk/Hardcore

Review: Serving as a self-analysed response to 1998's ska and reggae-oriented Life Won't Wait, as well as growing criticisms that the band were slowly morphing into some form of Diet The Clash, punk legends Rancid would come to cave skulls at the turn of the new millennium with their second self-titled LP (after their 1993 debut), with many fans referring to the project as Rancid (2000) or simply Rancid 5. Reuniting with Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion to handle production duties (a collaborative role he has maintained with the group ever since), the project easily serves as the most aggressive offering in their entire catalogue, drawing on elements of hardcore and Oi! and imbuing them into their established ska-punk formula, moving far away from any Clash comparisons, and sharing more of a sonic kinship with the type of aggy, scuzzy, brassless hardcore ska of Choking Victim. At 22 tracks spread out over a near-40 minute runtime, you do the chaotic math.