The landmark 1995 record that at once invoked and transcended the punk rock genre, cementing Rancid's place forever as one of the great rock bands of all time.... And Out Come the Wolves combines Dylanesque portrayals of down-and-out streetlife and personal experience with tunefully concise, dynamic songwriting to create an enduring body of work that grows better with each listen and every passing year. Styles range from the recklessly belligerent punk rock rampage of Maxwell Murder (featuring a mind-numbing Matt Freeman bass solo), to the masterful pop craftsmanship of "Ruby Soho" and the fully realized punk/ska hybrid of "Time Bomb" (a sound that Armstrong and Freeman pioneered in their first band Operation Ivy). Produced by Jerry Finn and mixed by Andy Wallace this record is deservedly among the most influential and successful of it's time.
White W/ Black Splatter. This is where it all starts. Without any reminiscing about their former band Operation Ivy, Matt Freeman (bass) and Tim Armstrong (guitar/vocals) blast through their debut without any hints of ska or blatant Clash plagiarizing. On the con trary, this album rips through 15 tracks of high-energy punk that's accompanied by heavy bass leads and Armstrong's permanently slurred vocals. And to top it all off, the lyrical content deals with urban blight and the lifestyle of being a public nuisance. With this trademark sound, Rancid provides the perfect soundtrack for any car chase that includes massive property damage; is it a wonder MTV wouldn't touch this? -Mike DaRonco