When Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman formed Rancid in 1991, they never imagined they’d one day become one of the most successful punk rock groups to emerge from the era. But that’s exactly what happened.
Over the course of their storied career, Rancid has released platinum-selling records, spent decades touring around the globe, and continues to honor Armstrong and Freeman’s prior work as members of the short-lived yet seminal punk act Operation Ivy.
Having cut their teeth at legendary East Bay co-op venue 924 Gilman with both groups, Rancid claimed eager ears by storm throughout the 1990s. The quartet produced wave after wave of catchy three-chord chaos, which is still best exemplified by their landmark sophomore album, …And Out Come the Wolves.
Following its release on Aug. 15, 1995, …And Out Come the Wolves immediately catapulted Rancid into a new stratosphere of fame alongside fellow East Bay brethren Green Day and SoCal staples like the Offspring, NOFX, and Bad Religion. The record’s Clash-inspired fusion of ska and punk would cement singles "Ruby Soho," "Time Bomb," and "Roots Radicals" as permanent staples of Rancid’s setlists for decades to come.
Together, these bands would help to usher in a major punk rock revival that’s inspired generations of bands and seen the old guard still standing strong. In honor of …And Out Come the Wolves' 30th anniversary, read on for six reasons why it remains Rancid’s definitive punk portrait.
It Paid Tribute To Rancid's East Bay Roots
Before there was Rancid, there was Operation Ivy. Featuring Armstrong as "Lint" and Freeman as "Matt McCall," the band released only one album before breaking up in 1989. Yet Op Ivy still played a foundational role in the rise of third wave ska, and …And Out Come The Wolves reflects on that success.
Wolves track "Journey to The End of the East Bay," details the fleeting highs and crushing lows of life as a young band, taking clear inspiration from Operation Ivy’s own misadventures. Additionally, Bay Area locals will immediately recognize "Daly City Train" as a reference to the region’s BART train network and other assorted insider references scattered throughout the record’s 19 tracks.
It Solidified Rancid's Reputation For Refusing To "Sell Out"
As the title implies, …And Out Come the Wolves cast the numerous A&R label suits who courted Rancid for the right to release the follow-up to their 1994 debut, Let's Go.To this day, it remains difficult to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the lengths major labels purportedly went to in hopes of convincing Rancid to sign with them.
Raised in Albany — then a working-class community at the border of Berkeley, California — the band’s entrenched left-leaning politics and punk ethos made the prospect of penning a deal with a big-time label too difficult too stomach.
Despite offers that included a potential deal with Madonna’s Maverick Records, Rancid elected to stick with indie label Epitaph (itself formed by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz). That choice would earn them a mountain of street cred, particularly at a time when Green Day was taking massive heat for making the opposite choice.
In 1997, Armstrong partnered with Gurewitz to start Epitaph subsidiary Hellcat; the label is still active today. Rancid later signed to a major in 2003 under unique circumstances.
It Sparked A Renaissance In Ska-Infused Punk
Arriving years before third wave ska would top the Billboard charts, …And Out Come the Wolves brought the sound and skank back louder than a saxophone blast. Tracks like "Time Bomb,” "Daly City Train" and "Old Friend" remain excellent, highly listenable examples of ska-punk.
Audiences picked it up: At its peak, the album reached No. 45 on the Billboard 200 chart; Wolves was certified gold by the RIAA in 1996 and earned platinum status in 2004. In addition to inspiring a vast array of fresh talent, Rancid’s own trajectory skyrocketed to previously unimagined heights, including a high-profile appearance as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live” in 1995. Their video for "Time Bomb” also receivedcopious playon MTV’s airwaves, initiating a large new audience to the band.
Wolves Launched A 30-Plus Year Career
Punk bands often aren’t meant to last — it's better to burn out than to fade away, according to punk foe Neil Young. But Rancid and select peers (including Green Day) have proven this sentiment false.
Rancid continues to tour and create new music for legions of dedicated fans. In 2023, Rancid released their tenth studio album — Tomorrow Never Comes, their first in six years — and show no signs of stopping as they stampede through their fourth decade as one of the genre’s preeminent punk rock attractions.
The band’s sustained success has also afforded its members the opportunity to establish solo careers. Armstrong participated in numerous side projects, including the Transplants, the Crew, DOOM Regulator, and Devils Brigade. He also released music under his own name and the moniker Tim Timebomb, and earned a GRAMMY for his work on Jimmy Cliff's 2012 album Rebirth.
Freeman’s extracurriculars outside of Rancid include a brief stint filling in on bass for Social Distortion and forming the heavy metal band Charger. Freeman is likewise a member of the punk supergroup the Crew, founded in 2021 with Armstrong, Suicidal Tendencies’ Mike Muir, and Fletcher Dragge and Byron McCracken of Pennywise.
Lars Frederiksen keeps busy beyond Rancid as the frontman of two other bands: Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and the Old Firm Casuals. He’s also a member of Oxley's Midnight Runners and Stomper 98, in addition to his production work for acts like Dropkick Murphys and The Forgotten.
It Inspired A New Film About The '90s East Bay Punk Scene
Slated for release later this year, Out Come the Wolves is a narrative film reportedly inspired by Rancid’s record of the same name.
Set against the East Bay’s mid-1990s punk music scene, the indie drama from debut director Danny Peykoff stars fresh faces Orlando Norman and Spence Moore II alongside Heidi Grace Engerman, Cassady McClincy Zhang, and Breaking Bad” alum Giancarlo Esposito.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Out Come the Wolves follows a group of high school friends "group of high school friends vying to escape the blighted city in which they live. Getting away isn’t so easy, however, when the streets are full of metaphorical predators and prophets at every turn and the story."