Indestructible (Rancid album)

Last updated
Indestructible
Rancid - Indestructible cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 19, 2003 (2003-08-19)
Recorded2002–2003
Studio
Genre
Length52:31
Label Hellcat, Warner Bros. [2]
Producer Brett Gurewitz
Rancid chronology
BYO Split Series, Vol. 3
(2002)
Indestructible
(2003)
B Sides and C Sides
(2007)
Singles from Indestructible [3]
  1. "Fall Back Down"
    Released: July 22, 2003
  2. "Red Hot Moon"
    Released: October 27, 2003

Indestructible is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was produced by Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion) and released by Hellcat Records with distribution through Warner Bros. Records on August 19, 2003. [4] Despite critical acclaim, the band was criticized by some of its fans for Indestructible's "poppier" sound on some of its tracks. It debuted at number 15 on the charts, selling 51,000 copies in its first week. It was Rancid's highest debut at the time, which was surpassed six years later with their 2009 album, Let the Dominoes Fall . Indestructible marks the last recording by drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by current drummer Branden Steineckert (formerly of The Used). Additionally, it is the only album that features songwriting contributions from Reed.

Contents

Writing and production

Production of the album began with following a US tour with NOFX in April and concluded in November 2002. [5] [6] Indestructible was described as the band's most personal album, covering personal issues including Tim Armstrong's divorce from ex-wife Brody Dalle on songs such as "Fall Back Down", "Ghost Band" and "Tropical London". The album's final track, "Otherside", was written by Lars Frederiksen and dedicated to his brother Robert, who died in 2001. The album was also dedicated two of band's mentors and influences: Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone, who both died during the making of the album. Strummer is mentioned in the album's title track.

Post production of the album consisted of cutting the record down from 25 tracks [7] to 19 tracks. The six tracks left off of the final album were "Killing Zone", "Stranded", "Trouble", "Road to Hell", "Warfare", and "Squatter House"." Killing Zone" and "Stranded" were used as b-sides and bonus tracks for the record. "Trouble" was reworked and released as a single on Pink's third album Try This . That version of the song won Tim Armstrong and Pink a Grammy. "Road to Hell" was re-recorded and a Japanese bonus track on the 2nd Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards album Viking . "Warfare" and "Squatter House" remain unreleased. [8]

Release

On June 6, 2003, the album's track listing was posted online. [9] From June to August 2003, the group went on the 2003 edition of Warped Tour. [10] On July 24, "Indestructible", "Back Against the Wall", and "Red Hot Moon" were posted on the band's website. [11] "Fall Back Down" was released to radio on July 22, 2003. [3] A music video for the song was posted on Yahoo! Launch on August 4, 2003. [12]

The album was delayed a number of times before its official release. It was first scheduled for release in summer/fall 2002 beforing being delayed to early 2003, mid, [13] and finally August 19, 2003. Chief among the reasons for the album's delay were band members' other commitments. Singer/guitarist Tim Armstrong released an album with his then-new side project Transplants and second guitarist Lars Frederiksen released an album with Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. Warner Bros. Records released the CD version while LP was released by Epitaph. [14] In August and September, the band toured Europe, a few shows of which were as part of the Reconstruction Festival. [15] [16] On September 30, they appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien . [17] They then embarked on a headlining US tour in November, with Tiger Army; Nekromantix, the Frisk, and Roger Miret and the Disasters appeared on select dates. In February 2003, Rancid toured across Japan. [18] "Red Hot Moon" was released to radio on October 28, 2003; [3] a music video for the song was released to days later, and was filmed at CBGBs in New York City. [19] In December, the band went on the Hellcat Tour with Tiger Army and F-Minus. [20] Tim Shaw of Ensign sang Skinhead Rob's section of "Red Hot Moon" during the tour. [21] Later in the month, the band performed at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas festival. [22] "Tropical London" was released as a promotional single to radio on April 27, 2004. [3] A music video was released for "Spirit of '87" however it was not released as a single.

Following the release of the album, the group went on hiatus while each of the members toured and recorded albums with other bands. [23]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [25]
Drowned in Sound 6/10 [26]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [27]
IGN 8.8/10 [28]
PopMatters (Favorable) [29]
Robert Christgau A− [30]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [31]
Spin B [32]

Prior to the album's release the band signed a special distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records, which was met with major backlash from many of the band's fans for abandoning their independent roots. To ease tension among the fans, the album was released with no mention of Warner Bros. on the album packaging. According to a label spokesman "It's a unique deal that doesn't play by the traditional record biz rules. It's Rancid putting out an album on Hellcat, with the possibility of additional support from [Warner Bros.]." In a statement, Lars Frederiksen discussed the Warner Bros. deal by saying "We have absolutely no complaints with Hellcat. Yes, we are considering additional support that Warner Bros. might be able to provide, but whatever happens, we're sticking with Brett Gurewitz. All I care about and all I have is my music, my bandmates and my band. We are going to do whatever we need to do to survive." [33]

The album was with mostly positive critical reviews, reaching #15 on the charts and making it the band's biggest debut at the time. However, some fans criticized the album for its stylistic departure from earlier work, claiming that a major label had influenced the band's music to appeal to mainstream listeners (despite the album being written prior to the band's agreement with the label). Still others felt the album to be a mixture of ...And Out Come the Wolves and Life Won't Wait . The album's first single "Fall Back Down", a song written about Armstrong's divorce and reliance on his close friends, was also met with some backlash from fans for featuring members of Good Charlotte and Kelly Osbourne in its music video.

Brody Dalle has never listened to the album. "I had no desire to listen to [Tim's] record [at the time it came out]. Someone said there was a song called "Tropic London", which was maybe about me and Melbourne. I still haven't heard it." [34]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen, except where noted.

No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Indestructible"Armstrong1:36
2."Fall Back Down"Armstrong3:43
3."Red Hot Moon" (featuring Skinhead Rob) (Armstrong, Frederiksen, Brett Reed, Rob Aston)Armstrong, Skinhead Rob3:36
4."David Courtney"Frederiksen2:44
5."Start Now"Armstrong3:05
6."Out of Control"Frederiksen1:41
7."Django" (Armstrong)Armstrong2:25
8."Arrested in Shanghai"Armstrong4:11
9."Travis Bickle"Armstrong2:16
10."Memphis"Armstrong3:25
11."Spirit of '87" (Armstrong, Frederiksen, Dave Carlock)Armstrong, Freeman, Frederiksen3:22
12."Ghost Band"Armstrong1:37
13."Tropical London"Armstrong3:01
14."Roadblock" (Armstrong, Frederiksen, Reed)Armstrong, Freeman, Frederiksen1:58
15."Born Frustrated"Frederiksen2:56
16."Back Up Against the Wall"Armstrong3:20
17."Ivory Coast"Armstrong2:19
18."Stand Your Ground"Armstrong3:24
19."Otherside"Armstrong, Frederiksen1:52
Total length:52:31
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleLength
20."Stranded"2:24
LP/Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
20."Killing Zone"2:39

Album notes

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes. [35]

Rancid

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Indestructible
Chart (2003)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [36] 48
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [37] 59
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [38] 88
French Albums (SNEP) [39] 84
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [40] 81
Italian Albums (FIMI) [41] 34
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [42] 36
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [43] 35
UK Albums (OCC) [44] 29
US Billboard 200 [45] 15

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancid (band)</span> American punk rock band

Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, former members of the band Operation Ivy, Rancid is often credited as being among the wave of bands that revived mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. Over its 33-year career, Rancid has retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground musical roots.

<i>The Process of Belief</i> 2002 studio album by Bad Religion

The Process of Belief is the twelfth studio album by the American punk rock band Bad Religion. It was produced by its leaders Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz, and was released on January 22, 2002, through Epitaph Records. After touring in support of its previous studio album, The New America (2000), Gurewitz re-joined Bad Religion in 2001 after a seven-year hiatus. The band re-signed with Epitaph, and then began work on its first album for the label in over eight years. The album also marked the first album to feature Brooks Wackerman, who replaced former drummer Bobby Schayer.

<i>...And Out Come the Wolves</i> 1995 studio album by Rancid

...And Out Come the Wolves is the third studio album by American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on August 22, 1995, through Epitaph Records. Rancid's popularity and catchy songs made them the subject of a major label bidding war that ended with the band staying on Epitaph. With a sound heavily influenced by ska, which called to mind Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman's past in Operation Ivy, Rancid became one of the few bands of the mid-to late-1990s boom in punk rock to retain much of its original fanbase. In terms of record sales and certifications, ...And Out Come the Wolves is a popular album in the United States. It produced three hit singles: "Roots Radicals", "Time Bomb" and "Ruby Soho", that earned Rancid its heaviest airplay on MTV and radio stations to date. All the singles charted on Modern Rock Tracks. ...And Out Come the Wolves was certified gold by the RIAA on January 22, 1996. It was certified platinum on September 23, 2004.

<i>Rancid</i> (2000 album) 2000 studio album by Rancid

Rancid is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid, released on August 1, 2000. It is the second eponymous album and the first to be released through frontman Tim Armstrong's label, Hellcat Records. It also features the return of producer Brett Gurewitz, who has produced every subsequent album by the band.

<i>Pump Up the Valuum</i> 2000 studio album by NOFX

Pump Up the Valuum is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on June 13, 2000, on Epitaph Records, their last through the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Armstrong</span> American musician

Timothy Ross Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup Transplants. Prior to forming Rancid, Armstrong was in the ska punk band Operation Ivy.

<i>Life Wont Wait</i> 1998 studio album by Rancid

Life Won't Wait is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 30, 1998, through Epitaph Records. It was released as the follow-up to ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995).

<i>The Empire Strikes First</i> 2004 studio album by Bad Religion

The Empire Strikes First is the thirteenth studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on June 8, 2004. The album is heavily influenced by the then-current Iraq War and also has some nods to George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the latter most likely inspired by the Patriot Act.

<i>Rancid</i> (1993 album) 1993 studio album by Rancid

Rancid is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on May 10, 1993, through Epitaph Records.

<i>The War on Errorism</i> 2003 studio album by NOFX

The War on Errorism is the ninth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on May 6, 2003, through Fat Wreck Chords.

<i>Transplants</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Transplants

Transplants is the debut studio album by the American punk rock/hip hop band Transplants. It was released on October 22, 2002 via Hellcat Records. Audio production of the twelve-track record was handled by Tim Armstrong and Dave Carlock. Rancid's Matt Freeman and Lars Frederiksen, The Slackers' Vic Ruggiero, The Distillers' Brody Dalle, AFI's Davey Havok, Funkdoobiest's Son Doobie, The Nerve Agents' Eric Ozenne, and Skarhead's Danny Diablo made their appearances on the album as additional musicians and vocalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transplants (band)</span> American rap/rock group

The Transplants are an American punk rock/rap rock supergroup. They formed in 1999 when Tim Armstrong played his friend and roadie Rob Aston some beats he had made using Pro Tools and asked Aston if he would consider contributing lyrics. Initially, Armstrong played all the instruments himself, but as the project grew, he invited musician friends such as Matt Freeman, Lars Frederiksen (Rancid), and Vic Ruggiero to add to the sound. Before long, Armstrong and Aston decided to officially form a band, but to make things complete, they wanted a drummer, so Travis Barker from Blink-182 was asked to join in 2002.

Devils Brigade is an American rock band formed as a side project by Rancid bassist Matt Freeman in 2000. In Devils Brigade Freeman performs a mix of punk rock and psychobilly styles, singing lead vocals and playing a double bass in contrast to the backing vocals and bass guitar he performs in Rancid. He was backed by his Rancid bandmates for singles released in 2003 and 2005, and recruited X drummer DJ Bonebrake to play on Devils Brigade's eponymous debut album in 2010.

<i>Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards</i> (album) 0000 studio album by Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards

Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards is the eponymous debut studio album by the American punk rock band Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. It was released on March 20, 2001 via Hellcat Records. The album peaked at #26 on the Independent Albums and #49 on the Heatseekers Albums.

<i>B Sides and C Sides</i> 2007 compilation album by Rancid

B Sides and C Sides is a compilation album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was first released online on December 11, 2007, followed by a standard release on January 15, 2008. It contains a number of B-sides and rare songs as well as compilation or soundtrack appearances plus 4 previously unreleased songs. The set spans from 1992 to 2004, therefore it doesn't include any songs recorded with current drummer Branden Steineckert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancid discography</span>

The discography of Rancid, an American punk rock band, includes ten studio albums, two extended plays, two compilations, twenty-seven singles and thirty-seven music videos.

<i>Let the Dominoes Fall</i> 2009 studio album by Rancid

Let the Dominoes Fall is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It is their first album of new material in nearly six years, following 2003's Indestructible, and their first with drummer Branden Steineckert, who joined the band in 2006 after the departure of founding drummer Brett Reed.

<i>Devils Brigade</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Devils Brigade

Devils Brigade is the debut album by the rock band Devils Brigade, a side project by Matt Freeman of Rancid. The band, which performs a mix of punk rock and psychobilly, features Freeman on lead vocals and double bass in contrast to the backing vocals and bass guitar he typically performs in Rancid. Originally envisioned as a concept album about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, Devils Brigade was co-written by Freeman and his longtime bandmate Tim Armstrong, who also played guitar on the album and served as record producer alongside Ryan Foltz. The album also features X drummer DJ Bonebrake and contributions from Rancid's Lars Frederiksen, and was released August 31, 2010 through Armstrong's label Hellcat Records.

<i>Honor Is All We Know</i> 2014 studio album by Rancid

...Honor Is All We Know is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid, released on October 27, 2014. It is the band's first studio album since Let the Dominoes Fall (2009), and their second one to be recorded under its current incarnation. Work on ...Honor Is All We Know began in 2011 and it was originally planned for a 2012 release, but was repeatedly delayed while the band continued touring and writing new material, and its members were busy with their own projects. After three years of writing and recording, the album was finished in 2014.

<i>Trouble Maker</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Rancid

Trouble Maker is the ninth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid, released on June 9, 2017. Like many of Rancid's albums, Trouble Maker was produced by Epitaph founder and Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, and marks the band's first album since their 1993 self-titled debut to feature the original Rancid logo on the cover. The band recorded the album between December 2015 and January 2017 at Big Bad Sound, Sunset Sound, and Red Star.

References

  1. "Indestructible - Rancid | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  2. "Rancid / Warner Deal Details". 2 July 2003.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  4. "Rancid Hops To Warner Bros. – Billboard". Billboard .
  5. White, Adam (January 26, 2002). "A message from Lars". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  6. White, Adam (November 9, 2002). "Punk International: Upcoming Transplants / Rancid plans". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  7. White, Adam (May 15, 2003). "AP: Rancid's Indestructible On July 22". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  8. "July 2003 #180". altpress.com. 4 March 2010. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  9. White, Adam (June 6, 2003). "Tentative 'Indestructible' Track Listing". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  10. Staff (January 14, 2003). "Used, Simple Plan, Rancid, Distillers On Warped Tour '03". MTV. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  11. White, Adam (July 24, 2003). "Rancid Posts 'Indestructible' Tracks". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  12. White, Adam (August 4, 2003). "'Fall Back Down' Video Online". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  13. White, Adam (April 30, 2003). "Upcoming Rancid Release Date". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  14. [ dead link ]
  15. White, Adam (July 26, 2003). "European Dates: Reconstruction, Terremoto and more". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  16. White, Adam (August 23, 2003). "Rancid European Tour". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  17. Heisel, Scott (September 29, 2003). "Bands on TV - week of 9/29/03". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  18. White, Adam (September 19, 2003). "Rancid / Tiger Army Dates". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  19. White, Adam (October 30, 2003). "Rancid's 'Red Hot Moon' Video Online. Skanking!". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  20. White, Adam (October 26, 2003). "F-Minus US / UK / Spain Dates". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  21. Heisel, Scott (November 20, 2003). "Tim from Ensign to temporarily replace Skinhead Rob on Rancid tour". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  22. White, Adam (November 22, 2003). "Rancid, AFI, Thrice & more @ KROQ's Acoustic Christmas". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  23. "Rancid to put on four "Hellcat Nights" in L.A. this March". Alternative Press. February 8, 2006. Archived from the original on 2016-08-16. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  24. "Indestructible". AllMusic . Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  25. Smith, RJ. "Rancid Indestructible". Blender . Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  26. "Album Review: Rancid - Indestructible". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  27. Weingarten, Marc (2003-08-18). "Indestructible". EW.com. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  28. Madsen, Nick (August 22, 2003). "Indestructible". IGN. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  29. Williams, Adam. "Rancid: Indestructible < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  30. "Album: Rancid: Indestructible". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  31. "Rancid: Indestructible : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". RollingStone.com. 2003-08-12. Archived from the original on 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  32. Milner, Greg (2003-10-01). SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. p. 108.
  33. "Rancid Takes 'Indestructible' To Warner Bros. – Billboard". Billboard .
  34. Ozzi, Dan (2021). Sellout: The Major Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994-2007). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   978-0-358-24430-1.
  35. Indestructible (CD liner). Rancid. Hellcat. 2003. 48529-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  36. "Australiancharts.com – Rancid – Indestructible". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  37. "Austriancharts.at – Rancid – Indestructible" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  38. "Dutchcharts.nl – Rancid – Indestructible" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  39. "Lescharts.com – Rancid – Indestructible". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  40. "Offiziellecharts.de – Rancid – Indestructible" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  41. "Italiancharts.com – Rancid – Indestructible". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  42. "Norwegiancharts.com – Rancid – Indestructible". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  43. "Swedishcharts.com – Rancid – Indestructible". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  44. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  45. "Rancid Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2022.