V/A – …And Out Come The Lawsuits LP (Sell The Heart Records / Lavasocks Records)

Everyone loves Rancid. I never stumbled upon a punk rocker who said he’s not into some Rancid albums. Favorite picks differ because of personal preferences, but the impact of this legendary group is notable all over the place, and it seems it even intensifies over the years. The release I would like to talk about today is living proof of my statement. Sell The Heart Records teamed up with Lavasocks Records to deliver a tribute album to …And Out Come The Wolves by the beforementioned group. It is the recording that skyrocketed Rancid to the fame they cherish today. Of course, there are many reasons why this album made such an impact on the global punk rock scene. Rancid blended melodic punk rock, street punk, ska, and reggae into a harmonious slab of noise like no one did before. 26 years later, the legendary album received a well-deserved tribute record, thanks to Sell The Heart Records and Lavasocks Records.

…And Out Come The Lawsuits comes with 19 compositions covered by 20 punk rock groups. You’ll undoubtfully enjoy a slightly different version of these songs, performed by the groups such as Stay Wild, Little Debbie & The Crusaders, Get Married, Flying Raccoon Suit, The Hammerbombs, Omnigone, Link 80, Matamoska, Pretty Frankenstein, Matt Moua, Sarchasm, Vantana Row, Worriers, Public Safety, Angelboy, The Halos, School Bus Driver, Danger Inc, Adult School, and Bad Idols. I have to admit I never heard of any of these bands, but this compilation serves as a great promotional tool for gathering more attention from the punk rock crowd. Therefore, …And Out Come Lawsuits has another purpose except paying a tribute to one of the greatest punk rock bands of all time.

Each band did an incredible job covering these punk rock gems but also spiced things up by adding a personal touch to some songs. The majority of the songs remained intact, while some of the groups also dared to go a little further and experiment with song structures and arrangements. Musicwise, I will dare to say some of these cover songs sound even better than original tunes. Maybe this material would sound even better if all these bands recorded their numbers at the same recording studio, but we all know that was nearly impossible due to pandemics and finances. Still, the sound engineer/producer did an incredible job with the production, so the entire tribute album sounds good without losing consistency. Considering the performance and quality, …And Out Comes The Lawsuits sounds better than most of the tribute albums I heard so far, and believe me, I listened to a lot of them over the years. The first vinyl pressing already sold out, but you can grab a second pressing on white vinyl. Head over to the Sell The Heart Records or Lavasocks Records for more information about ordering.