Rancid (2000)

Rancid’s eponymous 2000 album — alternately referred to by fans as Rancid 5 or Rancid 2000 — was both a rebirth and a return for the group. This is the group’s fastest, hardest collection of songs to date. They appear intent to reaffirm their pure punk pedigree following the musically diverse Life Won’t Wait. While it's their most aggressive musical statement, Rancid is also the band’s most lyrically ambitious effort. “Don Giovanni” is based on Mozart’s 1787 opera, while “Loki” is about the Norse God of the same name. No other Rancid album deals so heavily with history and politics. The tracks “Rwanda” and “Blackhawk Down” address war and political strife in Africa while “Radio Havana” offers an anthem for Cuban refugees. Other songs rage against government-sponsored conflicts and human corruption. It could have easily turned into a stale retread of old ideas, but under the production of Bad Religion (and Epitaph) honcho Brett Gurewitz, Rancid is the sharpest and most naturalistic-sounding of all the band’s albums. It’s a killer affirmation of purpose from one of modern punk’s most faithful outfits.