Ripcordz – Are Go(d)!

The Ripcordz are the type of band that creates music just for the hell of it. They’ve been playing for nearly a quarter of a century, and still, not many people know the name of the Canadian punk band. Sure, they’ve played with a wide variety of alternative bands including Rancid, Nirvana, Anti-Flag, Lydia Lunch, DOA, The Misfits and a host of others. Hell, Rancid was even nice enough to call them “Canada’s best Punk band.” But even with all these bands backing them, they never really broke it big. And just like any band that has payed their fair share of dues without ever breaking it big, they still have a very loyal fan base following them. This fan based has been urging the band to re-release their debut album, Are Go(d)!, since it hasn’t been available for almost a decade. So, The Ripcordz and Mayday Records, a proud member of the Union Label Group, have answered the call of the fans and re-released their 1988 debut onto the world.

The original release, which was recorded over a period of 2 years and paid for entirely with nickel and dimes, came with 14 tracks on it. Everyone who picks up the re-released version will be treated to six bonus songs gathered from that recording session. The extra tracks are I Don’t Dig Mushrooms, Freedom, Ode To A Woman, No Future, Santa Claus Slasher, and Tearin’ U Apart. For those of you who aren’t familiar to the The Ripcordz, they play a type of catchy street pop-punk, very similar to most punk bands of the eighties. There is a sort’ve distancy feel to it with distorted guitars, and harsh, gravelly vocals. They blend rock, punk, pop, and oi!, all together to make one catchy sound. The one down side to their sound, is that a lot of the songs sound similar to one another. Like, I always miss Break It Outbetween Elvis Death Cult and It Only Takes A Second. The last two are catchy and standout, where as the first just stands there and I can’t remember hearing it. This tends to be a pattern for most of the album, as some of the songs really grab you, while the others just play without you noticing it.

The Ripcordz Are Go(d)! is a must have for any Ripcordz fan who is missing it from their collection; but if you don’t know much by the band, I doubt that this would turn you into a huge fan.