Rancid are working on their sixth studio album and first in three years. The album is due for release on Hellcat/Epitaph Records in June, in time for the California punk rockers' headlining stint on this summer's Warped Tour. Epitaph head and founding Bad Religion member Brett Gurewitz is producing.

"The new stuff is completely amazing," enthuses Gurewitz. "The songs and energy from the band in the studio have completely blown me away."

The members of Rancid have kept busy between albums, taking time to release BYO Split Series, Vol. 3, an album with NOFX that features the two bands covering each others' songs, last March. Guitarist Lars Frederiksen released a solo project titled Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards in 2001; and in October, Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and vocalist Rob Aston released the self-titled debut album of their side project, the Transplants. The Transplants filmed two videos for the songs, "DJ DJ" and "Diamonds and Guns," this past weekend.

JOHN D. LUERSSEN
(January 23, 2003)