The Offspring
Supercharged

It's been exactly forty years since that Social Distortion concert that Keith "Dexter" Holland and Greg Kriesel never got to see. Sometimes fate pushes unimaginable sliding doors, and anger becomes the pen that writes iconic and endless stories. Two friends, a major upset for an injustice done to them, the desire to become creators of that music they love so much, and voilà. Who knows if the bouncer at that venue in Irvine, California, ever found out he was the real catalyst for the birth of the Offspring. Much to the fans’ delight.

To be precise, before the Offspring, there were the "Manic Subsidal", an embryo with a completely reshuffled lineup, featuring Doug Thompson on vocals, Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman on lead guitar, Dexter Holland on rhythm guitar, Greg Kriesel on bass, and Jim Benton on drums. It was short-lived, lasting just long enough for one song, "Hopeless", included in a compilation (We Got Power Vol.2) and quietly handed over to history. Shortly after, Thompson left, passing the microphone to Holland, quickly followed by Jim Benton, who passed the drumsticks to James Lilja.

The moniker "The Offspring" became a reality in 1986, accompanied by the band's first single, "I'll Be Waiting/Blackball", released under the virtual label Black Label Records. That's right, virtual, because no record label by that name existed (Black Label was a much-loved beer); it was a makeshift invention to give visibility and credibility to a quartet unknown to the world. The first album, the self-titled "The Offspring," would see the light in 1989, finally under a real label, Nemesis Records. After a good ten studio works and worldwide consecration, here we are today.

2024 is the year of "Supercharged," produced by Bob Rock and the second release under Concord Records, following its predecessor "Let the Bad Times Roll" from 2021. On this occasion, the lineup, besides the two founders, comprises bassist Todd Morse, drummer Brandon Pertzborn (Black Flag), who replaces Josh Freese (now with Foo Fighters), and percussionist Jonah Nimoy.

The album title is decidedly explicit. Dexter, Noodles, and company want to tell us they are supercharged, and this is not a predictable or trivial record. The cover winks at the illustrious predecessor "Smash," which turns thirty this year and remains the band’s most important work, with its absolute sales record (eleven million copies sold worldwide).

The tracks are only ten, for just over half an hour of listening, but that's not necessarily bad news. No interludes to fill time but plenty of good music that doesn’t bore and takes us back to the past with a future projection.

Back are the heavy and fast sounds (as indeed) of "Smash," "Ixnay on the Hombre," and "Americana," with something contemporary and even more imaginative. We are far from the melodic rock of "Days Go By," though there are catchy, radio-friendly episodes such as "Make It All Right" and "Ok, But This Is the Last Time," a very well-executed power ballad about an ultimatum in love.

The tracklist kicks off energetically with "Looking Out For #1," which encompasses typical solutions dear to the Californian quartet, with a clear nod to Bad Religion, their great inspiration.

The decisive acceleration comes with "Light It Up," "The Fall Guy," and "Hanging By A Thread," which inevitably cause headbanging with their speed and power, in full Offspring style. Here you can still feel the imprint of the drumsticks of now ex-member Josh Freese, the same in "Come To Brazil," which for a moment makes us wonder if it’s a Metallica track. Disguised as a thrash-metal parody (it’s no coincidence we have Bob Rock’s hand here) and full of distorted riffs, it will win over the South American followers, if that was ever needed. And the stadium choir finale alone is worth the ticket price.

From the carefree and fun tones of "Get Some," between joking and jollity ("Call the guards, kick some ass, burning hard, living fast"), we move to the more hardcore and abrasive tones of "Truth in Fiction," with typical Pennywise-like riffs, another historic punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, with lyrics full of social outrage:

"So call it truth to fiction, that’s exactly what it is

Society’s affliction, we replace the truth with myth"

"You Can’t Get There From Here" is the nice rocking closure that always recalls past solutions, as happened for example with "Change The World" (from "Ixnay On The Hombre").

"Supercharged" is indeed an interesting record. It serves to tell us there's still plenty of energy to be spread, despite the passage of time, and to remind us that the Offspring’s punk hasn't lost its identity.

The long nine-year break before releasing "Let The Bad Times Roll" had worried the band’s followers, who are now back seriously, with a quite respectable pace.

2025 will be the year of the new world tour, and September will see Dexter Holland’s band in the Belpaese. There’s still plenty of time to revisit the old tracks and put these new ones into rotation. They already are a valid part of a glorious history.