At long last, this reissue satisfies a long-time want list item and one of the early missing links of Italian punk in the 1970s, despite the fact that Rancid X shunned that term wholeheartedly. This snooty yet refined band of Italians emanated from Torino and on this, their only long-player, Voices from 1978, they effortlessly streamline their impeccable attitude through a trove of varying styles, some with the bitter vitriol and tension of the era's finest punk pioneers edging in on the impending post-punk framework, and some with a polarizing yet subtle disco beat. This alone might turn off some of the purists, but it you give it a little time to soak in, you just might find a brooding and ominous new favorite on your hands. As with other early Italian punk contenders such as the far more famous Tampax, Hitler SS, Decibel, The Gags, Ice and the Iced, and Mercenary God, or their labelmates Chrisma, it was Rancid X, up until this recent official reissue, that had been the most difficult to track down, and lucky for us all, Spittle Records has blessed us with an easily accessible edition of this long-forgotten major label (yet very underground) classic.
When band like Rancid X walked the earth, it wasn't uncommon to tread the path that they did, straddling hard rock, punk swagger, and new wave simplicity with dazzling results, like a more primitive Rolling Stones with a thick-tongued antagonistic accent steering the ship, what's not to love? It's great examples of LPs like this that prove the "punk" sound could be carved out of anything, and despite the band's insistence on keeping their distance from the punk scene, they still had an appearance on Killed By Death #201. And once you wrap your ears around their classic cuts such as "Old Sex Queen," or "Intoxication," the latter issued as their debut 7" on Polydor in 1978, it'll be immediate how intense and commanding these songs truly are, and how fortunate we are once again to have this music in an accessible format.
Be sure to pick up the Voices LP from Rancid X at your favorite local record store or mailorder spot, or direct through Spittle Records right here.
Check out "Intoxication" and "Get Someone To Love Me" right here:
