Good Riddance return with their tenth studio album Before The World Caves In, marking a new chapter for the long running Santa Cruz punk band.
by Paul Cashmere
Good Riddance have announced their tenth studio album Before The World Caves In, due for release on March 27 via Fat Wreck Chords, reaffirming the band’s place as one of the most enduring and principled voices in melodic hardcore punk. The record follows 2019’s Thoughts and Prayers and arrives after more than three decades of the band confronting political and personal realities with clarity, urgency and conviction.
The first taste of the new album comes is There’s Still Tonight. The song sets the tone for a record shaped by intensity and reflection, continuing Good Riddance’s tradition of pairing fast, aggressive songwriting with sharply focused lyrical intent. It is a sound that has long defined the band, yet one that continues to evolve as the world around them changes.
Frontman Russ Rankin says the band approached their tenth album with a heightened sense of responsibility. With the milestone in mind, Good Riddance set out to create music capable of addressing the current moment directly, without dilution or hesitation.
Rankin describes a deliberate darkness running through the album, a unifying mood intended to bind the songs together and give the record a singular emotional weight.
That atmosphere is matched by a willingness to rethink established approaches. While the band’s catalogue is known for precision and speed, Before The World Caves In introduces broader dynamics and space, allowing certain sections to expand before tightening again. This push and pull creates tension across the album, offering a different kind of impact while remaining firmly rooted in the band’s core identity.
Formed in Santa Cruz, California, Good Riddance emerged from the same fertile early 1990s punk environment that produced many of the genre’s most politically engaged acts. Vocalist Russ Rankin and guitarist Luke Pabich had previously played together in hardcore band State of Grace, before Good Riddance took shape as a functioning unit. Early releases, including the Gidget EP, laid the groundwork for what would become a defining run on Fat Wreck Chords.
The band signed to the label in the mid 1990s and released a series of influential albums, beginning with For God And Country and A Comprehensive Guide To Moderne Rebellion. These records established Good Riddance as a band willing to confront social injustice, American politics and personal responsibility head on, without sacrificing melody or accessibility. Albums such as Ballads From The Revolution, Operation Phoenix and Symptoms Of A Leveling Spirit further cemented their reputation within the global punk community.
Line up changes over the years never diluted the band’s focus. The long standing core of Rankin, Pabich, bassist Chuck Platt and drummer Sean Sellers became synonymous with the Good Riddance sound. Their commitment extended beyond music, with the band openly supporting animal rights and environmental causes, and maintaining a consistent ethical stance that resonated deeply with their audience.
After disbanding in 2007 following a farewell show in Santa Cruz, Good Riddance reunited in 2012. The comeback album Peace In Our Time arrived in 2015, followed by Thoughts And Prayers in 2019. Both records demonstrated that the band’s voice remained as sharp and relevant as ever, shaped by experience rather than softened by time.
Before The World Caves In represents the next step in that ongoing story. Rankin has expressed hope that the new songs connect with listeners who have followed the band for decades, as well as those encountering Good Riddance for the first time. It is a statement that aligns with the band’s history, grounded in community, conscience and an unwavering belief in the power of punk as a form of expression.
With ten studio albums now spanning from 1995 to 2026, Good Riddance continue to stand as a vital force within the genre. Before The World Caves In is positioned as both a reflection of the present and a continuation of a career built on principled resistance and musical discipline.
Before The World Caves In Tracklisting
There’s Still Tonight
In Pieces
Poverty Of Language
No More System To Believe In
All Just Rain
To Suffer Is The Name
Green Fields
Posse Comitatus
Devoid Of Faith
Drive Faster
Thoughts Words Scars
No Imperfect Way
What Kind Of Day Has It Been
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