Sublime have released their first new studio album in three decades, *Until The Sun Explodes*, marking a new chapter for the influential Long Beach band with original members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh joined by Jakob Nowell, the son of late frontman Bradley Nowell.
by Paul Cashmere
Sublime have officially released Until The Sun Explodes, their first new studio album since the band’s landmark self-titled record arrived in 1996. The album reunites founding members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh with Jakob Nowell, whose arrival as vocalist and guitarist has completed a full-circle return for a band whose history was abruptly interrupted by the death of Bradley Nowell three decades ago.
The release comes as Sublime are in the midst of celebrations surrounding the 30th anniversary of their self-titled album, a record that transformed the Long Beach group from a regional Southern California act into one of the defining alternative bands of the 1990s. The new album arrives after a sustained return to activity that included major festival appearances, sold-out headline shows and a series of successful singles.
For fans of alternative music, the significance extends beyond nostalgia. Few bands associated with the ska-punk and reggae-rock movement of the 1990s have returned with original members and new material that directly continues their catalogue. Until The Sun Explodes therefore represents both a continuation of Sublime’s story and a test of how legacy acts can evolve while maintaining their core identity.
The album features 21 tracks, including the chart-topping singles “Ensenada” and the title track “Until The Sun Explodes”. According to the band, the title song has remained at No.1 on both the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and Mediabase Alternative chart for three consecutive weeks. Earlier single “Ensenada” also reached No.1 and reportedly remained there for eight weeks.
Musically, the project draws on the hybrid sound that made Sublime influential, blending reggae, punk, ska, hip-hop and alternative rock. Guest appearances include H.R. of Bad Brains, Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise, Australian surf-punk outfit Skegss and G. Love.
Jakob Nowell described the album as both a tribute and a continuation of the band’s legacy.
“This album is a thank you to the fans, an acknowledgment of our shared history, a victory lap epilogue, and most importantly a love letter to my father,” he said. “Nothing has challenged me more than stepping into the role of Sublime’s frontman and creating a record with the band.”
Drummer Bud Gaugh reflected on the unlikely timing of the release, saying, “It’s so crazy that we are releasing a new album now, 30 years later and it literally sounds like we just stepped out of our van yesterday.”
Sublime’s history remains one of the most dramatic stories in American alternative music. Formed in Long Beach, California in 1988, the trio of Bradley Nowell, Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh built a devoted following through albums such as 40oz. To Freedom and Robbin’ The Hood. Their commercial breakthrough arrived with the self-titled Sublime album, released in July 1996, just weeks after Bradley Nowell died from a heroin overdose at age 28.
The album ultimately sold millions of copies and produced enduring alternative radio staples including “What I Got”, “Santeria”, “Wrong Way” and “Doin’ Time”. For years, the prevailing view was that Sublime would never continue under its original name. Wilson and Gaugh later performed with singer Rome Ramirez as Sublime With Rome, but legal restrictions prevented that group from using the original band’s name without approval from the Nowell estate.
The emergence of Jakob Nowell as frontman has changed that equation. His first performances with Wilson and Gaugh in late 2023 led to high-profile appearances, including a widely discussed performance at the 2024 edition of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Those appearances demonstrated that the band’s audience extended well beyond listeners who discovered Sublime during the 1990s.
The release of Until The Sun Explodes also coincides with broader recognition of the band’s cultural impact. The Grammy Museum is currently hosting the exhibition “Sublime: Straight From Long Beach”, showcasing handwritten lyrics, instruments, photographs and memorabilia connected to the group’s history.
Looking ahead, Sublime’s schedule remains active. The band has launched its own touring festival brand and will headline the inaugural Sublime Reef Madness cruise later this year. Whether Until The Sun Explodes proves to be a final chapter or the beginning of a longer second act remains to be seen, but the album closes one of alternative music’s longest gaps between studio releases while reconnecting the band’s past with a new generation.
Until The Sun Explodes Track Listing
Ensenada
Wizard
Can’t Miss You
Backwards (Feat. FIDLAR)
Maybe Partying Will Help Pt 1
Favorite Songs (Feat. Skegss)
Personal Hell
F.T.R.
Evil Men
Trey’s Song (Feat. H.R. Of Bad Brains)
Casino Taormina
The Problem With That Is It Makes Me Stoked
Gangstalker
Figueroa
Froggy
Come Correct (Feat. G. Love)
What For
247-369 (Feat. Fletcher Dragge Of Pennywise)
Maybe Partying Will Help Pt 2
Until The Sun Explodes
Thanx Again
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