RANCID X – VOICES

There has always been very little information about Rancid X, so little that even their supposed hometown, Milan, turned out to be wrong. The boys were actually from Torino. Another and maybe more serious misunderstanding is that Rancid X were definitely not punk. As with most of the young bands of the era, they were simply influenced by the new wave and were not afraid of mixing up elements like immediacy and sharpness with a classic rock ‘n’ roll background, with Lou Reed and The Rolling Stones as the main inspirations. Rancid X’s lone album was released in early 1979 with a dark and disquieting cover. Voices was a very appropriate title, evoking intense emotions. Even though Rancid X’s adventure ended quickly, they were rediscovered and finally got some glory in the second half of the ’90s, when their tracks were included on such bootleg compilations as Killed By Death #201 (1997). With this first reissue of Voices, they have at last been rescued from oblivion.