(Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat)
After nearly two decades of waiting, the Descendents are finally releasing a new record through Epitaph. For twelve years the world has not heard any new music from the Descendents, and the time has finally come for the influential group to dip their toes in the punk scene again with their newest record Hypercaffium Spazzinate.
After the band suspended their extended hiatus by playing some live shows in 2010, they became inspired to create new music. This was made difficult by the fact that all of the band members had settled down in various parts of the country, making it a burdensome task for them to collaborate. Nonetheless, they occasionally found time to meet up in Fort Collins to share ideas. After over three years of traveling and sending each other tracks, Hypercaffium Spazzinate came into fruition. This prolonged period of songwriting contrasted their previous approaches, which were caffeine-induced jam sessions where songs were hammered out at a breakneck pace. Taking their time allowed for the band to write sharper, more intricate songs. You can listen to the first song off of the album here:
The energetic track features the aggressively uptempo percussion and bass-line that the Descendents are known for. Despite their newly prolonged approach to songwriting, “Victim of Me” is only a minute and thirty seven seconds long, which is typical of the caffeinated compositions from the band’s past records. The Descendents are famous both for their amazing mascot Milo and their immeasurable impact on the world of punk music. Their unique brand of “skate” music, which featured punk rock instrumentation but without the harsh political messages of traditional punk music, helped sow the seeds for future acts such as blink-182, The Offspring, and Fall Out Boy.
The Descendents have announced a few tour dates to help promote the album, including the Punk Rock Bowling Festival in New Jersey on June 11, Riot Fest Denver on September 2, Riot Fest Chicago on September 16, and Picnic in Pozo on September 24.
The full track list for Hypercaffium Spazzinate can be viewed below. It will be released on July 29th, 2016.:
01. Feel This
02. Victim of Me
03. On Paper
04. Shameless Halo
05. No Fat Burger
06. Testosterone
07. Without Love
08. We Got Defeat
09. Smile
10. Limiter
11. Fighting Myself
12. Spineless and Scarlet Red
13. Human Being
14. Full Circle
15. Comeback Kid
16. Beyond the Music
For all things Descendents and punk rock, check out our Riot Fest coverage here.