I suspect Russ Rankin will always be better known for Good Riddance, a band that helped fly the Fat Wreck flag in the late 90s and made their way onto many a mixed tape I made at the time. With Bill Stevenson on drums and former members of Bane, Converge, Gwar and Hagfish also in the ranks, it's pretty fair to say Only Crime are a super-group of sorts. And while their experience and talent shines through on 'Virulence' like a lighthouse in a storm, this 12-tracker doesn't quite hit home like Good Riddance at their best.
And maybe it's unfair of me to compare the bands, maybe I should just treat this record as a one-off, simply review it for what it is. And if I do that, I could happily say that this is a loud, raucous rock record with the typical Fat Wreck plush production values. It sounds huge, the choruses are melodic without being pop - it's just a great sounding record. 'Too Loose' and 'Eyes of the World' sound lovely thank you very much. But, I don't know, maybe I'm just in a nostalgic mood...as soon as this ended I put on 'One For The Braves' and suddenly felt better. 'Virulence ' is a good record, and one fans of 'To The Nines' will enjoy, but I'm not too sure how many times I'll go back to this.
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