The Offspring

Offspring's 1997 major label debut drew scorn from fans -- and former label head and Bad Religion frontman Brett Gurewitz. The album begins with none other than Jello Biafra vouching for their punk credentials. The music belies the band's assertions however, as the fourteen songs wander from Punk into Metal-tinged Hard Rock territory.

In pure IQ-test terms – singer Dexter Holland is just inches away from his microbiology
Ph.D., for Christ's sake – the Offspring might rank as one of rock's smartest bands ever. Add
the fact that their 1994 album, Smash, was also an unprecedentedly megaplatinum
indie-punk success story, and you've got the potential for a longstanding career. But in the
three years since then, the stakes have been raised: A number of energetic ens... More >