Earlier today, Tim “Timebomb” Armstrong, known for various bands such as Operation Ivy, Rancid, and The Transplants, announced on Facebook that he has formed another side project, named Bad Optix. This side project, while only releasing one song as of the time that this is being wrote, named Raid, is a significant move in the Punk world as it sees the first time that Jesse Michaels has reunited with his former Op Ivy mate to produce new music together.
Bad Optix, along with Trash Talk bassist Spencer Pollard and Joey Castillo, who’s recently played with Circle Jerks and the Bronx (both bands which have been covered previously in my articles in The Pitch). However, this is not the first time that Armstrong and Michaels have reunited, giving punk music lovers a glimps of today’s announcement.
Last year, in 2022, Armstrong and Michaels briefly reunited for one night to perform the Op Ivy song Sound System (being back by the Interrupters) at a benefit show.
Yet the newly released song Raid has a little bit to be desired. Being released on Hellcat Records, it is a slower song, almost with a 2 Tone feel to it. Michaels’ vocals is refreshing, a great blast from the past. The vocals harmony that was there during the Op Ivy days between Michaels and Armstrong are not fully there. Yes, an excuse can be made for the time that has passed, but in some places within the song, it seems like the two are trying to relive, or at the least continue, their youth from 1987.
Now this is not to say that the new track is bad in anyway. In fact it is the other way around and something rather enjoyable, but caution might need to be used when getting too hyped up for what else might come out of the band. There could be a few different ways that the band could go from here, and it will be interesting to see what future releases sound like when/if they come.
You can listen to the new song below.