Fake Names return with "Punk Ruins", out October 23 on Epitaph Records

Fake Names are back with "Punk Ruins", a twelve-song album scheduled for release on October 23 via Epitaph Records. The record was reportedly tracked in only five days, a working method that lines up neatly with the band's stripped-down approach.

The lineup remains hard to ignore: Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, INVSN), Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace, The Faith) and Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside). Joining them for the first time is drummer Mario Rubalcaba, known for his work with Rocket From The Crypt and OFF!.

The album opens with "Until Normal", a politically charged track built on punchy riffs, before arriving early at the title song, which sets out the record's priorities: melody, lyrical intent and a deliberate lack of clutter. "What I Tell Myself" leans on an immediate hook, while "Language Lost" and "Scream" channel a restless, garage-leaning energy.

There is room for a change of pace as well. "Diamond Buzz" slows things down and takes a wider, more ominous view of the world, and the album closes with "Paradise".

Since forming, Fake Names have traded on simplicity and energy rather than studio layering, and "Punk Ruins" keeps that idea intact. It is an album built to reward repeat listens, with details that surface gradually rather than all at once.