California

Brand new sealed 180 gram repressing of this classic album. Includes free download voucher.

California is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on July 1, 2016 through BMG. Produced by John Feldmann, it is the first album by the band to feature vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba, who replaced former member Tom DeLonge. After touring and releasing the band's sixth album Neighborhoods (2011), it became difficult for the trio to record new material, due to DeLonge's various projects. After disagreements, the remaining members of the group—vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker—sought separation from DeLonge and recruited Skiba, best known as the frontman of rock band Alkaline Trio, in his place.

The album was recorded at Foxy Studios between January and March 2016 with Feldmann. He was the group's first new producer since longtime collaborator Jerry Finn. Prior to his involvement, the trio began writing together some months earlier and completed dozens of songs. They decided to shelve them upon working with Feldmann to start fresh, and they proceeded to record another 28 songs; in all, the group recorded upwards of 50. The band, as well as Feldmann, would regularly spend "18 hours" in the studio a day, aiming to start and complete multiple songs in that timeframe. The album's title comes from the band's home state of California, and its artwork was illustrated by the street artist D*Face.

The album received favorable reviews from critics. Its lead single, "Bored to Death", became the group's first number one single in over 12 years. The band will support the album with a large headlining tour across North America between June and October 2016 alongside A Day to Remember, the All-American Rejects, All Time Low, Simple Plan and The Used.