This past Thursday, Green Day released "Bang Bang", the first single off their newest album Revolution Radio. Their twelfth studio album is expected on October 7th and will be the band's first new release in over four years.

Billie Joe Armstrong, frontman of the pop punk godfathers, discussed "Bang Bang" and their upcoming LP with Rolling Stone magazine. He revealed that the inspiration for their new material derives from the social issues that pervade our nation today. The East Bay punk band's latest single does just that, and more.

Green Day had previously released three albums in the span of six months back in 2012 with ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tre! The three albums were met with generally positive reviews, however they did not perform well commercially. There are a lot of factors as to why the usual sales-juggernaut Green Day fell far from their expectations, whether they be Billie Joe entering rehab at the time of the release or being so little time for fans to digest such an obscene amount of new music.

While those events definitely had an impact they are not the most important one; the music simply wasn't that good. Most of the material felt like controlled, standard, corporate power rock that left us with a shadow of Green Day's former self.

However, all of this is eradicated with the pulse pounding sound of "Bang Bang". For the first time since 2000, Green Day elected to produce their new record themselves, and it absolutely shows when listening to their latest song. The veteran rock group doesn't hold back with the bass plucking, drum slamming, guitar jamming madness that ensues throughout the three and a half minutes of the track. From a catchy as hell bridge to a kick ass drum solo, it's clear that the people in charge of Green Day's new album is Green Day itself, just as it was when they first started out in the early 90's. With all the amount of chaotic bad ass stuffed into "Bang Bang", it'll surely remind people of what Green Day sounded like twenty years ago.

While "Bang Bang" is reminiscent of old Green Day, there's also new Green Day that breathes within the new track which is what makes it an essential track in their ever-growing catalogue. When they were in their 20's the punk rockers sung tales of self-pleasuring, alcohol, and drugs... and were very good at it. However, there's a certain age a person reaches when those topics transpire from cool and funny, to weird and creepy.

At that point a band needs to grow up, and Green Day grew up with its two concept albums "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown."

Both albums were fueled by the political angst of the band, and just as they never held back with their sound when they first started out, Green Day didn't hold back with their lyrics. As their career progressed with "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown," Green Day made it abundantly clear that they had no fear of speaking their mind and saying what they felt was right.

"Bang Bang" continues on the band's fearless fight of justice on pressing social issues. The song is written from the perspective of a mass shooter who is desperate for attention and infamy. Billie Joe, who is the main lyrical writer for the band, has stated that the song was inspired not only by the culture of mass shooting that persists in our country, but also the narcissism of social media in America as well.

Throughout the song, it clear that these two themes are thoroughly represented. Some of the lyrics like "Bang bang, give me fame/shoot me up to entertain" and "I want to be a celebrity martyr/the leading man in my own private/...The hero of the hour" perfectly intertwine the glorification of violence and mass murdering along with the twisted desire to be recognized for something so egregious and destructive.

All in all, "Bang Bang" is a perfect marriage between the old in-your-face style of old Green Day's sound and the political awareness of new Green Day. Because of that, it's hard not place Green Day's latest release among the best they've ever released. Rock is a tough place to find business in 2016 with the Taylor Swifts and Rihannas remaining popular in the music industry. However, with one of the most heated presidential elections in recent years underway, and a plethora of social issues that burden our country, maybe the time is ripe for another Green Day revolution. Maybe Green Day can once again bring rock music to the forefront of pop culture. Time will tell if they can pull it off again, but for now, "Bang Bang" is a roaring way to start a possible revolution.