Fourth In Line coming back in 2026 is not some soft reunion story. It is a proper return, and “Model Citizen” makes that clear in the first seconds. This is their first new song since 1999, and instead of easing back in, they go straight for the throat. No warm-up, no sentimentality, just a sharp reminder of who they were and why they mattered.
If you were around the Orange County scene in the late 90s, you know the name. Fourth In Line came out of La Habra, right in the middle of that melodic hardcore / punk crossover zone. The space where bands like Ignite, Straight Faced, Strung Out, RKL, and early Pennywise lived. Fast, melodic, aggressive, and never soft. That DNA is still here.
“Model Citizen” sounds like a band that never forgot how to be pissed. The guitars stay tight and urgent, the drums push without dragging, and the vocals come in direct and confrontational. This is not a reflective track. It is a call-out. A song aimed at hypocrisy, comfort, and people playing roles instead of standing for something. The title is sarcastic, and the tone backs it up.
What makes this hit harder is the gap. Twenty-plus years without new material, and they come back sounding focused, not rusty. There is no reunion glow, no “we’re just happy to be here” energy. It feels like unfinished business. Like they picked up exactly where they left off, just older, sharper, and less patient.
The fact that they dropped this through Felony Records makes sense. That label has always been tied to real OC punk and hardcore, not trend-chasing. The video matches the song. Raw, live-feeling, no polish. It looks like a band playing, not posing.
“Model Citizen” is not here to remind you of the 90s. It is here to stand in 2026 and say the same things still need to be said. Fourth In Line did not come back to be celebrated. They came back to call people out. And honestly, that is exactly how it should be.
