The first rule of Punk Club is that you don’t slag off NOFX. The second rule of Punk Club is that you don’t slag off NOFX. So why am I about to break every rule in the book and suggest that the So-Cal legend’s latest EP is a pile of crap? Sure, it’s got the break–neck fast guitar parts, the fast drumming and the nasal Fat Mike vocals, but that’s half the problem. This sounds exactly like every single NOFX record and as a result sounds bland, unoriginal and hardly a mouth-watering taster for their forthcoming album ‘The War On Errorism’.
Instead ‘Regaining Unconsciousness’ is a five-track EP featuring three songs that will feature on the album, one song that won’t and a teaser-trailer by El Hefe which showcases sprinklings of the new record. Value for money this is not. You expect snotty punk rock anthems, but instead we get what I feel are recycled NOFX riffs, recycled NOFX drum patterns and absolutely nothing that makes you stand up and think “wow.” After the poor ‘Pump Up The Valumn’ I was hoping this would be a return to form. Sadly it’s not and I now have reservations about the full-length record which has been hyped up more than any previous NOFX album, thanks to the constant plugging of the punkvoter.com website and a reasonably controversial album title.
So to the songs, starting with the aptly named ‘Medio-core’. Fat Mike is no mug and with the lyrics in this song he is having a swipe at all those bands that steal other songs and continue to be unoriginal. “You might fool the kids, but you don’t fool me,” he sings. Except Fat Mike is as guilty of this as anyone with the band recycling all of their own riffs album after album and ironically this song lives up to its title. Maybe he’s having a swipe at himself and it would be fitting if he did. It would fit rather snugly onto ‘Pump Up The Valumn’ among some of the weaker tracks. ‘Idiots Are Taking Over’ has the familiar bass-led intro, which leads up into a fast skate punk song. It’s not bad, but certainly not a NOFX anthem and doesn’t compare to any of the band’s older classics. ‘Franco Un-American’ also features on the album and it reminds me way too much of ‘Quart In Session’ from ‘So Long And Thanks For All The shoes’, not so much lyrically but certainly in tempo. It’s a blatant rip off – and that synthesiser is beyond cheesy. Yuk.
The Eric Melvin vocals lead ‘Hardcore 84’ which doesn’t feature on ‘The War On Errorism’ and ironically is possibly the best song on the record. It ditches any notion of the boring and unoriginal mid-paced punk piddle that the band previously churned out in favour of a driving drum-fest with guitar riffs bouncing off each other rather nicely. This is much better stuff and reminds you just what NOFX can do when they put their minds to it. The hidden track, featuring El Hefe playing tasters of the forthcoming album, is funny for the first few listens but then grates. The songs do sound better than those on this EP, especially the second and third samples, but it still doesn’t fill me full of confidence that it will compare in any way to the older stuff.
‘Punk In Drublic’ is an all time punk classic and one of those cds that must be in your collection. This EP is a watered down shadow of the band that made that clasic record. It’s been seen before and been done far, far better – by the band themselves. Extremely disappointing stuff and not worthy of your hard earned cash. Wait for the album to come out, this certainly won’t whet your apetite for more. I now await expulsion from the ‘club’.
Paul.