Over the last week I’ve been meaning to write this review but the creative juices were sorta watered down by the traditional holiday laziness. But finally, here it is!
Wolves In Wolves clothing is the name of American punk juggernauts NOFX’s second most recent release, losing the title to ‘They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live’. Not wanting to be constricted by the restictions that would be imposed on them by their previous record company Epitaph they recorded this through Fat Wreck Chords (Lead singer and bassist Fat Mike’s own label). They even make mention of this on 60% (Reprise) through lyrics such “…with our own label, that’s money under the table, that’s answering to no one.”
If you were looking for something out of the punk norm you have picked up the wrong album. This full blown punk doing what it does best, pissing off everybody. From country musicians to religiously inclined people to marxists comparing them to “flies spreading pieces of shit”. While some things have remained the same (ie power chords and equally powerful messages) they have mixed it up a bit with more guitar riffs/licks (Cool and Unusual Punishment), turning up the bass volume for some good solos (I liked the start of USA-holes) and even an entire song in spanish (Cantado En Español which directly translates to ‘Sung In Spanish).
Being a massive 19 songs long and on a single disk they have cut out al the bullshit and it clocks up just over 46 minutes. I still find it strange how they managed to fit it all in when the last song [Hidden Track] goes for 11 or so minutes. Such is the magic of the fast timing of punk music i guess. There are a lot of good songs on this album and my favourites include: ‘The Marxist Brothers’, ‘Leaving Jesusland’, ‘Doornails, Cool and Unusual Punishment’ and ‘The Man I Killed’. There aren’t any bad (songs i hate) here but there are some that if listening to on the run I’d click next on the iPod to. These are ‘We March To The Beat Of Indifferent Drum’, ‘Benny Got Blowed Up’, ‘Getting High On The Downlow’ and ‘You Will Lose Faith’. They’re just a bit bland and lack some of the substance that others have. They even take time out to do an acoustic tribute to their other punk brethren that have passed away in previous years (such as Derrick Plourde of Lagwagon and Jason Thirsk of Pennywise both dying due to suicide). I don’t know how this has neglected to appear on a Punk Goes Acoustic compilation.
I think this is a pretty good album and I’d recommend buying it if you want a good punk album to start you off because this will put you in good steed. Good one to either listen to on your 40-45 min trip to Sale everyday like i do or to chuck in the car when you go cruising.
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