After the disappointingly bland, “So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes,” NOFX unleashed a scorcher in “Pump up the Valium,” proving that both the band’s creative juices and need for speed still had some life in them. After a two year layover, NOFX are back with a flurry of new releases, with this new full-length, “The War on Errorism” as the centerpiece. Ever since our current President landed in the White House, Fat Mike has not been quiet about his disdain for the man, and for the first time in the band’s almost 20 year history, vehemently political lyrics have taken a spotlight role. What’s fascinating to me is the sense of humbleness but pride in the way Fat Mike and crew have gone about their desires for political expression on “The War on Errorism” – holding true to the argument that while they might not be the smartest or most educated group of guys, they understand how to use words as weapons, and that they can get much done by educating others of relevant political activity. So as an overall feeling, NOFX make a huge splash with this release, even if it is in a long, long line of comparative sounding full-lengths. Musically, “The War on Errorism” is pretty diverse, and features a more abrasive sound quality than prior releases, though Ryan Greene again manned the knobs. For an attempted stab at good measure, or maybe just to lighten the mood, NOFX bring back a little ska and some reggae, which unfortunately breaks up the flow of an otherwise heart-pumping lot of tunes. Things get a bit haywire however on the third tune, “Franco Un-American” where the band tosses in some keyboards a la WEEZER, and it just doesn’t click. Thankfully, the scathing, and entirely true, “Idiots are Taking Over” covers up any blemish, and songs like “Decom-posuer,” with its tounge-in-cheek lyrics, and “We Got Two Jealous Agains,” with its references to the early beginnings of punk and hardcore, make “The War on Errorism” something memorable. Of course, NOFX is NOFX, and not for one minute should the listener ever feel insecure about the continuation of the melodic hardcore sound that these guys have helped imfamize. NOFX certainly don’t skimp on the artwork or enhanced CD features either – once again putting together a hilarious insert booklet, and including a piece on the film “Unprecedented.” I’m really impressed with the conviction that NOFX show on this release, especially since a band taking a somewhat serious stance on important, intelligent, relevant political issues this late in their “career” is practically unheard of it. Of course, it also helps that these guys got pretty damn good at their instruments along the way. I don’t think it would be unfair to place “The War on Errorism” in the tantamount position, slightly behind the epic “Punk in Drublic,” in terms of the NOFX releases that everyone should own.

Fat

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