One of the most successful independent groups of all time, NOFX is an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco in 1983. After 12 studio albums, with the most recent being 2012’s Self Entitled, they are back with a new EP, Stoke Extinguisher. At six songs and only 13 minutes in length, the extended play is a lot of punk fit into a small package.
The opener doubles as the title-track, and starts off with isolated vocals. It suddenly transforms into a traditional punk song, complete with fast guitars, yelling, and extreme drumming. At just a second over three minutes, it is the longest on the record. “I Believe In Goddess (Demo Version)” states everything that the lead singer, Fat Mike, does and does not believe in, including worship but not prayer, the ability to feel love, and the theory of evolution.
As the band is over 30 years old, Fat Mike invites the listener to call him a geriatric punk on “Wore Out The Soles Of My Party Boots.” The closer, “New Year’s Revolution,” is arguably the release’s best track, as it gets back to the angry origins of punk rock and urges the public to refuse to be silenced by the government.
NOFX have kept the original spirit of punk alive throughout the group’s entire existence. Even though they are not as young as they once were, Stoke Extinguisher is a fuss-free, respectable EP from a respectable band.
In A Word: Simple
