On October 6th, 2024, NOFX played their final show. They hung up their equipment and moved on into retirement.
Even though some of the members are in other bands, and lets face it, I don’t think that any of them will stop doing music entirely, it’s just that that stuff isn’t going to be with NOFX any more.
I have been a huge fan of the band since I was a teenager. I remember the first time I discovered them: at Reading Festival 2010, I just saw them on the main stage telling offensive jokes, and I just stopped to watch and then they played some songs that I absolutely loved!
So in this blog post we’ll review every single album the band has released in their lengthy career.
I’ll be going chronologically, giving some opinions about the sound, my top tracks, and my ranking of the album.
Let me repeat that: my ranking of the albums. This list may not (probably won’t) reflect your opinions about NOFX.
Before we start, I just want to give a separate shout-out to the their EP, the Decline.
This EP has only the one track, but it’s an 18-minute phenomenal song that move between hardcore punk, pop-punk and ska-punk whilst having a message about gun control, politics and religion extremism ins America.
It sadly doesn’t count as an album, but if it didn’t, it would be within the top 2, easily.
But now lets get on and talk about every NOFX studio album!
Liberal Animation – 1988
This is the very first album from NOFX, released way back in 1988.
I watched a video recently where some punks ranked the debut album of a bunch of punk bands, and all of them said that Liberal Animation is the worst NOFX album and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who said otherwise.
And that person isn’t going to be me!
NOFX started as a hardcore band, and that is clear here. The songs are fast and heavy, and there isn’t much of the trademark wit and humour that the band would become known for.
The songs do touch on topics like racism and free speech, but they’re definitely not front and centre like later albums.
The songs don’t have much melody, they’re definitely fine as hardcore songs to mosh to, but it’s definitely no-ones favourite NOFX album.
Top songs on Liberal Animation:
- Shut up already
- …
- No, I think that’s it.
The other songs are fine for what they are, but I won’t be recommending them.
There really isn’t not much else to say.
This is the album that got the band recognition and started their careers so it deserves respect for that, but literally every other album is much better than this.
Liberal Animation ranking: 15th
S & M Airlines – 1989
On this album, NOFX moves more towards the fun pop-punk sound the band would achieve later on, but it’s still very heavy first and foremost.
We start to see more kink-related songs here, with Vanilla Sex. I saw some people complain about fat mike talking about his kinks so much in alter albums, but lets remember that he’s been writing songs about sex since forever.
And also the title song S&M Airlines. It’s a classic song and feels much more NOFX: a witty song with lots of turns of phrases, plus its about BDSM.
The album also includes a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, which is a surprising but fun addition.
Overall, a huge improvement from Liberal Animation: its slightly lighter, its funnier, there’s more focus on th lyrics. Its pretty good.
Some people say it’s the best NOFX album, I disagree. I’m putting it at number 12.
Top songs on S & M Airlines
- Day to Daze
- Go Your Own Way
- S&M Airlines
Ranking for S & M Airlines – 12th
Ribbed – 1991
This album is when NOFX got good for me, rather than just ‘It’s an improvement’.
I knew a lot of the songs from previously listening to the band, there’s a lot more pop punk riffs in the songs, and everything just sounds cleaner.
Now, there’s still not as many classics for me as later albums, but there’s some great stuff in here.
The humour is definitely becoming more of the focus here too, with songs like Shower days & New Boobs, though they’re both also just kind of gross-out humour.
It’s still a bit too hard for my liking, but definitely more fast than heavy.
I just happen to prefer their more pop-punk sound from later albums, but I can fully understand why this album is so beloved by fans.
Top songs on Ribbed
- Green Corn
- Moron Brothers
Ribbed ranking: 11th
White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean – 1992
So far the NOFX albums have just gotten better over time and I have enjoyed each of them more and more.
And thankfully that trend continues with White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean, which is absolutely fantastic and a huge jump in quality.
The songs take on a much more fun, pop-punk vibe, and this is the first album to introduce a ska element with El Hefe on the trumpet!
The guitars are fast and have some more complicated riffs, the songs have more choruses and become more like crowd-pleaser songs for bigger gigs.
One review I read btalked about how the album gets described as ‘the Beatles played at double speed’ which I can kind of understand. Enjoyable songs, great lyrics, just done fast.
With more of a focus on the vocals, Fat Mikes more nasally singing can get a bit irritating, but I happen to like his style for the most part.
There are a few songs in the middle that turn back into metal and I start to lose interest, which is why its not my absolute favourite album, but its up there, and this marks the start of the golden age for the bands, at least in my mind.
Top songs on White Trash, Two Heebs and a bean
- Stickin’ in my eye
- Please play this song on the radio
- Bob
I mean, the album with Bob on it has to be great!
Ranking for White Trash, two Heebs and a Bean – 7th
Punk in Drublic – 1994
Another album that is often listed as ‘the best NOFX album’ by a certain subset of fans, and for a good reason: it’s really good!
The album opens with the very scratchy guitar and fast drums, and you just know this album is going to be fast paced punk good times
The vocals on ‘My Heart is Yearning’ are a bit annoying, I think this is where Fat Mike’s nasally voice starts to irritate me, rather than enjoyable.
I like her ‘Reeko’ starts very slow and almost spoken word, before kicking into high gear and becoming this really fast punk song.
Ends with a secret track with a bunch of impressions that are silly and fun. This really seemed to be when the band stopped taking themselves so seriously and were all about having fun and playing fun punk music.
I like when punk bands can still play good music, but also be silly and have fun with it. See also, The Dead Milkmen.
Top songs on punk in Drublic
- Linoleum
- Don’t Call Me White
- Leave It Alone
- The Brews
Ranking for Punk in Drublic – 6th
Heavy Petting Zoo – 1996
This album cover got the band into some trouble. NOFX likes to push the limits and be offensive for fun, and this album cover certainly did offend some people.
The image of a man molesting an animal, or 69-ing it in the original cover, was always going to cause some controversy.
But as with Liberal Animation the annoying thing to me is that it doesn’t reflect anything about the album.
Are any of the albums about Animal Rights? or animals at all? No.
The songs are about homeless people, overconsumption, BBWs, and drinking a lot.
So a pretty average NOFX album then.
The whole album is more melodic and with less of a harsh punk sound. The issue is that there’s just a greater number of songs that I don’t care much for.
Song highlights on Heavy Petting Zoo
- Philthy Phil Philantrophist
- What’s the Matter With Kids Today
Ranking for Heavy Petting Zoo – 8th
So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes – 1996
At this point it seems that the band has moved further away from hardcore punk sound and more into the sillier and comedic songs, which I always enjoyed.
I also appreciate the Hitchiker’s Guide reference.
But all this comedy was not at the expense of quality, as the band is still improving their sound and talent.
Also more varied influences with the chilled stuff on eat the meek, and the cover of the French song – heavy horns
Definitely has more light hearted vibe in terms of lyrics and sound – its lighter and more melodic rather than the more hardcore stuff
Song highlights for So long and Thanks for All the Shoes
- Monosyllabic Girl
- Champs Eleysee
- Eat the Meek
- All His Suits are Torn
Ranking for So long and Thanks for all the shoes: 3rd
Pump Up The Valuum – 2000
First off; I want to discuss the album name.
I’ve listened to this album 1,000 times and I swear I never noticed that it’s Turn Up The Valuum, rather than Valium. I suppose it’s because of legal reasons, and also to make it rhyme with Volume, but I just never noticed.
Also, fun fact: ‘Pump up the Valuum’ was a song that was written but then cut from the album
The album is named after. Song that didn’t make it on to the album! Is it me or is that wild?
I suppose with songs like pharmacists daughter, and take two placebos, there is still a link to drugs and pharmaceuticals on the album though.
The opening song, ‘And Now for Something Completely Similar’ has different lyrics depending on what medium you listen to it on; CD, Vinyl, or Casette.
Hello, welcome to our CD
Can you hear the blatant similarity?
To Linoleum and Shadows of DefeatHello, welcome to our disc
Turn it louder, get your neighbours pissed
Or turn it down, it don’t matter to meHello, welcome to our cassette
Have you started feeling some regret
I guess you can’t afford a CD
That’s a really cool thing and I don’t think I’ve heard of bands doing that before
Again leaning into the comedic song lyrics, but there’s a bit more of a harsh punk sound again, on songs like Dinosaurs Will Die.
This is my favourite album, although it really is a tough call, as I like a lot of albums from this period.
But ultimately, there’s just too many great songs here for me to give it any other ranking.
This album has it all: pop punk sound, witty lyrics, great choruses, variety in song styles – I could listen to this album any day of the week.
Song highlights on pump Up the Valuum
- Dinosaurs Will Die
- Pharmacists Daughter
- Thank God it’s Monday
Ranking for Pump up the Valuum – 1st
The War On Errorism – 2003
This album continues the more comedic angle, but adds back in the left-wing political views as well, which I appreciate.
The sarcasm is out in full force here. The opening of the album, ‘Separation of Church and Skate’, is a tirade about the watering down of the punk lifestyle.
The song opens with a conversation between a dad and his children, in which the kids childishly shout “yeah, lets go to the punk rock show!”
And that kind of sums up the album: Fat Mike has some anger about stuff, but he gets the anger our with a comedic edge.
The songs on this album are a lot poppier and fun than the early stuff, it’s stuff you can dance to and sing along with.
And yet, the songs are still a blast!
And hey, so Eric Melin hasn’t got the greatest voice: I wouldn’t want an entire album of it, but sometimes his piercing screams are the perfect sound for a song – so his screams on ‘The Idiots are Taking Over’ is a great way to punctuate the anger the song has.
Overall, the band lost some of the edge, but there’s a heavier focus on the lyrics being hear-able, and the writing is tight, left-wing and funny, and thats why I think it’s so great.
Song highlights on The War on Errorism:
- Franco Un-American,
- The Idiots are Taking Over
- 13 Stitches
One review I read said that this was the point the band just started ‘sounding like NOFX’, releasing the same album again and again without any new ideas or creativity. This opinion will get more common with future albums, but for this album I think its just this is the peak era and thats what they tried to copy in the future
Ranking for the War on Errorism – 2nd
Wolves in Wolves Clothing – 2006
This album is a very mixed bag.
The writing is still tight, the political messaging and anger is there, its just that the songs themselves start to lose individuality for me. They start to sound kinda similar.
Well, on some of the tracks anyway, and the quality rises and drops drastically between songs.
The opening track, 60%, is a very slow and dull song that sets the tone.
The second song, USA-Holes is phenomenal fast-paced angry punk anthem.
And that rollercoaster continues through the album! From dud to top-tier NOFX song and back again.
There is less melody in the songs overall and the focus is on the lyrics, which I love, but I want a bit more in the songs too.
There doesn’t seem to be many choruses in these songs either, making them less likely to get in my head.
Song Highlights on Wolves in Wolves Clothing:
- USA-holes
- The man I killed
- Leaving jesusland
The lack of more of a horn section as well makes the album stand out less for me, and just sound like a pretty typical punk rock album.
A review by ‘Gregnaha’ suggests this is a turning point for the band when they turned towards wordplay and humour at the expense of good music, which is an extreme view, but I certainly see his point,
There are more duds on the album and it’s one I go back to less often, but I do go back to specific songs a lot. The band certainly isn’t past their prime yet, but they’re starting to slip.
Ranking for Wolves in Wolves Clothing – 4th
Coaster – 2009
This album opens straight in with a banger song, ‘We Called it America’.
It’s got a ripping guitars, a great chorus, as well as bitter, angry left-wing anger- it’s a great song.
And it features Bill Stevenson, from The Descendents!
The lyrics remain the absolute focus of the album and that isn a bad thing, but it does mean the music becomes a little same.
Once again though, there certainly more duds on the album, again.
And the song ‘My Orphan Year’ works so, SO much better as a slow ballad than as a fast punk song.
Song highlights on Coaster:
- We called it America
- Creeping out Sara
- Blasphemy (The Victimless Crime)
Ranking for Coaster – 5th
Self Entitled – 2012
Let me start by saying that ’72 Virgins’ is a fantastic song, musically and lyrically, and has been stuck in my head since I first heard it.
And ‘Xmas has been X-ed’ is unironically a great Christmas song, and something I’ve written about before.
The rest of the songs on the album though?
Well, they kind of fade to nothingness after hearing them. The only other song I remembered from the album before the re-listen was ‘I Believe in Goddess’, which is a pretty funny song but nothing amazing.
After a re-listen to the full album, I think there are some positives about the album that I had forgotten.
There is a little bit more variety in the riffs and baselines (I really enjoy the fast baseline on ‘I Believe in Goddesss, the fast but muted guitar on ‘Cell out’, etc.)
But overall the songs are just kind of… fine?
They’re NOFX songs and I like NOFX, so I enjoy them. I certainly don’t have an issue with them, but there isn’t the energy or the creativity here that there has been in the past.
Also, the songs ‘Cell out’ and ‘Psychophant’ are very similar, lyrically. Its weird they’re both on the same album.
And I still miss the ska element…
Song highlights on Self Entitled:
- 72 Virgins
- X-mas has been X-ed
- Cell Out
Ranking for Self Entitled – 9th
First Ditch Effort – 2016
Sadly, this was the album that marked the downfall of NOFX for me.
The songs on the album seem to have lost the edge and that specific NOFX sound that I loved.
Oxymoronic had a more classic NOFX riff, and the left wing anger comes through the very witty writing. It was my favourite song on the album.
I just can’t say the same about most of the songs on here.
Nancy Killed Sid is a very strange song with a weird Alternative Universe concept, like once upon a time in Hollywood.
I wouldn’t say its a great song, but it is interesting at the very least.
There’s lots of songs about ending drug addictions and becoming sober, and from what I’ve read, these songs have hit home with a lot of fans.
For me though, the songs are too depressing and slow to really be enjoyable.
My main issue is the songs themselves are too dull, musically. We’re back to cutting out choruses and a general lack of creativity in their sound. It all sounds pretty much the same and it really didn’t do much for me.
Song highlights from First Ditch Effort:
- Oxymoronic
- Six Years on Dope
- My bro cancervive cancer
- Nancy and Sid
Ranking for First Ditch Effort – 10th
Single Album – 2021
This is the penultimate album from the band, and it is dark, depressing, cutting and… well, dull.
It opens with ‘The Big Drag’, and big drag is right, as the song drags on for several dull minutes and never really kicks into gear.
It’s a slow song in which Fat Mike’s nasal vocals increasingly get on my nerves.
The whole album feels like that – slow, a bit dull, and whilst maybe intentionally different and conceptual, I really didn’t like it.
The reviews I’ve read seem a bit mixed on, going from really positive to pretty negative.
I don’t want to take away from anyone’s enjoyment of the album, it’s just not for me, and it seems I’m not alone.
Fat Mike said the album was supposed to be a double album, but the songs for the second part didn’t get great feedback and so it got scrapped. Frankly I think the songs that did get released should have had the same fate.
Linewleum is a great song, but mostly because it borrows from Linoleum and riffs off of it.
‘I Love You More Than I Hate Me’ is okay and gets in your head but I certainly don’t love it.
It reads as just more self-deprecation hiding actual self-hatred from Fat Mike and its not fun. Not fun I think is a pretty good review of the whole album.
The song ‘Fuck Euphamism’ is about gatekeeping within the LGBT world, and where kink fits in. I’m not a huge fan of the song, though I do appreciate the message, but I’m not the only one who takes issue with it.
Song highlights on Single Album:
- Fish in a Gun Barrel
- Linewleum
Overall, I really didn’t like the album, although I did like some of the messages the songs had.
Ranking for Single Album – 14th
Double Album – 2022
So this is it. The final NOFX album.
The album opens with ‘Darby Crashing Your Party’. It has a very fast bass riff that sounds much more classic NOFX than anything on Single Album.
The song is also full of self-deprecation, but its also full of clever writing and references to famous punk musicians. It’s a great opener to the album.
The self-hatred continues with songs like ‘My Favourite Enemy’ and ‘Don’t Count On Me’ are pretty depressing songs that are raw and open songs about the bands’ feelings.
They’re not especially funny songs, but there is a pretty good fast paced punk sound behind the lyrics, so they’re at least enjoyable to listen to still.
‘Don’t Count On Me’ even has a reggae section, which is a nice change of pace and feels like a return to a much older NOFX sound.
The song ‘Punk Rock Cliche’ was originally written for Blink 182 and their California album, but it didn’t make the cut, which actually caused some drama between NOFX and Blink 182.
Frankly I didn’t think the song was all that good anyway, so it was no big loss.
They’res plenty of funny/ offensive/punk songs on the album, making it a bit of a mixed bag, but overall I definitely think Double Album is better than Single Album and is decent album for the band to end on.
Song highlights on Double Album:
- Darby Crashing Your Party
- Is It Too Soon If Time Is Relative
- Three Against Me
It’s good to know that the band didn’t end on a depressing note, with Single Album.
This actually has some more upbeat songs that are funny and clever, and the music itself sounds a bit more like classic NOFX.
Maybe there isn’t as much creativity or variety here as there once was, but it still sounds pretty good.
Ranking for Double Album – 13th
Wrap Up
NOFX is a band thats been around for a long time, and their style has changed a lot: from hardcore punk, to ska punk, to punk, to… well whatever you’d call the last few albums. Auteur maybe?
Looking at my rankings on a chart you can see that their middle period was my favourite.
Depending on what kind of NOFX fan you are, you will say their peak was at a different point: Ribbed, Pump Up The Valuum, First Ditch Effort.
Thats what’s great about the band, they have kept reinventing themselves and trying new things, even if they stayed in one area a bit too long, and even if their songs got a little lazy over the years.
They’re still a great band, one of my favourites, and I will definitely miss them!
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