| NOFX Wolves in Wolves' Clothing |
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 | Tracklist:
1. 60%
2. USA-holes
3. Seeing Double at the Triple Rock
4. We March To The Beat Of Indifferent Drum
5. The Marxist Brothers
6. The Man I Killed
7. Benny Got Blowed Up
8. Leaving Jesusland
9. Getting High On the Down Low
10. Cool and Unusual Punishment
11. Wolves In Wolves� Clothing
12. Cantado En Espanol
13. 100 Times Fuckeder
14. Instant Crassic
15. You Will Lose Faith
16. One Celled Creature
17. Doornails
18. 60% (Reprise)
Release Date: 2006 | Ranking: #156 for 2006 | |
| | other reviews | pogostick1 (4)
After a few listens then a few more its easy to see that this is a very good album, although it does... | Lambda (4)
A good album with only a few somewhat weak tracks.... | Kif (2)
... | Ben Jimenez (2)
There are great songs on “Wolves” that would make for a sensational EP. The problems are that no... |
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2 of 5 thought this review was well written
With the 2004 election looming and the ever-so-popular George W. Bush up for re-election, NOFX, along with many other bands, took a much more political stance. This was rather evident on 2003s The War on Errorism. NOFX has always been political, but never to the extent WoE was. Complete with a clown caricature of the 43rd president on the album cover and CD, the band was more or less screaming, Fuck you" to President Bush. However, this new approach wasnt well received with NOFXs older fans.
Fast forward 3 years to 2006. Bush won the election and barring a Nixon-esque scandal, will be leading the country for two more years. However, NOFX remains as political as ever. Wolves in Wolves Clothing maintains the political theme of WoE. Thankfully, not all the songs are political, but quite a bit are.
A problem that plagues this album is inconsistency. Fat Mike will write a great set of lyrics, but the song behind the vocals will be boring. An example of this is 60%. Its about drug addiction and fake pop stars, and contains probably my favorite single lyrical line on the album.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by 60%
And you don't care about the children
You don't even know them
All you know is their money
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However, 60%s music is slow and dull. Later into the song it picks up its pace, but at that point the song has already lost my interest.
Then theres the songs like You Will Lose Faith. This song possesses one of the best riffs on the album after the lyric Where is your God now?" but the lyrics are overly preachy and annoying, which is a shame because instrumentally the song is one of the strongest.
Then you have the songs that have almost nothing going for them. The Marxist Brothers features upstrokes of guitar chords that ultimately sound flat and uninteresting due to the complete lack of a bassline. The songs lyrics about a modern-day commie werent really amusing to me.
Most of the songs on Wolves in Wolves Clothing seem to be lacking something that prevents them from being fully enjoyable. However, when it all comes together on certain tracks, the songs are superb. An example of this is the lead single (or the closest thing NOFX will ever have to a lead single) Seeing Double at the Triple Rock is a definite highlight. Seeing Double uses a catchy, energetic riff to pull you in. The lyrics compare a drinking habit to worship and a bar in Minnesota to a church. This is pretty much NOFX having fun, and thats where theyre at their best.
Another example of NOFX just having fun with a song and it turning out excellent is Cool and Unusual Punishment. This song is about Japanese porn (Edit: I have been owned by Fat Pete). It features an Oriental riff that sounds comical placed with the rest of the song. Overall a fairly enjoyable song.
Not all of NOFXs political songs are terrible, though. In fact, my favorite song on the album is The Man I Killed. It has a folk-type feel as Fat Mike tells his story about assassinating the president. Very fast-paced and enjoyable, although its only slightly over a minute in length.
Leaving Jesusland, while having some of the most ridiculous lyrics on the album, is still one of the best songs here. Fat Mike stereotypes the entire mid-section of the United States as uneducated, god-fearing morons. However if you can look past the idiotic lyrics, Leaving Jesusland flows better than pretty much every other song on the album.
I feel that this album could have turned out so much better than it did, as the songs in which NOFX put it all together were top-notch. However, if they continue on path theyve been on since Pump Up The Valuum, Im not sure if Ill be looking forward to the next NOFX release.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 3
Solid review, I liked this album in the end. Seeing Doubles a great song.
Digging: Animal Collective - Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished | | |
Yeah good review.
I have a problem with this album, i just can't get into it, they're one of my favourite bands, but i only really really like stuff before PUTV. I think i actualy prefer WOE to this :-/
This album has too much filler and boring songs i think.
This Message Edited On 06.22.06This Message Edited On 06.22.06
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Nothing can beat The Man I Killed. That's such an awesome song.
Okay review.
Digging: Electric Wizard - Dopethrone | | | Album Rating: 3
Stang, I'll have to turn my review in later sometime.
Good work though, I disagree on the rating. I think this is a fairly nice album.
| | | Album Rating: 3
NOFX has always been political (Perfect Government, anyone?)
That song isn't even theirs, it's a cover.
Another example of NOFX just having fun with a song and it turning out excellent is Cool and Unusual Punishment. This song is about the Japanese hardcore scene and the beatings you take in at their shows.
That's not what it's about. Seriously, try reading the lyrics first. They specifically say "Japanese hardcore, not the kind youre gonna find at the record store" - they're referring to hardcore pornography, and more precisely a Japanese S&M club. How you could misinterpret that is beyond me.
Leaving Jesusland, while having some of the most ridiculous lyrics on the album /.../ if you can look past the idiotic lyrics
Uh, you just said you thought NOFX were at their best when they were having fun, and now you contradict that? Weird. Or did you not get that this is a joke song? It has one of the best lines too, with "No longer svelte, they gotta punch new holes in the Bible belt" which is awesome.
Factual errors and misinterpretations combined with an opininon about the album I just don't share (like, you didn't mention the best songs, "One Celled Creature", "USA-holes", "We March to the Beat..." and "100 Times Fckeder") makes me dislike this review.
The score was fairly accurate though, and it is a pretty uneven album.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Excellent analysis of the review Pete. If more people backed up their opinions like Pete the better the feedback would be.
Digging: Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More | | | Album Rating: 2.5
Wow, I feel like quite the dumbass now. When I get my computer back I think I need to touch up this review a bit. Leaving Jesusland came across as a serious song to me for some reason.
Also, I don't think reviews at 2 AM are a good idea in the future...
| | | Album Rating: 3
I personally like 7-9 pm myself.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Edited. I didn't change Leaving Jesusland, though, because I took that as a serious song.
I seem to be in my "zone" from 10pm-12am. After 12 my mind enters a downward spiral of sorts.
| | | Album Rating: 3
Yeah, obviously you can interpret "Leaving Jesusland" the way you want - I'm sure there's even some honesty to it, as NOFX pretty much hates republicans. But it's comically presented, so in my book it's more comedy than politics. Nice to see someone take constructive crits well 
| | | Album Rating: 1
the lead sing fat ass mike, is a fat c@#$ head
| | | Album Rating: 4
[quote=derock's favorite bands]10 Years, 3 Doors Down, 30 Seconds to Mars, Alexisonfire, blink-182, Breaking Benjamin, Bullet For My Valentine, Chevelle, Escape the Fate, Evans Blue, Hinder, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Rise Against, Saosin, Seether, Shinedown, Smile Empty Soul, Stone Sour, Sum 41, The Fray, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Used, Theory Of A Deadman, Three Days Grace,[/quote]
Excuse me if no one takes your opinion seriously.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
^^^ Agree, agree, agree.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I serously have to change my score for this. Better than I first heard it. But as for the review, doesn't seem to have listened to the album enough. It's ok, but lacks alot.
Digging: Bon Jovi - Crossroad | | |
hey
please review my review on britney spears its great....
dont be put off by britney.
| | | Album Rating: 3
Wolves starts off well - 60%, triple rock, indifferent drum and man i killed are all great songs, but it tails off a bit around the midway point. 100 times fuckeder is brilliant and unusual punishment and doornails are pretty good, but the album is uneven overall and would have been better if maybe four songs were cut. I also thought it was disappointing that nearlyhalf the album had been previouslyreleased on the hippy EP or 7" club.
Digging: Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall | | |
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