Here comes something new from Switzerland. No, it's not a new cheese and also not a bank account. It has nothing to do with minarets either. Or maybe it does? As a punk band, one certainly has a different opinion than the average person, who fears foreign influence and other people in general, and recently voted against the construction of minarets. As if they would spoil the view of the Alpine peaks.
When will the first citizen initiative come from Muslims who feel disturbed by the construction of churches? But that's another topic.
Let's talk about NOFNOG. The band has been around for five years, and “Is it worth the Glory?“ is their first album. After a few seconds of news intro, it kicks off with “What a Mess“ right away. More melodic hardcore than punk rock, the song has a lot of pressure and is varied. Singer Jerome, who unusually also plays the drums, has a lot of anger inside him. He expresses this not only through demanding drumming but also by roaring, singing, and screaming the songs in a way that makes you feel scared. Song number three “Broken Bottle“ features a great sing-along chorus “This is a Riot“ that makes every demonstrator want to grab bottles or stones and throw them at the authorities. NOFNOG has created a fantastic song here! The next song, like all ten on this CD, impresses with great thoughtfulness in terms of songwriting and music. So it’s no surprise that NOFNOG has played with the likes of The Unseen, The Toy Dolls, and Demented Are Go. The band doesn’t quite fit with Demented, but their resume looks good.
I still can’t quite tell whether the band leans more towards (melodic) hardcore or punk rock, but what are labels when I can have music with soul, heart, and mind?
With this record, NOFNOG has delivered a fantastic debut!
Songs full of protest and anger are wrapped by NOFNOG in a more than appealing package. Hats off!
