Suicide is never OK, no matter what this album says.
So i've heard this thing is...interesting. Not only has Fantano called this record the worst of the year so far, but several people on the site have given this album a big whopping goose egg. Zeroes around the board, making this one of the lowest rated albums of 2019. Jesus Christ. How the fuck did Cokie the Clown, alter ego of NOFX's Fat Mike, get people so fired up? (from my brief research into this album) and drumming from Travis Barker, it can't be that bad. It just CANT. Hell, i've got a friend who thinks this is his AOTY, so there has to be some redeeming quality to the music here. There is no way this album is a unironic 0.
That was what I wrote before hearing this album.
So I haven't gone back to edit these next sections. Sorry if it's inconsistent, or not well written, but I wrote this after a pretty harsh time, so take that for what you will. I'm doing better now, but it's gonna take some time till i'm better. Also: MAJOR CONTENT WARNING: Suicide.
Jesus Christ.
I do not mess around when I give things zeroes. Every record has some positives, right?
Well, I had a 3 hour panic attack listening to this album, which I couldn't ask for help since I was supposed to be sleeping. I couldn't move or ask for help. I couldn't even pull the headphones out of my ears. I just had to listen to this. It took my parents walking into my room at 2am to realize this, and helped. That's why i'm giving it a zero. This album fucking harms people.
First off, even before the HORRID lyrics, the music is produced and played like ass. This guy should NOT have a track where it's just him and a piano. The sound this album has is annoying as hell, and not in an interesting, shocking or funny way either. It's just that his voice doesn't suit this type of music. I get this is intentional, but just because it clashes and doesn't work doesn't make this album any meaningful piece of art. Because this is what this album wants to be so bad. A piece of art. Which it isn't, by the way. This isn't a Downward Spiral. This is Fat Mike looking back in his life, and saying 'Look how fucked up I am, i'm more fucked up then you, look at all the horrible things i've done/will do!'. This isn't Fat Mike's attempt at making art from his emotions. It's just shooting off his depressive episodes at you in audio forms that annoy, distract, or are just plain bad. Fat Mike, for all of the sounds that he's attempting in this album, shouldn't be doing any of them. It just doesn't suit the mans voice.
This album is tough to sit through, and NOT in a good way. There is the painful lyrics of records like The Downward Spiral, Wildlife and A Crow Looked At Me, and then there is this. The lyrics are never here to help. The only person that benefits from making this record is Fat Mikes unhealthy lifestyle, because he is blatantly profiting of low quality recordings of 'Cokie' 'singing' about friends deaths, depression, suicide and many other fucked up subjects that paint Fat Mike as a degenerate asshole who has no qualms with making money off of singing about other peoples suffering. Please tell me that the money made from this record is going somewhat to help the families of those effected from the events in this album. I get if you want to tell these stories in a book of some kind (because I could see that being damn interesting) but don't make a fucking album about you just detailing this events. Talk to a therapist about this. Please.
And if these events are in anyway created or fabricated from Fat Mikes brain, then here's a message for him: Fuck you. If any of this is just made up, then your hurting, attacking or fucking with people who have mental issues, including myself. I haven't had suicidal thoughts in so long (Thank fuck) but by the end of the piss pool of a record you created, there they were. Thanks, you have literally put me in the worst mind set I've tried so hard recently to avoid. You really are only helping yourself when your making these songs. Sort this out in fucking therapy dude. I don't want to hear about how people who commit suicide are coward or that your making jabs at people who went through with this type of stuff. I have enough of that with my own mental health. You know your damaging so many people by making this, right, you fucking clown?
Fat Mike, please for the love of GOD, no matter how I've talked about you in this review, don't do anything that would harm yourself. Go see a therapist, please, because you clearly need to see one. And it's not But you need to understand this album sickens me. This album hurt me. This album is god awful, both musically and emotionally. Suicide is not the easy way out you fucking idiotic cunt. Don't profit off of others suicides you fucking ass hat dick. This album will help no-one. It's not helping the victims. In order to help with music, you need to make sure that there is the message of 'you can do this' or 'this is not ok'. But you are presenting this album as if this is just life, then you seriously either need to change, edit or delete this album. I'm being fucking serious, in the state of this album, this will never help anyone going through any mental issues. Ever.
This is a harmful record. It's just Cokie jumping around for attention. Don't give this man any of your attention. This is not OK. And you know what, this album has put me off ever listening to NOFX for the rest of my life. Fuck these guys. I can't risk it.
Fuck this album. I hope this record burns in hell. And so can the cover. Or anyone thinking this album was anything other then a VERY bad idea. And Fat Mike...don't do this again.
Favorite Jams: No
Lest Favorites: Fuck You All, Down With The Ship, Swing and a Miss, This Album, Fat Mikes Views Towards Suicide
EDIT: Also if you think i'm clickbaiting people with my views towards this album, I just have to say this: the fuck is wrong with you?