NoMeansNo
Wrong

THE REVIEW

Can there be a mixture of Rush, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fugazi, Black Flag? Many would rightly say no… but the most correct answer would be No – Means – No.

Borrowed from a feminist slogan popular in the '70s, the name of the Vancouver band is known only to the closest hardcore enthusiasts, being largely unknown to the Italian public, also due to the unfortunate distribution of the group's albums, recorded starting in the early '80s, and deserving of a rediscovery by DeBaser as well.

The music of Nomeansno is difficult to classify, being a kind of crossover between punk fury, musical architectures worthy of the best progressive, rhythmic groove stolen from the most hypnotic funk, supported by bass lines that effectively blend technique and expressiveness, which in most cases dictate the structure of the songs. The technical compositional skill of the musicians involved in the project (brothers Robert and John Wright on vocals, bass, singing, and drums, and Andy Kerr on vocals and guitar) is, after all, undisputed, although entirely at the service of the emotional impact of the music produced by the trio.

"Wrong" ('89) is one of the band's most accessible albums – as well as easily available in our parts – in which the strengths and limitations of Nomeansno's musical recipe are clearly evident: stripped-down arrangements reduced to the bone, where bass/guitars/drums intertwine to cover all the spaces left empty by Wright's piercing and violent voice, developing a series of dissonant musical themes that often extend beyond the 2, 3 canonical minutes of '80s American hardcore, even the more refined kind (Hüsker Dü); at times, however, the group reveals drops in inspiration and the songs may seem repetitive, especially if listened to in quick succession, perhaps also due to the "monastic" simplicity of the instrumentation and sound effects used, which compress the trio's creativity.

Without boring the reader with a track-by-track review, unnecessary in light of what has just been observed, I will just point out, among the best tracks, the splendid opening duet composed of "It's Catching Up", with its off-kilter and stuttering rhythms, and the granite "The Tower", featuring an anxiety-inducing drum carpet until the explosion of the violent chorus, as well as the essential "Tired of Waiting", punk with lunatic and expressionist hues. The remaining tracks move within the aforementioned coordinates, in my opinion without significant peaks, but with an excellent general average.

In conclusion: fans of alternative music from the '80s and '90s should run to buy it, if it's not already in their discography… melodic palates abstain.