NOFX Biography

NOFX is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 by Fat Mike (vocalist, bassist) and Eric Melvin (guitarist). Despite their massive contribution to the punk music scene, they never signed with a major label. They became famous in 1994, due to their fifth album Punk in Drublic. Over the course of their career, they sold over 8 million albums. Therefore, they’re one of the most successful independent acts in history.

Early Years

The band’s name was inspired by a Boston hardcore punk band, Negative FX. NOFX created their first demo in 1984, titled Thalidomide Child. The record is now an extremely rare collector’s item and it is uncertain if copies even exist. One year later, the band released their debut, eponymous EP. Eventually, the album Liberal Animation came out, in 1988. After collaborating with Gurewitz of Bad Religion for the debut album, NOFX began released albums through Gurewitz’s label. While the next three albums went by pretty much unrecognised, they band encountered fame in 1994.

Breakthrough & Success

1994 was an amazing year for punk rock. Numerous influential bands made a commercial breakthrough and NOFX was one of them. Punk in Drublic became their best-selling album to date, receiving a gold certification. Despite the success, NOFX didn’t want their songs to be too commercial (“We just didn’t want to be a part of that machine”). In 1996, the band released Heavy Petting Zoo, which peaked at number 63 on the Billboard 200. The LP version, Eating Lamb was banned from Germany due to its obscene cover. In 1999, NOFX released an 18-minute single-track EP, The Decline, which became the third longest punk song in history.

Photo source: Discogs