Maximum RocknRoll

Personnel: Eric Melvin (vocals, guitar); Fat Mike (vocals); Scott Sellers (drums).
Recording information: Mystic Studios, Hollywood (1984-1988).
Veteran pop-punk standard bearers NOFX have been slogging away as one of the most successful acts in the genre since 1983. Long before they achieved surprise gold status with Punk in Drublic, they released a pair of 7" singles that, together with early demos, was released without their consent in the early '90s as Maximum RocknRoll. The music is largely influenced by the California punk of the group's youth, especially that of jokester godfathers the Descendents and sloppy Hollywood trash the Germs. The Bad Religion harmonies and excursions into other genres that would eventually show up in the band's work are largely absent here, but tiny foreshadowings are still audible even though few of the songs break the two-minute mark. However, the band's sense of humor, so instrumental to their success, can be heard in teen blasts such as "Six Pack Girls," "Cops and Donuts," and a ramshackle version of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man."