No Fun At All

No Fun At All Since the debut-MCD release of "Vision" in 1993, Sweden's premier hardcore pop-punkers NO FUN AT ALL has grow into a tight, intensive and frantic mean killing machine. Something which has been proved on hard-exercised tours all across the globe.

Back in 1993, little did anyone expect that out of Skinnskatteberg, a small Swedish town of 4 000 inhabitants would arise a band that was soon to pave way for a Swedish punk and hardcore 'boom' and that would soon even be hailed, praised and 'adopted' in Southern California - the #1 stronghold for melodic punk.

Started out by main-songwriter, guitarist and AC/DC fanatic Micke Danielsson, NO FUN AT ALL
(named after a tongue-in-check mixture of the Sex Pistols song "No Fun" and Sick of it all's name), surprisingly managed to get out of the kindergarten very quickly. This despite being not especially serious or dedicated at first, things changed very quickly when Burning Heart Records (as one of the labels very first releases), decided to release the "Vision" single. Originally meant to be an 'hope-we-can-sell-all of them' initial press of 1 000 copies, the single has since gone on to sell an amazing +25 000 copies (not bad for a debut EP). Safe to say it totally paved way for what was later to come, both in success for NFAA as for Burning Heart and the whole Swedish hardcore/punk explosion that followed.

Today, six years later, with three albums and one single/EP compilation available (the above mentioned "No straight angles" 1994, "Out Of Bounds" 1995, "The Big Knockover" 1997 and "EP's Going Steady" 1998), and with album sales of +200 000 to boast with, NFAA has become an established unit all over the world. A band that now definitely got a place in the punk/ hardcore hall of fame.

On their third album, "The Big Knockover" NFAA proves this by packing the punch with fine , fast and furious melodic punk. The bands strength has always been their intensive mix of punk, pop and melodies. A mixture done with clear slick vocals and production. On this album, however, the production is more intense and powerful, the guitars has turned harder and are more flexible. The overall 'harder' impact, was a definite goal for the band who felt the album "Out Of Bounds" kind of lacked an edge. After doing a satisfying cover-session (that ended with the CD-single "And Now For Something Completely Different", released by Sidekicks Records) in Abyss Studios with HYPOCRISCY-supremo & metal producer Peter Tägtgren, the band strengthened and excited about the experience and outcome of the recordings went into Studio Underground with a mission for a harder sound. A mission, in which they really succeeded.

Drawing major influences from bands as BAD RELIGION and 7 SECONDS and some other Californian punk bands, there has and will always be strong influences from the English new wave scene (read: MAGAZINE, ELVIS COSTELLO, XTC, THE JAM etc.) in NFAA's approach to music. Pop influences that make their sound a little bit more adhesive, poppy and slicker than many of their American peers. The 'goofy geek-punkbands' as NO FX and VANDALS or the majority of the 'lighter' side of southern Californian hardcore/punk never really meant much for the upbringing of NFAA. Instead, the earlier mentioned names plus DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG, CIRCLE JERKS, POISON IDEA, RAMONES has been the soul and fuel of inspiration for NO FUN AT ALL.

This is some serious shit done with as much (or even more) commitment than any US bands. By some NFAA has been described as exotic, but they bloody well stand up to give their American contemporaries more than a run for their money, and totally proves that there is a strong and honest leaf of life on it's own for European melodic punk and hardcore.

No Fun At All is at the moment (July -99) writing and rehearsing new material, when they're not on tour, to enter Studio Underground at the end of October to record their fourth album. What this album will be like nobody knows, not even the band. You will just have to wait and hear.