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Nicotine

School of Liberty (2003)
Asian Man Records

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Contributed by: Dane Jackson
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on July 8th 2003

While this album has been out in Japan for a while, Asian Man has just now secured the release for the band's North American fans. For those not familiar with Nicotine's music, they can easily be described as the Japanese NOFX. Not only do they share the same instrumentation with NOFX, but Nicotine is damn good.

With School of Liberty, Nicotine has shed some of their ska influences and instead went with a more mature, and melodic pop punk sound. Not only will you hear blaring pop punk anthems, but Nicotine even threw in a song filled with an "oi oi oi" chorus that will surely get the crowd pumped up. That track, "Get the Liberty", along with "Perfect Crime" are highlights of the album, but tracks like "Flash Back" and "Predator" make this album more than worth the eight bucks it'll cost you to buy it directly from Asian Man.

When it's all said and done, School of Liberty is filled with 17 tracks of pure adrenaline that will get just about everyone going.

At times, the lyrics are hard to understand, and at times, they're just plain ridiculous, but for English not being their first language, the guys in Nicotine sound better than most American bands.

The album isn't completely serious though. While a lot of the lyrics are socially conscious, the band shows they know how to have fun with "At the Class Room", which is a direct spoof of Snoop Dogg's "Gz and Hustlas". Also, to cap things off, Nicotine offer up an intense and catchy rendition of Green Day's "Basketcase".

This album is a must have and is a solid progression from the band's first Asian Man release, Samurai Shot. These guys put Hi-Standard to shame. A must have!

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krowdsurf (July 14, 2003)

What happend to Kemuri? Are they still around? And speaking of Japanese ska bands, what happend to The Rude Bones? I bought their album because it said Dicky Barret did "guest vocals" on one song. All it consisted of was Dicky's phoned in voice in the backround talking about how nice all the guys in the band were. Sorry, I'm off topic....uhhhh, I'm sure this band is great. 5 stars.

Anonymous (July 14, 2003)

nope, basketcase was track 17 if you buy it from asian man records

i don't really consider the polysics a punk band though.

they are awesome though.

Mikeshitter (July 13, 2003)

When I said four, I meant five. Dammit.

Mikeshitter (July 13, 2003)

These guys are OK (and not, they DON'T put Hi-Standard to shame), but there are shit loads of better Japanese punk bands around:

Mad Capsule Markets
B-Dash
Polysics
Kemuri
Going Steady

to name but four.

Anonymous (July 11, 2003)

Hey! My cd didn't have basket case on it... I guess that's my punishment for downloading it 2 months ago. Is it a hidden track? These guys are awesome.. they have a split with New Found Glory where they cover Eye of the Tiger, Holding Out for a Hero, Can You Feel the Love Tonight... awesome.

DestroyingTheScene (July 11, 2003)

These guys rock, they are incredibly nice and just full of energy! I saw them earlier this year with Death By Stereo as well and during the DBS set, the lead singer and their sound/merch/equipment guy came on stage completely naked with the words "small" and "2 inches" written on their stomachs pointing to their knobs! It was the funniest shit ever! Then they jumped into the crowd! These guys rule...

Anonymous (July 11, 2003)

hey there buckaroo.

i'm the reviewer of the album.

i'm not holding anything against these guys. in fact, they're probably my favorite band from japan.

i added the japanese nofx tag because since the band is japanese, and fairly unknown overseas, i figured it would help people who are unfamiliar with their music get a bit more familiar.

hell, asian man records even markets and promotes them as a japanese nofx.

oh well, not trying to diss them

-dane

8dollarclarinetsolo (July 11, 2003)

i dont understand the "japanese nofx" tag they cant seem to shake. i have "samurai shot" and its nice, but just because they have the same instrumentation and play fairly regular, not particularly fast sounding punk rock, they are the japanese nofx. how many bands have that instrumentation honestly. if you are holding something against this band just because of that, i would just suggest you dont is all

treetsux (July 10, 2003)

I've been listening to these guys for a couple of years now, and I LOVE the new record. And their second rate english makes it that much better. They make me 'Full Excited!'

Anonymous (July 10, 2003)

Saw them with Death By Stereo and they were pretty amusing... good band

Anonymous (July 9, 2003)

"japanese nofx"... They can keep em as nofx sucks sweaty testicles-oldpunker-

Anonymous (July 9, 2003)

the polysics are fucking insane.

i love them.

fallingtopieces (July 9, 2003)

when it comes to japanese bands nobody beats POLYSICS. Speaking of POLYSICS, ASIANMAN better start carrying some POLYSICS shirts so i can share my love of them to the world.

Anonymous (July 9, 2003)

first off, these guys dont put hi standard to shame at all.

second of all , the guy below who said that these guys are the happiest guys he'd ever seen is right. I dont even like pop punk but when they played before death by stereo in montreal , they put in the best mood i have ever been in at a show, it was ridiculous , i felt like a 5 year old kid, its like they have some magical aura or something, you should have seen the crowd.

toma (July 9, 2003)

i give desperado a better score for coverart

Anonymous (July 8, 2003)

when there's already nofx, why do we need a second rate version? there are so many better and far more original japanese punk groups that it boggles my mind how this group is the second most popular on in the US

-el vaquero
check out 10-feet and highway 61, please?

Anonymous (July 8, 2003)

These guys are the happiest people I've ever seen.

Anonymous (July 8, 2003)

i like this band.
BLAAACK FLIIEES IS MY SUUUPERHEEEROOO! kickass tune.

Anonymous (July 8, 2003)

This score is for the band name and coverart. Never heard of em before.

-sickboi