NOFX are some of the most successful pop punk troubadors in history. Legends in the eyes of Warped Tour babies simply for existing before their birth, the grating punk rockers have reared their ugly heads for some time now, churning out what their fanbase eats up. The Decline, on the surface, seems like a retreat from the decades-old, tired tropes NOFX are typically shilling. This single track, 18 minute EP might even seem progressive and innovative to the people buying pop punk records. Wow, there are horns. It's got different sections. But if you're actually listening, the song remains the same for Fat Mike and company. Whiny, grating vocals. Pretentious lyrics. The guitars are thin and weak, played in such a manner to convince the uninitiated that they are indeed raw and subversive, when the undeniable truth is the opposite.
Some type of epic, grand atmosphere is attempted here, but not achieved. It is hard to explain, but the length and the grandiose nature of the proclamations within this sprawling mess, one wonders if Fat Mike was secretly listening to Dream Theater, loving every second of it. He would not tell his fans or the press this. Actually, as cheesy and cliche as The Decline gets, it's easier to believe that Fat Mike was listening to Journey. It really does evoke that sort of stadium silliness, but for the hockey arenas that host Warped Tour. Punk meets Journey.
