Nomeansno – Wrong

Nomeansno – Wrong is an absolute classic in the world of punk and hardcore. Released in 1989, it’s one of those albums that completely defies easy genre classification — blending punk, hardcore, jazz, and progressive rock into a tense, explosive package. The Canadian trio was already known for pushing boundaries, but Wrong is often considered their masterpiece.

The bass work by Rob Wright is monstrous — heavy, melodic, and driving the songs with a weird funkiness that sets them apart. And John Wright’s drumming is both chaotic and tight, with vocals that are equally unhinged and theatrical.

Wrong is often cited as one of the most important underground punk records of the late '80s. If you're into intense, challenging music that still grooves, this album is essential.

Nomeansno was formed in 1979 in a vacuum in Victoria, British Columbia. They quickly moved into the tumble dryer to hone their classic sound, and also became masters of tumbling. Throughout the 80's they toiled diligently until they relocated to Vancouver and managed to produce 11 albums spanning a career of 35 years, 7 months, 11 days, 16 hours and 27 minutes, but unfortunately at that pivotal moment the stopwatch had slipped and rolled under the couch so the seconds could not be accurately recorded. This impressive output also included a joint album with Jello Biafra as well as numerous EPs and singles. Originally formed by brothers Rob and John Wright as a two-man band, NMN was later joined by monster guitarist Andy Kerr and became a four-man band, which was quickly changed as there were only three members at this point. After Andy's departure in '91, however, the Wright brothers were joined by mythical guitarist Tom Holliston and seething drummer Ken Kempster, officially bringing the lineup to four members and forcing the paperwork to be changed once again. These guys kept Mr. Biafra on his toes! With their blend of hardcore punk, gritty lyrics and sophisticated arrangements bordering on prog, Nomeansno (near Passau, Germany) were hugely influential and are widely regarded as the first band to be labeled "math rock". An attribution that was finally solidified with the release of their album "0 + 2 = 1" in 91. A legal precedent was set, and to this day NMN receives a small royalty from the Pointlessly Arcane Musical Genre Descriptors Society of America (PAMGDSA) whenever the term is used.

Reviews

"Best of all is the silly "Rags and Bones" with Rob Wright claiming that he is "married to a cigarette butt lying in the gutter" over some of the most complex instrumentation you're ever likely to find in good ol' punk rawk. Although they still had a number of albums in them, Nomeansno would never top this one." Allmusic