For those who enjoyed
NMA's 11th LP,
Today Is a Good Day, it might seem like overkill releasing a fourth live album in 18 years (along with a live rarities LP to boot). But
Fuck Texas (recorded at four European shows and a snippet from a New Orleans jaunt, not the Lone Star State) is not only another fierce example of the incredible
Clash-like intensity of their gigs, it's a reminder of how little they need to rely on "classic" material. The vast majority of these songs weren't written when they released their previous live LP, 1999's
...& Nobody Else, with "Bloodsports" and "Wired" from 2007's
High being particularly dazzling, and 2005's
Carnival's "Island" displaying new urgency. It's not only brilliant that they documented this fiery, flat-out smokin' 2000s
NMA lineup, but these songs on-stage as well -- and this may well be their best live LP ever. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover