Off!
Self Titled
Vice (2012)
This record is way too long. Nah, with 16 songs in 17 minutes, it’s shorter than a heart attack. And, hopefully, that will be my only elderstateman reference in here. For those living under a rock since 2010, Off! is a new Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag) fronted hardcore band where he is joined by Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven Shane MacDonald (Redd Kross), and Mario Rubalcaba (Hot Snakes, Rocket from the Crypt). The band pulls from Morris' first bands, with a classic Decline of Western Civilization era sound. Short, loud, fast, and seemingly named after an insect repellent.I might be one of the few in the world who didn’t rush out and during the hype parade that surrounded The First Four EPs. But, here the band is back for more with their self-titled full-length, proving that the offshoot from an aborted Circle Jerks studio session is more than, well, an aborted Circle Jerks studio session. And that’s where I’ll end that discussion, as Off! shares very little with latter day Circle Jerks (but quite a bit with the band’s early days.)This record is a rager, with early ‘80s LA hardcore as the foundation and a relentless energy packing … Read more
Ian Anderson
Thick as a Brick 2
EMI (2012)
If there's anything movies have taught us, it's that sequels almost always suck in comparison to the original. While there … Read more
Looking for an Answer
Eterno Treblinka
Relapse (2011)
Spain's Looking For An Answer have been around long enough that to play grind is generally to be compared to … Read more
Old Man Gloom
No
Hydra Head (2012)
“THEY PLAYED ‘ZOZOBRA’! THEY PLAYED ‘ZOZOBRA’!” Thank you for allowing me to get that out of my system as the … Read more
Various Artists
As We Draw/Euglena/Hexis
Throatruiner (2011)
Split albums generally feature artists at their best, and when they feature artists from a strong label like Throatruiner, there's … Read more
