Review
Jump the Shark
Staring Death

Dead Truth (2008) Zach

Jump the Shark – Staring Death cover artwork
Jump the Shark – Staring Death — Dead Truth, 2008

So the other day for lunch, I decided to try a new sandwich shop in the Skyway. I'd heard decent things about it, and when I walked past it on my way to other establishments for lunch, they definitely were busy, and people apparently liked it. So I ordered their house specialty sandwich. What I got was a perfectly passable sandwich, with some delicious potato chips. But everything about the sandwich was generic and didn't really stand out. Bland bread, shredded iceberg lettuce, processed cheese, and a ho-hum dressing. The deli meats, while not bad, were also probably pulled out of a package, and not even sliced on location. If I'm going to pay six bucks for a sandwich and chips, it better at least be made from the heart with quality ingredients. It wasn't. While it wasn't bad, it was definitely not something that I'll go out of my way for.

My sandwich experience is very much like the album Staring Death by Jump the Shark. It's perfectly passable hardcore with an 80's influence, in much the same vein of Paint it Black. However, there were very few moments that really stuck out for me. I can see this band being great live, but the album left me unfulfilled. A couple awesome riffs, a lyric here or there that stood out but was gone the next instant; this is what I gained from this album. Overall, a decent background album for when I'm doing dishes, or eating a forgettable sandwich.

6.0 / 10Zach • April 6, 2009

Jump the Shark – Staring Death cover artwork
Jump the Shark – Staring Death — Dead Truth, 2008

Recently-posted album reviews

Crystal Lake

The Weight Of Sound
Century Media (2025)

Formed in Tokyo in 2002, Crystal Lake have spent more than two decades shaping their own high-velocity hybrid of metalcore, hardcore, and atmospheric chaos. Few bands of their era survived the genre’s shifts with their identity intact, and even fewer survived a complete vocalist change. But instead of slowing down, Crystal Lake sharpened. Now fronted by John Robert Centorrino, the … Read more

Tired Radio

Hope In The Haze
Red Scare Industries (2025)

I knew of Tired Radio, but I didn't really know the band's work. When Red Scare announced they'd signed the band, I figured it was a good excuse to dive in -- and I'm glad I did. Hope in the Haze is the title of their Red Scare debut and that title kind of sums up their general vibe too. … Read more

The Resinators

Recorded In 2005 By Jay Reatard
Independent (2024)

Interesting little slab we got sent to SPB by a Mr. Ed Young. Two originals and a cover, recorded in Jay Reatard’s living room back in 2005 as the title suggests. So that would be around the time of The Reatards’ Not Fucked Enough for anyone keeping track. Jay had apparently just switched from analog to digital recording but it … Read more