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

Pallette Knife

Keyframe
Take This To Heart Records (2026)

There’s a fine line between being a quirky emo band with scene references and something that actually sticks. On Keyframe, Columbus trio Palette Knife don’t just flirt with that line but sharpen it, name it after a Final Fantasy item, and build ten huge choruses around it. The band’s self-described “Nerd-Core-Mid-West-Emo” tag could easily read like a gimmick, but this … Read more

The Downstrokes

The Furious Hours
Independent (2026)

There is a specific kind of sultry, salty sweat that only happens in a room with low ceilings and a tube amp screaming a warm hum for forgiveness. You can smell the lingering kerosene and the stale beer on The Downstrokes’ latest LP, The Furious Hours, before the needle even hits the groove. It’s the sound of a band that … Read more

The Arrivals

Payload
Recess (2026)

It's been a short lifetime since the last Arrivals record, Volatile Molotov, but in many ways the new Payload picks up exactly where the last one left off. It straddles the mid-tempo punk spectrum while drawing influence from seemingly all realms of the rock 'n' roll cannon. I'd state that mod, power-pop, Brit Invasion, and even R&B are some of … Read more