Off! the hook.(That's what the kids say, right?)
They say you should make the most of every minute in life. We're not quite sure who 'they' are, but Off! seem to have taken their advice very seriously. Their latest self-titled release packs in sixteen tracks in as many minutes, bursting with the threat to explode like an overstuffed tour suitcase. Perhaps more ferocious than a selection of jazzy shirts, each and every chopped up serving of punk rock punch boasts high energy, high intensity rock n' roll with the stamina of ten thousand Viagra. We wouldn't expect anything less from a band of this calibre.
Indeed, one should have realised just what that innocent looking compact disc held in store at the mere mention of Black Flag's Keith Morris taking the vocal reigns. Yes, there's a good 56 years worth of spleen venting that can be splattered all over this record; charismatically unleashing an onslaught of exasperation and bitterness at the whole damn world and all it's wretched problems. And ain't that what hardcore punk rock's all about? It's a fury that Off! fans will be pleased to know hasn't waned in the slightest since the belting First Four Eps. Life and it's Cracked state certainly hasn't let up on all those things that piss us off, so Off! aren't going to stop singing about it.
Manic guitar and frenzied riffing lend their power to the torrential force of the tempo, with even the tracks that come in under fifty seconds (including Wrong and 503) still managing to make an impact. Borrow and Bomb in particular, starts by screaming full force in your face before rounding off with an instrumental bludgeoning that holds nothing back. They're that short in length because they don't need to do anything more. Simple as that.
This is a real taste of the old school. Echoing early Black Flag (no shock there) Fear and Minor Threat, they also sit well alongside modern heroes of hardcore like Ceremony, Trash Talk and Cerebral Ballzy. If you want to see what punk rock meant before All Time Low and Paramore got their poppy paws on it, then you won't find better than this.