OFF! – Wasted Years
Written by: Max Szyc
It’s safe to say that punk rock today isn’t what it was 30 years ago. Although three-chord guitar assaults may have been enough to satisfy fans of audial mayhem back in the day, listeners now seem to expect a little more from their punk. This is pretty obvious when one takes a look at the plentiful sub-genres that the musical movement has given birth to: post-punk, melodic hardcore, scream, post-hardcore, “electronicore” (seriously), and many others. It’s gotten to the point where one can’t just say they’re a punk fan; they also need to identify exactly what kind of punk they prefer flailing their limbs to. All this new-found diversity can make listeners yearn for the simpler times when Sex Pistols were the most controversial band on the planet, Black Flag was actually good, and The Clash had yet to sing about rocking any ‘cashbahs’. Thankfully, former Black Flag singer Keith Morris heard their prayers and gave the world Off, an old-school punk band whose 2012 debut perfectly recreated punk’s 1970s conventions for a modern audience. On Wasted Years, their sophomore outing, the band sticks to their guns and essentially deliver more of the same.
Off formed in 2009 and includes both golden era veterans, (Morris and Red Kross’ Steve McDonald), and modern rockers, (Burning Brides’ Dimitri Coats and Rocket from the Crypt’s Mario Rubalcaba). Together, the quartet has blasted out several releases featuring songs that never go beyond the two minute mark. With such short song lengths and Coats serving as the sole guitar player, the band perfected a primitive sound that was furious, simple and straight to the point. It also didn’t hurt that Morris’ barked vocals–while not quite as furious as they were on Black Flag’s iconic Nervous Breakdown EP–still have that raw intensity that can incite an audience to go wild. All of this is still present on their sophomore album, but now with more tracks that hit the two minute mark. Considering the lengths of past releases, Wasted Years is a progressive rock record in comparison. But what does this mean for the band’s ability to craft tunes? The answer is simple: absolutely nothing.
Wasted Years might feature longer songs, though it’s still pretty much the same album Off put out in 2012. The guitar riffs even sound closer to vintage Black Flag than ever before, with numbers like “I Won’t Be a Casualty” and “Mr. Useless” sounding eerily reminiscent of the Nervous Breakdown days. But it’s not like the band’s riffs were complex to begin with, as the band merely created an old-school punk album for an audience that craves old-school music. This is a fine goal, yet the band has already accomplished it. At this point, it seems like Off is happy staying in their comfort zone, despite sounding a little uninteresting for listeners who want more.
That’s not to say that Wasted Years is completely the same as their self-titled debut. Several songs on the 16-track album showcase the band mixing things up, albeit very briefly. “Legion of Evil” and “No Easy Escape” feature recurring riffs that echo Black Sabbath at their grooviest, while the brief “Void You Out” has the band escaping from their regular mid-paced punk stomp by upping the speed considerably. Despite the rarity of these moments, they do reveal that Morris and the gang have other tricks up their sleeves.
Overall, Wasted Years is a fine album that fulfills its purpose: to be a rock solid old-school punk album. It’ll also sound refreshing to listeners who’ve never given the band a try before, yet for everyone else, the entire disc screams “Been there, done that.” Although Morris, Coats, McDonald and Rubalcaba still have chops when it comes to musicianship, Off’s latest release can’t help but lose its charm after a few listens. There’s a reason old punk bands either evolved or broke up, so let’s hope a potential follow-up album sounds a little fresher than this.