OFF!
‘Wasted Years’
Vice Music
On track 8, Exorcised, the singer proclaims this to be “as good a day as any”. I concur, the arrival of a new full-length platter from OFF! indeed makes for a notable date in the calendar.
The singer is of course Mr. Keith Morris, formerly of Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, and latterly reunited with former Hermosa Beach alumni to tour the songs of said Black Flag. They call themselves FLAG, but this is OFF! where Keith gets to blast out original material with a bunch of real stand up musical guys.
“Wasted Years” is their second album proper, 16 tracks, recorded and written live in a furious studio session. Sparks would have been flying. The OFF! formula is strictly compact and economic, verging on the claustrophobic, but they inject valuable twists and variation to the song construction. Slabs of block-heavy riffage ensure damage levels are ably inflicted, whilst Keith’s barked vocals are as penetrating as ever, dripping in vitriol and venom… a weathered old-timer still raging against the bullshit and lies. Good on him. I am, as with their previous records, very much digging what these guys do.
Great record. Gimme some more…
Pete Craven