Sixteen songs in nearly as many minutes; fast, aggressive, directed and potent. If you hadn't already guessed OFF! is a hardcore punk band. Don't lump them in with your standard, run-of-the-mill fare though. OFF! has something special to offer. For one, the band is a who's who of legendary SoCal figures, from Keith Morris, the legendary frontman for Circle Jerks and Black Flag's first singer, to Mario Rubalcaba, former pro-skater and Rocket From the Crypt/Hot Snakes drummer. Bassist Steve McDonald played in a vastly underrated Redd Kross. But so what? Supergroups, if you want to call OFF! a supergroup, tend to suck and sell tickets on name value rather than their music. OFF! have enough talent and drive to make it on their own without it feeling contrived or blown out. They're not riding their name is what I'm trying to say. OFF! is a genuinely exciting, fresh sounding band.

Their First Four EP's compilation (not technically an album) was a fireball mix of fury; a caustic, melodic frenzied attack. It reminded me of early Black Flag; songs like "Upside Down" paralleled "Nervous Breakdown". The sound and energy was similiar somehow and it was exciting. I was waiting for a band like this. Since hearing that comp. I've seen OFF! twice, never dissapointed, and eagerly awaited this album.

Their first proper LP, self-titled, was recently released and I have to say I have mixed feelings. The self-title has a few great tracks. "Wiped Out", "Cracked" and "King Kong Brigade" are as good as anything off of their EP's. But what I find missing is the songwriting. The songs aren't there and this leads me to a bit of a side-tangent. It's easy to assume, from an outsider's perspective, that hardcore is just a bunch of fast power chords, but it is much more than that. Finding a voice to express one's anger and frustration is a difficult process; especially in a sea of imitators and phonies. Finding the right sound, the appropriate interplay between feedback and melody, hanging on to a chord for a second longer; all of these factors can influence the way we hardcore fans interpret the music. The First Four EP's is a beautiful example of that tension and release relationship that I talk about in a lot of my posts. It can make or break a song. This self-title just doesn't have it. It's listenable, and I suppose I'll put it on here and there, but for the most part, I was left dissapointed. I don't feel like I relate to these songs the same way I did when the EP's release came out.

OFF! is still a great band, but I hope with their next release they push themselves to re-capture that angered spirit. I'd like to see them change it up a bit, much like the Circle Jerks expanded their sound on Golden Shower of Hits and Black Flag with Damaged (sans Morris of course). Overall, I was hoping for more.

 Grade: C+