Even at this early stage in their tenure, each burst of hardcore noise Off! commit to tape is more a refinement than reinvention. ‘Wasted Years’, their second full-length, is perhaps even more direct than its self-titled predecessor and ‘The First Four EPs’, providing another ferocious base for Keith Morris to get a few things off his chest.
Getting on for 59, Morris is still in formidable form. His lyrics remain resolutely anti-establishment, his proclamations laced with wide-eyed passion as much as paranoia. “There’s no free lunch for a jackass,” he spits on Over Our Heads. “Put on your happy face.”
In and out in under 25 minutes, ‘Wasted Years’ is another collection trimmed of almost all unnecessary fat, even if it finds Off! rallying behind DimitriCoats and some of the most inventive riffs in the band’s locker to date. Void You Out, the album opener, is, in particular, underpinned by power chords as nimble as they are forceful.
It Didn’t Matter To Me, Red White And Black and Hypnotized also dip into the big book of metal breakdowns briefly, with the latter running with the idea as far as breaking the two minute barrier for the first time in 49 Off! songs.
Tracked live at the band’s rehearsal space, this is the most punishing record that Off! have made to date, but their new-found muscle does come at the expense of a varied tone. ‘Wasted Years’ doesn’t once come up for breath, giving it the tone of a polemic.
But, with that said, it’s still pretty fucking good to hear Morris take his enemies to task in such a fashion. The fire still burns as hot as ever, and with good reason. Over 30 years since ‘Nervous Breakdown’ and ‘Group Sex’, he’s still a vital presence in punk.
Off Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu October 02 2014 - BRISTOL Exchange
Fri October 03 2014 - HACKNEY LONDON OSLO
Sat October 04 2014 - SHEFFIELD Queens Social Club
Sun October 05 2014 - GLASGOW King Tuts
Tue October 07 2014 - LEEDS Belgrave Music Hall
Wed October 08 2014 - BRIGHTON Haunt, Brighton
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