 | Tracklist:
01. Drive
02. Their Own Medicine
03. Trying To Breathe
04. ZZYZX
05. The Eyes of Death
06. Old Man
07. All I Can Do
08. I Need You
09. Spare Time
10. I Just Want You To Know
11. My Episodes
12. Clear The Air
Release Date: 2010 | |
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On 16 Lists
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| Summary: The most fun punk album to come out in years |
1 of 1 thought this review was well written
Off With Their Heads is nothing but a straight-forward punk rock band from Minnesota. Now, with that said, they have almost perfected their own brand of punk rock, with punchy guitars and gruff vocals. OWTH has gained quite a bit of a following as punk fans have been yearning for a band to rise to the top of a genre that has been overrun by pop punk bands looking for a paycheck (which we all know is something punk fans hate, their favorite bands making any money.) OWTH’s rise as a punk band is surprising considering the complete dilution of the genre and the fact that most bands that come up these days simply cannot be considered straight punk. With all the subgenres around bands end up fusing punk with other genres, which is nothing new. In the 90s it was ska, in the early 2000s we saw the rise of pop-punk like Blink-182 and Sum 41, and now we are in the midst of this weird age of punk becoming awkwardly fused to metalcore and breakdowns, or “Happy Hardcore” along the lines of Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals, and A Day To Remember. So whether they like it or not, OWTH are saddled with proving people that they will not turn away from the punk sound they are known with, especially since they have signed with Epitaph, who hadn’t signed a punk band since 2001.
So Off With Their Heads decided to create a fun, exciting punk album, probably the best “*** you” to the naysayers that they could.
In Desolation is everything that punk fans could want. The guitars are punchy and fast, rarely more than straight power chords but each chord is dripping with edge, like the rails could fall off at any moment. The drumming is perfect, never trying to go outside the song, creating a perfect sturdy background when coupled with the bass, which is always audible. The vocalist is the true highlight here though, sounding like Dicky Barrett’s younger brother with that same gruff, heavy edge to it. The lyrics are fun and unpretentious, never detracting from the music. There are no bad lyrics here, but nothing that will really make you think, which is kind of the point.
All in all, In Desolation harkens back not to the overly pissy yet couldn’t play a note days of The Sex Pistols but more the early nineties, more Social Distortion without the rockabilly or Americana, or Mighty Mighty Bosstones without the brass. Off With Their Heads has created a fun, straight-forward punk album, nothing more, nothing less, which might just be what the punk guys disillusioned with what Warped Tour has become need right now.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4
Don't let them being on Epitaph fool you, this is an awesome punk record.
Digging: Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo | | | Album Rating: 4
yeah this album's really good, though if you think it's the most fun punk album to come out in years you could do with some recs imo
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Good punk in 2010? I need to check this out. Nice review!
Digging: Walknut - Graveforests And Their Shadows Digging: Walknut - Graveforests And Their Shadows
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I don't mean to be harsh, but I don't think the review covers the album in much depth at all. Half of it focuses on trends within punk and the rest of it doesn't really give an impression of the album's strengths. Also, the lyrics are probably OWTH's defining feature- they're so dark and self-deprecating, yet also uplifting; I wouldn't describe them as 'fun' at all.
Apart from that, the review is well written and flows nicely.
Digging: Tom Williams and The Boat - Teenage Blood Digging: Tom Williams and The Boat - Teenage Blood | | | Album Rating: 4
most of the self-deprecation comes with a sense of humor to it, and it is punk, how much in depth do you want me to get? I can describe each power chord to you
| | | Album Rating: 4
The 3.6 rating is a little misleading. Everyone but one moron thought the album was great or better.
| | | Album Rating: 4
hey bungy do you have those recs? I would like to get into more punk these days
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I saw Andrew Jackson Jihad live and Sean had a Off With Their Heads tee that had Jesus on the cross being sucked off by a bunch of kids. I've been desperately searching for that band tee but have yet to find it :C
I might actually email the band members for it.
Digging: Lil Ugly Mane - MISTA THUG ISOLATION Digging: Lil Ugly Mane - MISTA THUG ISOLATION
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Great review. My thoughts exactly.
Digging: Solar Deity - In The Name Of Satan Digging: Solar Deity - In The Name Of Satan | | | Album Rating: 4
punk recs like this? New punk recs?
| | | Album Rating: 4
yeah man, if you don't mind
| | | Album Rating: 4
no prob, here's a few contemporaries you should like.
Andrew Jackson Jihad - People that Can Eat People (if you liked Can't Maintain you need this)
The Copyrights - Make Sound (nongay poppy punk)
Dead to Me - Cuban Ballerina
Dear Landlord - Dream Homes
Dillinger Four - Civil War
The Dopamines - Expect the Worst
House Boat - Delaware Octopus (more pop punk)
Latterman - No Matter Where We Go
Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!
Menzingers - Chamberlain Waits
None More Black - Icons
A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide (you'll like this one for sure)
Wingnut Dishwasher's Union - Burn the Earth Leave it Behind (best folk punk album of all time)
| | | Album Rating: 4
forgot the funnest punk band ever:
Bomb the Music Industry!
| | | Album Rating: 4
I listen to this too much not to bump the rating.
I am dominating this thread
| | | Album Rating: 4
like adam morrison in the perimeter on the bench
Digging: The Dopamines - Vices Digging: The Dopamines - Vices | | | Album Rating: 4
lol pretty sure he isn't even on the bench anymore.
I recommended that guy 13 albums from the heart and he doesn't seem to care
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buddy of mine recommended this to me today, I'm gonna check it out tonight
Digging: In Mourning - The Weight of Oceans Digging: In Mourning - The Weight of Oceans
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
This album blows my mind.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Not all that mind-blowing but fun indeed.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
The more i listen to this album the more i listen to it. i must higher my rating.
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