Ladies and gentlemen, Keith Morris has returned to making music full-time and it is everything you would hope it to be. The former Black Flag and Circle Jerks singer unleashes a storm of punk fucking rock fiercer than I have heard in a long time. Joined by former Clikatat-Ikatowi and RFTC/Hot Snakes drummer, Mario Rubalacaba, the beats are full of slamming goodness. Steve McDonald, another legend of Southern California punk rock, largely known for co-founding Los Angeles’ own Red Kross when he was 11 years old, joins on bass. Dimitri Coats from Burning Brides adds walls of treble guitar, contagiously cascading through every song and tough enough to make Greg Ginn smile.
On their most recent release, self titled, they waste no time with pre-chorus bullshit or extended bridges, and really lay into it. No song on this album is longer than 99 seconds.’Wiped Out’ is destined to be the summer anthem of 2012. Not to mention having a sick as hell guitar solo which makes me wonder if Dimitri is actually Nels Cline’s little brother. ‘I Got News For You’ is classic punk in the vein of Circle Jerks and early Black Flag, but not solely because of Keith Morris’ vocals. Mario, Steve and Dimitri really glue this release together, making OFF a solid effort, far more so than a Keith Morris solo record could ever be. Coats and Keith co-write OFF’s material. Rubalacaba and McDonald could be the punk rock Sly and Robbie if they wanted to, but luckily for Morris and Coats they are with OFF.
The artwork is by Raymond Pettibon, an internationally famous artist known for his close association with Black Flag and SST records.
Obviously, I would highly recommend OFF or any of their other releases to all my friends.