Review / 200 Words Or Less
Off Balance
Demo

Independent (2006) Michael

Off Balance – Demo cover artwork
Off Balance – Demo — Independent, 2006

Whoa! It's like I hit a time warp and traveled back to the early years of the NYHC scene. But I didn't. Off Balance hail from Indianapolis and they're out and about playing gigs right now. This demo is seven tracks of throwback hardcore that draws heavily from bands like Sheer Terror and Killing Time. I found it interesting that the vocalist, who goes by the name Justin the Cook (his nickname is even very 90's) claims a significant lyrical influence from traditional country music - the lyrics are rather poignant and desperate. Bottom-line, this is a demo and it's okay. The band definitely has some growing to do, but they show promise.

5.0 / 10Michael • July 8, 2007

Off Balance – Demo cover artwork
Off Balance – Demo — Independent, 2006

Recently-posted album reviews

1186

Histeria
Drunken Sailor (2025)

If you read enough press releases, you start questioning if you even know what genre names mean. Post-punk has been one of the most abused terms of the past 2-3 years and it seems to mean wildly different things to different people. To me, it’s always meant an ear for angular guitars and noise atop more traditional song concepts. 1186 … Read more

Li Jianhong

Shuttle Raven of the Dream
Utech (2025)

Li Jianhong's philosophy surpasses the direct relationship of a musician with their instrument of choice. Instead, Li has advocated for Environment Improvisation, where the urge to create and improvise is established by the artist's surroundings. Looking at Li's website you can find numerous instances that inspired him to settle down and start improvising, drawing energy from the surroundings. The music … Read more

Deseos Primitivos

Lineas de Muerte
Shadowplay Records (2025)

Some reviews are written after years of listening to a band and knowing nearly everything about them. Sometimes I listen to a record on repeat for weeks before I even look up the correct song titles – Deseos Primitivos (Primitive Desires) is the latter. This promo came to SPB as literally a one sentence quote about the band and its … Read more