Review
Jump the Shark
Staring Death

Dead Truth (2008) Zach

Jump the Shark – Staring Death cover artwork
Jump the Shark – Staring Death — Dead Truth, 2008

So the other day for lunch, I decided to try a new sandwich shop in the Skyway. I'd heard decent things about it, and when I walked past it on my way to other establishments for lunch, they definitely were busy, and people apparently liked it. So I ordered their house specialty sandwich. What I got was a perfectly passable sandwich, with some delicious potato chips. But everything about the sandwich was generic and didn't really stand out. Bland bread, shredded iceberg lettuce, processed cheese, and a ho-hum dressing. The deli meats, while not bad, were also probably pulled out of a package, and not even sliced on location. If I'm going to pay six bucks for a sandwich and chips, it better at least be made from the heart with quality ingredients. It wasn't. While it wasn't bad, it was definitely not something that I'll go out of my way for.

My sandwich experience is very much like the album Staring Death by Jump the Shark. It's perfectly passable hardcore with an 80's influence, in much the same vein of Paint it Black. However, there were very few moments that really stuck out for me. I can see this band being great live, but the album left me unfulfilled. A couple awesome riffs, a lyric here or there that stood out but was gone the next instant; this is what I gained from this album. Overall, a decent background album for when I'm doing dishes, or eating a forgettable sandwich.

6.0 / 10Zach • April 6, 2009

Jump the Shark – Staring Death cover artwork
Jump the Shark – Staring Death — Dead Truth, 2008

Recently-posted album reviews

Street Eaters

Opaque
Dirt Cult (2025)

Sometimes I'm surprised at how averse I am to change. Hearing that Street Eaters had expanded to a trio caused me more trepidation than I want to admit -- and, like most fear of change, it was all for naught. The band hasn't changed and they aren't spilling over with annoying guitar solos either. They just have a little more … Read more

Faulty Cognitions

They Promised Us Heaven
Dead Broke Records (2025)

On their debut, Somehow, We Are Here, Faulty Cognitions made their statement. This wasn't a garage-punk band in the style of the members' previous bands (Low Culture and Shang-A-Lang, among others). It's a guitar-first rock indie-punk band schooled by the college rock of the 1980s. This time around the transition has been so seamless that maybe the debut was a … Read more

The Penske File

Reprieve
Gunner Records, Stomp Records (2025)

I used to dislike punk music where people sing. And, well, I'm still not super fond of it but there is an exception to every rule. The Penske File are one of those exceptions and maybe it's because while they have a singer (as compared to a "vocalist"), it's still authentic and conveys that everyperson vibe I seek in the … Read more