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

Lethal Limits

Elevate EP
GhettoBlaster Productions (2025)

The archival hunt for the "missing links" of first-wave California punk usually leads through a trail of grainy handbill Xeroxes and tape traders' overdubbed copies. But with The Flyboys, the story has always been a bit more elegant—and a lot more colourful. Long before they were swept into the gravity of the Hollywood scene, frontman John Curry was already performing … Read more

The S.E.T.

Self Evident Truth
Flatspot Records (2026)

Hardcore doesn’t need reinventing; just needs conviction. On Self Evident Truth, Baltimore’s The S.E.T. come out swinging with a debut EP that’s built on exactly that. It’s got groove, urgency, and a clear sense of purpose. Clocking in at around fifteen minutes, the EP wastes no time establishing its identity. From the opening moments of “This Chain,” it’s all forward … Read more

Dashed

Self Titled
Independent (2026)

When a band describes themselves as surf punk, it usually conjures a certain image. Reverb drenched guitars, sunburnt melodies, maybe even a sense of looseness that leans more carefree than chaotic. Dashed doesn’t really fit that mold. On their self-titled LP, they take those familiar elements and run them through something colder, sharper, and far less predictable. Across eleven tracks, … Read more