Album Review: Off With Their Heads - Home

Focusing their efforts on genres that tend to pull more revenue, it's rare that Epitaph takes on new punk bands. So when they do, you know that band has something exciting to offer. They've been around since 2002, and in their second Epitaph release, Home, Off With Their Heads have produced a record that more than proves their worth on the label's roster.

It's hard to pinpoint what makes this four-piece from Minneapolis so unique and accessible. They're a quality pop/punk rock act that are rough around the edges. Vocalist Ryan Young is what you get if your standard pop punk vocalist sculls scalding hot coffee and then jumps in the vocal booth. It may sound surprising, but such vocals aren't unpleasant to listen to – they add more emotion and energy into what might otherwise be lifeless melodies at times.

With this sort of gruff rock, it can often be hard to capture the vocal energy and find a fine line between a rough recording and something so polished that it kills the vibe, but producer Bill Stevenson has found a healthy mix, and Colorado's iconic Blasting Room Studios have churned out another flawless sounding record.

Off With Their Heads have had countless line-up changes, appeared on a mountain of splits, compilations, and EPs, but this record finally sees a solid line-up and 12 songs that work together perfectly. It seems such a frequently rotating line-up has enabled their sound to stay fresh.

Having already established a name for themselves within the beard-punk community years ago, Home is the record that will see Off With Their Heads break out of their little subgenre and onto broader horizons as a force to be reckoned with.