Wasted Years
by OFF!
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. musicOMH.com
    Apr 4, 2014
    90
    Wasted Years features another 16 blasters to add to your ‘essential punk’ playlist.
  2. Kerrang!
    Apr 30, 2014
    80
    All songs were recorded in one take, no editing, no bullshit, and the album simply seethes with this urgent rawness. [5 Apr 2014, p.53]
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  3. Q Magazine
    Apr 23, 2014
    80
    Chaotic and raw, it exemplifies the best of US punk rock. [May 2014, p.116]
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  5. Boston Globe
    Apr 8, 2014
    80
    When everything coalesces to take the songs up a notch, especially on “Death Trip on a Party Train” or “Meet Your God,” they prove punk rock knows no age limit.
  6. The Guardian
    Apr 4, 2014
    80
    Hardcore is as much about its physical impact as its melodies, but Off! deliver both.
  7. Uncut
    Apr 4, 2014
    80
    It's a surprisingly varied record, the mood darkening towards the close, the band ever occasionally busting their habitual one-minute barrier. [May 2014, p.78]
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  8. AllMusic
    Apr 4, 2014
    80
    They're among the very best American punk bands of their day, and show there's plenty of snarling, howling life left in the beast after all these years.
  9. Exclaim
    Apr 4, 2014
    80
    Righteous indignation has long fuelled OFF!, but Wasted Years is the band at their darkest and most venomous.
  10. Consequence
    Apr 8, 2014
    75
    OFF! prove that they can still lay claim to being the realest, rawest band in the land without handcuffing themselves creatively.
  11. Filter
    Apr 8, 2014
    70
    The band managed to keep the self-recorded Wasted Years crisp and orderly without editing any of the performances.
  12. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 7, 2014
    70
    The pit-friendly snarl of ‘I Won’t Be A Casualty’ and ‘You Must Be Damned’ show that these guys are all still the real deal.
  13. Alternative Press
    Apr 4, 2014
    70
    This is no-frills, passionate hardcore with a purpose. [May 2014, p.93]
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  14. Austin Chronicle
    Aug 1, 2014
    67
    Analog tape thickens America's best punk band into an upward curve on its third LP.
  15. The A.V. Club
    Apr 8, 2014
    67
    With the solid--and solidly predictable--Wasted Years, Morris has once again proven that he’s no punk-rock casualty. Sadly, Off! has the potential to do so much more than just scrape by on the scraps of his past.
  16. Pitchfork
    Apr 8, 2014
    62
    Despite its scattered high points, though, it's hard not to think of Wasted Years as little more than the third most exciting OFF! record.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. MRAButterfly
    May 2, 2014
    8
    Going surprisingly longer (a whole 6 minutes longer) than their last two efforts, OFF!'s newest album slides into some interesting sludgeGoing surprisingly longer (a whole 6 minutes longer) than their last two efforts, OFF!'s newest album slides into some interesting sludge metal territory while still relying on the fast speeds employed in their work that make the band who they are today.. Ultimately it's another great album from a great band.… Full Review »
  2. Scooter4849
    Apr 23, 2014
    7
    In terms of hardcore punk revivalism, this album does a pretty good job of capturing that tone, and will probably be the best album of theIn terms of hardcore punk revivalism, this album does a pretty good job of capturing that tone, and will probably be the best album of the genre this year. OFF really stays in there comfort zone here and i cant complain. The album sounds pretty freaking good, but i'm not absolutely amazed.… Full Review »
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