“I’ll tell you why I fucking hate my life and I’ll tell you why I can’t seem to get it right, I’ll tell you why I entertain the thought of dying all the time” shouts Ryan Young over the upbeat roar of OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, a symphony of despair th…

“I’ll tell you why I fucking hate my life and I’ll tell you why I can’t seem to get it right, I’ll tell you why I entertain the thought of dying all the time” shouts Ryan Young over the upbeat roar of OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, a symphony of despair that draws comparisons to the similarly inebriated DILLINGER FOUR and TOYS THAT KILL. After releasing over a dozen 7” splits and EPs, not to mention last year’s collection All Things Move Towards Their End and 2006’s Hospitals, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS have finally delivered their debut LP From the Bottom, a chronicle of hopelessness and depression set against the bleak backdrop of Midwestern America.

Constantly churning out brutally honest first-person narratives that strike a chord with anyone who’s ever felt completely out of luck and helpless, Young admits to believing “how every day is worse than the last, how there is little hope for anything to ever be good, and how just about the time people are happy, they die.” With his whole world crumbling around him and the banality of everyday life inducing madness by the minute, Young claims “I’d rather live my entire life on the road with my friends making five dollars a day than sit around waiting to die.”

A chaotic maelstrom of over 43 revolving members, the only enduring characters have been drummer Justin Francis and singer/shred-master Ryan Young. Having finally nailed down a dependable line-up, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS are now prepared to tackle the world, one heart-wrenching day after another.

In a world where everything is falling apart, it’s nice to know someone is worse off than yourself. Ha ha, okay, so I kid. But this guy Ryan must be driving himself crazy, what with all the dire hopelessness and impossibility wrapped up in his lyrics. One can only hope that this is his way of dealing with all the crap humanity sends his way. Or is he a magnet for misfortune?

Combine this direct, desperate outlook with upbeat, forward-moving punk rock, and what do you have? A strangely uplifting, energetic rallying cry that – far from bogging down the listener- inspires one to get up off their ass and do something. When I need a pick me up, this is it. When I need to knuckle down & get ‘er done, this is it. For you, maybe you need to kick a bad habit: this may not be for you. Or maybe… it’s just what you need. (Oh yeah, and I’m pretty sure Ryan is actually crazy. At least, that’s what he told me.)—Var.