The last few weeks have been a political nightmare for the USA. In order to keep this focused on the task at hand; I won’t be discussing politics but I will say that Outrage is the soundtrack for this upheaval of Democracy. In this case, I’m reviewing the new slab of raging Grindcore that is Outrage, the killer second full-length from Tokyo grind bastard Kosuke Hashida (ex- Abysmal Dawn).

Last year’s Justifiable Homicide was one of my favorite releases. The merging of Grindcore, Thrash, and Death Metal makes Outrage a joy to experience. I’m not bullshitting either. Straight out of the gate is “Killed ‘em All” and it brings the lethality of Lock Up right into the forehead of you, constant reader. The drums blast like .50 cal machine guns going off, the riffs like bullets whizzing by.

Clocking in at 18:21, Outrage is not a long album, but then again neither was Justifiable Homicide and that’s perfectly fine because at the end of the day it proves that a song doesn’t need to be five, six minutes long to grab your attention and then beat you with it.

“Strangulation” and “Legitimate Murder” echo Slayer and the tone they had on South of Heaven, both are head-banging Thrash Metal workouts. Whenever I hear riffs this tasty I want to pick up my guitar (then I remember that I have carpal tunnel).

There’s something on Outrage for everyone, not mentioning Slayer again but there’s Napalm Death and Brutal Truth all over “The Commandments”, “Hopeless” and “The Atonement.”

The ‘band’ as it were, still seems to just be a one man operation, if this is so then Kosuke Hashida (the man) is one talented mofo; this is a beating from start to finish. Its unrelenting delivery is rousing, indeed.

Eleven songs in eighteen minutes… Scum is twenty-eight tracks in thirty-three minutes, it’s a Grindcore classic, and Outrage strikes with the same venom and hatred for the status quo.

“Seek & Kill”, “Corruption Of Faith” and “Hate Symbiosis” grab you by the throat, pokes your eyes out, and flays the skin from your bones; the Napalm Death influence sits comfortably next to some Nasum style grinding for the final two tracks “Knockoff” and “Hungry Again.”

This is a crushing album, it’s controlled chaos, body blows, and head-stomping Grindcore. If you like this sort of thing (which I know you do) then I urge you to get this album. For you fans of Brutal Truth, Lock Up, Slayer, and Napalm Death. Get it, got it, good!

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments