OUTSIDER, a long-standing pillar of the Toyohashi hardcore scene, releases their long-awaited 4th album over a decade after their previous one.
Formed in 1994, OUTSIDER now boasts more than 30 years of activity, and the discipline built up over that history shows. Riffwork that's simple yet somehow stays with you. A groove that transcends hardcore's typical ferocity and momentum. And vocals that, even while snarling, never lose their melodic core. Pure sound and words stripped of unnecessary ornamentation reach the heart by the shortest possible route.
The album opens with "POWER," the fastest number among the tracks, and the construction of the record as a whole is excellent. While it's best not to over-explain before listening, every single note, right through to the grand finale of the closing track "Sayonara Religion," carries the weight of their career within it. This is a work whose persuasive power comes not from superficial drama, but from the accumulated time itself.
