ALBUM REVIEW: Outrage! Is Now – Death From Above
DEATH FROM ABOVE are back with their new album Outrage! Is Now. While fans have been impatient for new music from the band, the wait has not been in vain.
Starting off with Nomad, all the high hat action and deep funky bass you’re accustom to with this duo. Full bodied and bouncy, this is a very promising opener for the rest of the record. Solid riffs and run on the bass keep up the pass as the track runs into Freeze Me, takes a tinkle into the more key orientated stylings the band are also known for. The fusion of the crunch of the bass and the sway of the rhythm are strong here, and the song overall is super catchy.
Caught Up is once again, a heavy pull on some dirty riffing from the bass, smoother than the last two tracks, sliding into the comfortable chill that proves that DEATH FROM ABOVE aren’t just a party band, there’s some finesse here too. On saying that, the close to the end if this track you get, the more you are undoubtedly pulled into its feel-good vibes, and will be hard pressed to stop yourself from swaying around with it.
Title track Outrage! Is Now most definitely has the more electronic styling to it. It’s effects heavy, it’s pushy and agitated, snappy and punchy. There’s a jarring to the overall passing that’s good, it shows the unrest the song is trying to convey. The overall beat is consistent, but what’s going on top is unstable and fraught with meaning. Never Swim Alone takes a lead from the previous track. Things are hotting up now, the cloves are off and the teeth are bared. Simplistic openings make the beating heart of this track feel like it’s going to open burst at any moment. If you thought the previous tracks on this record were builders, Moonlight well and truly overshadows them. Vocally there’s a nice change of pace here, the feeling is very affected and the buzz of the strings is now the background to the thud of the hard-hitting drumming. Scratchy and twitchy, oozying with discontent, it’s another stomper from DEATH FROM ABOVE. Statues is another fun track, good riffs and tempo. Those who are fans of DEATH FROM ABOVE by this point should be aware if the little finer details are for them, but overall, it’s a tried and tested formula for these guys that makes this music work.
All I C Is U & Me and NVR 4EVR, while cute in their naming, are nothing but good riff after good riff. It’s a wave of consistent playing. Some might find this a little too commercial for their taste, but it adds a good contrast for the tracks that throw you into the darker side of the band. Holy Books is a great way to end on. Those who enjoy the shouty, distorted sound and the organised chaos that DEATH FROM ABOVE utterly master, have a party, with all the best bits of the record, waiting for them as a final thank you at the end of this jam packed album.
Overall DEATH FROM ABOVE have provided what fans are always looking for in their work; bouncy, deep bass riffs and a feeling of unity in the chaos of it all. They play tight and they play hard. There’s not much more you can ask for.
Rating: 7/10
Outrage! Is now is out now via Last Gang/eOne.
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