Death from Above - Outrage! Is Now

I wasn’t sure if I was going to write about it seeing as Death from Above aren’t usually considered within the metal “jurisdiction” for the most part. But I can do what I want, and this album rocks hard. Darting back and forth between the alternative rock styling of early Muse and a myriad of dance-punk influences and working efficiently as a drums/vocals and bass/synth duo, Death from Above are practically incapable of over-blowing their sound and instead make as much use of each part they play with greater portions of the spotlight shining on each. Full of invigorating hooks and anthemic melodies, Outrage! Is Now takes a quick shot at the all-around pissy social climate in which it was brewed, striking an unnoticed deadly hit as it preoccupies the air with infectious choruses and tasty bass leads. With a consistent and catchy 36-minute tracklist, songs like “Holy Books”, “NVR 4EVR”, and “Freeze Me” dig into the eardrums and compel at least some headbanging, while songs like “Nomad” and “All I C Is U & Me” pull the dancing strings rapidly. My favorite song here has to be the swagger-heavy, groovy vocal anthem “Caught Up” which channels Muse, Queen, and even Marilyn Manson that insists singing along with its elevating chorus. The more brooding moments on the album like the title track and “Statues” help give the album a sense of emotional and sonic diversity, leaving an array of motifs to be remembered. While likely more unintentionally falling partially under the huge metal umbrella, Outrage! Is Now grooves and jams with more persuasiveness than a lot of bands attempting it more intentionally.

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