Outlier is a band I’ve featured numerous times because I believe they are truly creating something that is both sincere and musically impressive. My hopes were high for the full length since I’ve been following their progress since around the beginning of 2016; I was not let down. They blend a mixture of deathcore, and some melodic elements. Instrumentals are complex when needed, yet simplistic in all of the right ways. Vocalist Griffin displays a variety of screams throughout the record that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. Great decision by them to record at Nutone Studios with Scott Goodrich.

Presidio starts off the album, conveying that this uniquely their own sound. Not many other bands can blend genres of deathcore and more melodic hardcore to form a completely original sounding style. Mecca is the first actual song on the album, and although I’ve heard it before you can hear subtle differences in production as well as the vocals mainly. Particularly during the “flows through my skin” which is almost more of a growl than a scream. This song, in particular, illustrates the tone of the whole album, never knowing what to expect and continually showcasing how the band sounds in a live setting.

From there we have Skinwalker which is one they released a music video for this last summer. It’s not my favorite song on the record but it’s still a great track to add to this colossus of a record. Adrian’s guitar parts add subtle melodic elements that compliment the pure heaviness that is displayed on other sections of the song. The song is always pushing forward into a new and more interesting part, done successfully by the Aaron, the drummer, and Josh, the bassist. Overall a great track that epitomizes the records sound and displays all of the elements on the record.

Birdland is actually one of the tracks that quickly caught my attention because of the feedback and guitar leads in the beginning. The tone achieved on them is so smooth, as well the transition into the verse is done well. Bass breaks are always something that impresses me, being that I am a bass player, so that and the section directly after are what made this track the best for me. Not just the song itself but how it blends into the next track Montauk is something a lot of bands are straying away. That being, creating separate single-worthy tracks instead of one cohesive sounding full length.

The Jewel starts off with a guitar intro with some high-hat and quickly turns into drums following along on the ride cymbal. During the break from the vocals, we get the bass drum following along with all of the accents the guitar is laying down. Easily one of the most interesting music parts of the song until the guitar comes in later during a tasteful progression. Undesirable is the next track, and it shows off more of the scramz element that the band embraces often. It finally calms down and eventually builds up to end with Griffin screaming and guitar feedback.

The last 2 songs Three And Five & Eclipse are excellently done as well, with Eclipse being my favorite because of how in sync all of the instruments are. It’s slow but you can hear it always moving forward and towards another part. Definitely a great closer for this album.

Favorite Track: The Jewel

You can find it on:

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You can buy a physical copy of the record on the Red Scare Media site:

Through A Set Of Rose Shaded Eyes by OUTLIER

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