Greek/American rockers Outloud are back with album number three, good to see the guys keeping momentum flowing with short gaps between albums.
And I’m pleased to say they help keep momentum going by delivering consistently good records that are thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. I wasn’t a fan of their last EP release, but the studio albums to date have all been excellent.
This is no exception.
The almost Spinal Tap-influenced opening hard rocker Death Rock! would be laughable delivered by any other band, but when it’s from these guys, it just works. The double kick drum flurry and catchy chorus “we’re gonna rock you to death” is pure hard rock heaven.
The album flows beautifully into the more melodic I Was So Blind, and back to the more urgent One More Time – both songs delving choruses that can’t be ignored.
The moody Bury The Knife offers another side of the band, the passive aggressive track turning outwardly aggressive towards the end, very cool.
And so it continues. Most of the album presents as uptempo melodic rock mixing with hard rock, but always there’s a melody, a guitar solo and a chorus.
Things only slow down for the acoustic ballad It Really Doesn’t Matter, but then it’s straight back into the uptempo anthemic (and quite awesome) Another Kind of Angel.
Other highlights include the fast moving A While To Go and the furious but melodic Toy Soldiers (featuring guitar god Mike Orlando of Adrenaline Mob).
And to close, the band throws in a rocked up and stylized cover of OMD’s Enola Gay. It suits the band and it fits the album. Nicely done.
