Newcastle’s own melodic rock band, Outcast Syndicate, are set to release their debut full length this coming Friday. Having built quite a bit of momentum and buzz around them in their local area, the band are set to explode with this release. But what did we think about it? Check out our review below to find out!
The album opens on a massive hard rock/punk riff, starting things off with a bang. The light, upbeat feeling continues through the verse, the vocals powerful and the backing/harmonies fitting perfectly behind. It all stays at a similar level throughout too, making it all massively catchy, from the verses to the chorus. Also, all the pinch harmonics are amazing, giving it just a tease of metal in amongst the punk. The outro with the ‘nah’s is especially catchy too, and awesome when the guitar leads follows behind the melody. It’s an uplifting, fun song, and the perfect introduction to the album and Outcast Syndicate!
‘Coming 4U’ is another great classic rock-infused punk track. Much like the previous song, it’s upbeat and full of great vocals and harmonies. It’s feel-good rock music at this point, and is impossible to not like. There’s some great drumming and bass parts throughout the track, standing out more than in the previous track. There’s a nice guitar solo tucked in the middle of the song, too. It feels like the instrumentation is more of a focus in this track, which is fine by me! It’s another good song!
The title track has a fantastic main riff to open it up. Again, it adds an almost metal edge to it, giving off definite Black Label Society influence. The pace stays heavier and quicker compared to other tracks on the album, giving some great variety. I feel like it’d be awesome live, too. Honestly, it could make it even better, as my only slight gripe with the track is that the mixing doesn’t quite emphasis the heavier elements. I feel like they’d come across better cranked in a live setting. Still, it has an amazing, arena-filling chorus and I LOVE the build-up bridge before the final chorus, it almost having grunge vibes. It’s an amazing song, and one that easily makes our playlist.
‘Bring it Home’ heads back to a steadier pace again. It still has a punk energy, but the riffing gives off more AC/DC vibes, which I don’t hate at all. It’s definitely a classic rock track that would fit pretty perfectly amongst the likes of Sons of Liberty and Thundermother in the NWOCR movement. It’s a really catchy track that would work perfectly in a live setting, getting the crowd singing along to the outro chorus in a huge way.
The all-out punk feel returns with ‘Don’t Let ‘Em Do It’. The same could be said for the likes of ‘Cheesecake Punk’ and most of the rest of the tracks on the album. All are great tracks in their own right, and fit the tone and style of the album perfectly. The former song stands out due to its truly fantastic lyric writing, though. It’s another that easily makes our playlist!
The other track on the album, single ‘Plastic Feel’, is slower than the other songs. It again has more of a classic rock feel to it, and once again everything about the vocals is amazing. It’s all so catchy, and the harmonies are done incredibly well. The band also work their asses off, some awesome playing from the guitar, bass and drums. It’s another excellent song, and another that ends up easily on our playlist!
Overall: This is a great punky classic rock album! For a debut full-length it’s amazing, and is easily going to catapult the band to new highs. There isn’t a bad track on it, and there are plenty that I’m sure I’ll be listening to over and over in the next couple of months or so!
The Score: 8.5/10