Outlaw is an international band made up of band members from at least Brazil and Finland who, despite this EP being my first introduction to them, already have a respectable discography under their belt. Too bad, because with this new EP, ‘Death Miasma’, the foursome surely manages to convince. And I wasn’t the only one who became convinced, even the AOP Records label (Art Of Propaganda), which put out more than impressive albums last year with releases like Misery and Firtan, had noticed the talent of this international combo. In March, the third Outlaw long-player, ‘Reaching Beyond Assiah’ will see the light of day via that much praised label.
But for now, first, this 4-track EP, although already from 2021, I thought it is still very much worth paying attention to this short player. Not only because of the upcoming album, but also simply because it is a beast of an EP. The band ingeniously manages to capture the vibe of Mgła with similarly impressive drum fills and repetitively hypnotizing riffs. To this they add a good dose of modern Black Metal in the form of many tempo changes and catchy melodies, something the AOP Records roster typifies to a large extent. Just listen to the title track of this EP, which is a perfect example of what exciting, well-written and excellently executed modern-day Black Metal should sound like. It challenges, offers depth and it brims with musical craftsmanship.
Nothing to complain about? Yep, sure there is: the downright misplaced The Devil’s Blood cover, in the form of ‘The Anti Kosmik Magick’, with which this almost 25-minute EP closes. It really detracts enormously from the impressive own music and overall atmosphere of this EP – a miss of major proportions. Other than that: stunning stuff!
