OUTCAST

Stylistically the material on "Self-Injected Reality" more or less continue the mix of Slayer type thrash metal riffing and more contemporary progressive thrash/death elements in the vein of acts like Gojira and Hacride. Lead vocalist Wilfried Fagnon has a raw shouting delivery which isn´t far removed from how Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy...etc.) sounds. A few times he takes on a more growling vocal style, but it´s not the dominant vocal style. Outcast occasionally also venture into more progressive territories, but it´s moments here and there and not the dominant sound on the album.

"Self-Injected Reality" features a sharp, detailed, and powerful sounding production, which suits the material well. The musicianship are on a high level too (...and Jeff Waters of Annihilator guests with a solo on "Autonomy In Progress", casting a bit of stardust over the recording), and while the songwriting insn´t the most unique, the material are still both effective and memorable and "Self-Injected Reality" definitely is a recommendable release if you enjoy sharp, heavy, groove laden, aggressive thrash/death metal with occasionally more adventurous (semi-progressive) moments. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

The music on the album is an interesting mix of Slayer type thrash metal riffing and more contemporary progressive thrash/death elements in the vein of acts like Gojira and Hacride. The band are very well playing and the music is delivered with militant precision. The mix of more old school thrash metal riffing and the more groovy contemporary riffs work well for the band and while some tracks don´t stand out enough (especially some of those toward the end of the album), there are some really killer material on the album that overall makes it a very enjoyable listen.

"First Call / Last Warning" is well produced too. Especially the guitar sound is crushingly heavy and the sound production is really a great asset to the album. Even some of the less interesting tracks still sound pretty great because of how well produced they are. "First Call / Last Warning" might not be the most original sounding album out there but it´s a very promising debut album by Outcast and when it´s most catchy the album is really great. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

A good portion of the riffs contained within Awaken the Reason are very djenty, but unlike many other modern acts that subscribe to this downtuned, polyrhythmic style of riffage, Outcast makes these riffs groovy and infectious rather than sterile and boring. Of course, this is also due to the fact that the band mixes up the composition style quite a bit throughout Awaken the Reason - in addition to djenty riffs, you've also got plenty of full-on death metal assaults, mind-boggling technical portions, and even some melodic sections. Outcast does occasionally fall into the 'technicality before memorability' trap, but this album is generally quite interesting throughout its full duration. The amount of time-signature shifts, crushing breakdowns, and complex rhythms always keeps the listener thinking, even as their ears are being assaulted with some very dense extreme metal.

The predominately shouted vocals could've used a bit more variation, but they are still very passionate and well-executed. All in all, Awaken the Reason is a very solid effort in my opinion, and while it does occasionally sound a bit too mechanical and sterile for my tastes, the quality of this release is undeniable. Fans of Meshuggah, Gojira, and Obscura will definitely want to hear this!