Out to Win’s first release in nearly 4 years is certainly an eye opener. With furious percussion, slicing chunks of metal-come-hardcore lyricism and an intense delivery which leaves you salivating at the thought of it pumped up to 11 (See: Spinal Tap) on your speakers, it is an uneasy 30 plus minutes to listen to. But while it is executed with the sort of panache you would expect from a band with such experience, never does it completely sell the package as a whole with only certain tracks garnering the need for repeat listens.
Opener ‘Beg for Life’ along with follow up ‘Ghost Army’ are handy openers, if a little lacking in ideas, but from here on in the album nosedives and turns in every direction, other than the one you want it too, while trying to seal some relative consistency amongst the blood and thunder being spat. If you take the ten tracks as a package, then it works fairly well. But the albums problem is that it stutters along so much towards its finale, never once do you completely immerse yourself in the album and find yourself lost in the music. The constant breakneck delivery of the tracks on display becomes more than a little monotonous by the time ‘Condemned Forever’ rolls around, which ironically is a blisteringly tight final shot at changing your opinion on what has been produced.
In perspective though the record as a whole needs more punch, because it is certainly lacking a golden touch to really bring it into the upper echelons of the hardcore community. Out To Win and Thorp Records would like you to think it is, but amongst the polished sound and ample axe wielding, there isn’t enough for you to come back for more. It is by no means bad, but it is a fair way off from being recommendable.
Jay
Thorp Records
