24-05-2013

Tombas

The time has come for me to review a record. This is a record I like a lot. It's by a band I like a lot. It's by a band I've given quite a lot of attention lately, and in my opinion it's all deserved.
My favourite hardcore record/EP of 2013 so far:

Outline - Tombs (Fortyweight Records, 2013)

1. Intro
2. Still To Come
3. Statues
4. Inner Pride
5. Tombs
6. Final Call




The only negative remark I have about this EP is that it's too short.

No, I'm just kidding, that must be the most cliché line in EP-review-history.
This isn't even too short, actually. This fills the spot suite well. I have no idea how long it is except that it's one side of a 12" record. So, let's say, 14 minutes? That's enough for now. I've heard they have a split coming out late 2013/early 2014 so then we can hear more songs. Hooray!
So let's get into this record. Tombs starts with an intro. Well, I'll be damned! That's new! Nah, I'm a fan of intros, particularly on hardcore records. And this one is the perfect introduction to Outline. Mid-paced, palm-mutes, high-end riffage, a disgustingly raw bass, headbangworthy drums and a general atmosphere of impending doom. Like most hardcore acts, Outline aren't the most cheerful dudes when they play music. It's all pretty gloomy. But don't worry. It speeds up.
Just like that *snaps finger*.
Still To Come blasts right at you and sends you into anger-mode 2.0. Outline is angry. No joke. Still To Come is a fast jam about Rikkerd's house-fixing activities I think, and how things don't always work out the way you expect them to. How you have to work for your goals and how difficult it is to trust other people with your intentions. I think. The riffage on this one is excellent and the tempo change mid-song is primo mosh material. With just one guitar the second verse sounds a bit hollow as Pie plays an arpeggiated melody (is arpeggiated a word?), but Petit on the bass and drummer Ari kinda back that up. Furthermore, I think the sole guitar in this band can stand his ground quite well.
The record is self-recorded, self-mixed and self-mastered at Ari's home-studio. So yes, the recordings sound pretty rough sometimes, but it's hardcore, it's not supposed to be polished. It sounds pure and angry. Good enough for me. On top of that it's self-released by Petit's record label Fortyweight Records. Safe to say these guys like to hold on to what they do.
Anyway, the main riff in Statues is another example of tyPiecal riffage (see what I did there?) and is a bit of a hit song. It was the first song to go online and probably the catchiest song on the record. Rikkerd sounds super pissed off on this one as well, rad. Fuck your status. Rad. Great sing-along parts as well, and cool backing vocals. The end makes me wanna be mad at people for no reason. The needle on my record, which is a beautiful green vinyl by the way, transcends into the lingering intro of Inner Pride, only to burst out in a slow headbang-inducing jam about standing up for yourself and letting others fuck you around. Once again a climatic outro that just exhales anger, both musically and vocally.
Tombs is the politically charged tune on the record. With a opening line as Learn. Repeat. Don't ever resist the chains. it's failrly obvious. Of course, it's not all the way political, but I feel the other songs are thematically way more personal than this one. As all the other songs, this one's over pretty quick as well. The term "no-nonsense" is definitely applicabel to an Outline record. It's not ignorant, cause there are really clever riffs, song developments, drum patterns and instrumental fills.
Final Call is easily my favourite song on Tombs. The pounding intro with Rikkerd screaming his lungs out drives me up the wall. The lyrics are really good and deal once again with personal trust issues or something along those lines. I could be wrong, I'm no Sigmund Freud, right? The guitar part at the end, when it's like This is my final call. Our getaway. and it goes duduuuuu/duduuuu I'm like FUCK.

General musical similarities can be found in Dead Hearts, Carry On and Verse. Bands that were the shizz 10 years ago and now do reunions (except for Carry On). I want to give some more contemporary acts are probably similar but I can only think of bands that are broken up already, like Ritual or Killing The Dream.

But, yeah, get into this before it's 2023 and you're all like "man, remember the 2010's? there were such cool bands back then."

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