There’s only a few simmering seconds of atmospheric drone before Outright unleash full fury all over track one, ‘Truth Teller’.
Beautifully brutal from the outset, instrumentation reflects the heavy themes addressed throughout Keep You Warm, such as the impact of colonisation on people and culture (‘Tied Through Time’) and the climate emergency (‘Silent Spring’): “Skewed by our recent bias/ Instead of trusting the science.”
With its title referencing the witchcraft handbook Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer Of Witches), ‘The Hammer’ was “born from the frustration of an abuser not taking accountability for their actions”, according to badass vocalist Jelena Goluza.
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This lead single sets a breakneck pace, thanks to Rory Kelaart’s relentless drumming, as Goluza bellows, “Saviour of Satan when it suits!” Then on the band’s follow-up single ‘Burn’, Goluza rages about the normalisation of burnout: “I won’t set myself on fire, just to keep you warm.”
From thrash metal to melodic punk, Outright’s second full-length is dynamically exhilarating, with this outstanding Melbourne hardcore outfit even entering stoner-rock territory on standout track ‘The Call’: a monumental, lurching, seven-and-a-half-minute beast featuring surprisingly catchy, fuzz-drenched riffs and euphonic vocals that weigh in like a Greek chorus: “Fear of the known/ Is a horror show.”
Using Outright as her weapon, Goluza – an impassioned spokesperson for the silenced – says no to complacency. Keep You Warm is an incendiary listening experience.
Label: Rage And Reason Records. Release date: 15 July
