Following a self-released demo and 7”, Melbourne’s hardcore punk five-piece Outright have released their debut LP Avalanche on their own label Reason and Rage. This record sees the band’s songwriting, technical skill, and musical chemistry catch up with their forward thinking and determined ambitions.
Frontwoman Jelena Goluza’s vocals have fully developed into a soaring rage, flying above the masterfully tight and heavy rhythm section. While the band’s style of metallic hardcore is far from an original musical avenue, the band plays to the strengths of such an established style and scene. Lyrically, the band’s songs and live performances have always been outspokenly socially conscious and assertive, with Goluza often introducing each track with a preamble of the following song’s themes, and ultimately instructions for social change. While many may wish to keep their music and politics separate, Outright sees their music as an avenue for communication and influence.
There’s a fine line to be straddled between engaging and forward thinking hardcore and the tough-guy machismo floorpunching that plagues Destroy All Lines venues and youth centres everywhere. Too often are modern hardcore bands stuck in a rut of chasing the hardest breakdown, the cleanest production, and having more press shots than songs. It’s reassuring when a band can coexist musically with their contemporaries, with a clear recognition of the genre’s roots and history, and not fall victim to the clichés and negative aspects of hardcore.
BY JOE HANSEN
Best Track: A City Silent
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: INTEGRITY, EARTH CRISIS, INSIDE OUT
In A Word: Conscious
