Outward/Rays Of The Sun/2022 EP Review

 

  Outward  are  a  band  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  ep  "Rays  Of  The  Sun".

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  which  also  brings  elements  of  post  rock  into  the  music.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  added  into  the  recording  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  showing  some  influences  of  post  punk  and  doom  metal.  the  second  track  was  recorded  live  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  On this  recording  Outward  expands  on  the  post  black  metal  style  that  they  introduced  on  the  previous  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  life,  death  and  beyond  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Outward  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Rays  of  The  Sun".  8  out  of  10.

  

https://outwardcz.bandcamp.com/album/mmxx-mmxxii

https://open.spotify.com/album/0MAv19vZmARlmbMmP7zlRH

 

  

Outward Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

 

Outward is based in Prague, the Czech republic, the band consists of drummer, bass guitarist, guitarist and a lead singer. We make music that is a blend of black metal, post metal, doom metal and some other subgenres with emphasis on rough rock & roll kind of sound.

 

2.Towards the end of 2020 you had released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

 

The EP is a summary of our first year of playing together and a visit to a realm of many different emotions.

We wanted to make a recording that will represent us in the best possible way in a DIY setting, which we hope we succeeded in. 

 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and topics the band has explored so far with the music?

Life, Death & what´s Beyond.

 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Outward'?

 

We wanted a name that will represent our approach to music, which is basically being open to many subgenres and not being locked within any mantinels so we leave any kind of borders behind us, thus people are free to choose to label us with any kind of subgenre they want. The listener is always an outward observer of what we do, so "Outward” is an ideal name for a band that thinks outside of the borders of genres and subgenres.

 

 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?

 

The wonderful artwork was done by an amazing American graphic artist RF Pangborn from Tampa, US, and was originally painted without any knowledge about us. 

We found the artwork on his FB page and asked him if we could use it, to which he agreed. I think it describes the mood of the EP, mostly the last track "Voices" which is about hearing unpleasant voices in your head and being absolutely broken under their influence. It is incredible how much the artwork actually fits our music!

 

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

 

There were some really over the top shows where we´ve had amazing reactions from the crowd. We love to play really loud, so the audience feel the music shaking in their bones. Playing live is an amazing thing that can be very transcendental an unforgettable and that´s what we love about it. Our concerts are where our rock & roll side really gets to show itself: Loud, Rough & Real!

 

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

 

Yes, we are currently looking for a label.

 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of post black metal?

 

We haven´t been really exposed worldwide yet, but we´d surely like to be!

 

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

 

We´d like to record our first full length this year as most of the album is already written now and we just have to practice the songs and once we become really tight, we´re definitely going to book a studio and get into recording! We want our first full length to be a bit more professional when it comes to production.

Musically, we want to further explore different subgenres and moods, as we did with our EP, and bring the whole thing to the next level.   

 

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 

Definitely Killing Joke, Yob, black metal in general and kind of everything we listen to. I think that what makes us quite different to other bands is that every one of us is from

different musical backgrounds so every member adds something unique to the songs.

 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We drink a lot. 

 

 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Thank you for interviewing us! Given the current worldwide situation, it is not an easy time to be a live band, but we´re not letting that, or anything else to stop us from further exploring the ugly depths of a human soul and write music about it.

 

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Outward/Self Titled/202O EP Review

 

  Outward  are  a  band  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  plays  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2020  ep.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  which  also  have  their  depressive  moments  while  the  vocals  also  mix  in  some  shouts  and  death  metal  growls  at  times.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  When  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  also  introduces  elements  of  post  rock  into  the  music  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs,.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  when  it  is  utilized  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording,  the  main  focus  is  also  more  on  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  life,  death  and  what's  beyond.

  In  my  opinion  Outward  are  a  very  great  sounding  post  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cremation  Of  Care"  and  "Dancing  Shadows".  8  out  of  10.

https://outwardcz.bandcamp.com/releases