Review: “Reaching Beyond Assiah” by Outlaw

Conceived in São Paulo Brazil in 2015 but having since become international as mastermind Daniel Souza (Imperium Infernale, Nahasheol, Night Prowler or The Black Spade) travels around Europe, Outlaw are a Black Metal collective with two critically acclaimed records and an EP under their bullet belt. Now based in Germany, Souza is joined by Tommi Tuhkala (Arctora, Ondfødt, Spell of Torment, Kvaen) and Amilcar Rizk (Cursed Rite) who have been together since 2019 as they continue their narrative of Anti-Cosmic Luciferianism and Darkness with “Reaching Beyond Assiah“. Recorded and mixed in Sweden and in the Netherlands by Souza himself, drum engineering and mastering were handled by Tore Stjerna (Mayhem, Black Anvil, Vastatum) at Necromorbus Studios with Shuvankar Biswas creating the artwork…

Souza’s unmistakable harsh, throat grating and gravelly vocals have long been the one of the facet of Outlaw that has commanded attention and they make a powerfully demonic accompaniment to his swirling, tormenting lead guitar parts on “Bliss of Soul“, a tour de force of what the band have been about for the last eight years. Dark alchemy between the forces of Black Metal and rich melancholic textures usually associated with Swedish Melodic Death Metal linger in the air like a thick fog, coming to prominence on “To Burn This World And Dissolve The Flesh” which finds the band pushing Extreme Metal borders and boundaries. The appearance of Juho Koski of Spell Of Torment fame who contributes a majestic second solo gives everything a sense of epic grandeur, the leads boarding on cinematic while embracing the thunderous percussive sounds like waves crashing upon the shore. That sense of gargantuan scale continues into “Beyond The Realms of God“, a Souza lets out an pained, emotive blood curding roar against a backdrop of richly textured melody soaked in Black Metal but with shades of the extremes which bands like Harakiri for the Sky or Woods of Ypres have had to offer. A darkly driven cut that with an emotive vocal, it still manages to drive home the nails after the coffin lid has been slammed shut with percussive power and abrasive basslines. “The Unending Night” then doubles down on that melancholic sense with a storm of turbulence underpinning the guitars, an almost Folk Metal mid song moment flatters to deceive as a false ending before the band build the mountain to a crescendo once more.

Orchestration and a spoken word appearing during a fleeting moment of respite from the artillery shelling bombardment of the kit work on “Everything That Becomes Nothing” adds a new twist to the tale of Outlaw, Suaza’s lyrics becoming increasingly unhinged as album plays out. There are points where his voice sounds as if he is about to be consumed by his thoughts and spontaneously combust in an act of self immolation. Given that personal quality with the depth of meaning captured like lightning in a bottle in the performance it’s curious that there is a guest lyricist in Narciso Legio on a pair of cuts including “The Serpent’s Chant“. Another stone cold masterpiece that hits like a slab of marble over the skull before nursing you back to life only to make you bleed once more, this one has at its heart a moment of sinister and yet dream like acoustic guitar that adds a sense of despair. Perfectly encapsulating the sound of the album in one easy to swallow bitter black pill, the album title track brings the curtain down with a firestorm of percussion to accompany mournful yet cinematic guitar work and orchestration. It’s the one cut where you can hear Suaza’s voice cracking and subsequently a little accenting bleeding into the performance, something that adds a real charm to it [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Bliss of Soul
2. To Burn This World And Dissolve The Flesh (ft. Juho Koski of Spell Of Torment)
3. Beyond The Realms of God
4. The Unending Night
5. Everything That Becomes Nothing
6. The Serpent’s Chant
7. Reaching Beyond Assiah

“Reaching Beyond Assiah” by Outlaw is out 31st March 2023 via AOP Records and is available over at bandcamp