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Outbreak: Outbreak

Hardcore Punk

Rating: 3.75/5.0

Think Fast! Records
www.myspace.com/outbreak
Review: Craig Hartranft,  11.15.2009

Outbreak maybe the hardest working hardcore punk band working these days. Hailing from Maine (the last place I would look for a hardcore band), this crew has traveled five of the seven continents with an array of other unsavory characters including Comeback Kid, Misery Signals, Agnostic Front, and This Is Hell. If they wanted to rub shoulders with their peers, they have certainly done so. For more cred, Outbreak has Jim Siegel (Dropkick Murphys, The Unseen) on the knobs for this self-titled disc. If you're a fan of the Saw movie series, Outbreak appears on the latest installment, Saw VI, with The Countdown Begins.

While I recognize, and appreciate more, the punk angle of Outbreak, others who are into the omnipresent hardcore element running rampant in rock and metal today will enjoy their raw, caustic edge. The pace is unrelenting without being monotonous, and Outbreak can cut a catchy tune here and there. Two of the best are Too Paranoid for Politics and Concealed which remind more of rowdy melodic punk rockers than harsh hardcore. This sets Outbreak apart from most other mainstream acts who are all bravado and swagger, but couldn't carry a melody in a swill bottle. Frankly, with this genre not being my first choice of interest or play, Outbreak's latest is a fast and furious, ripping good time. Hopefully, they'll keep pushing the melodic punk angle over the hardcore in the future.

Frankly, with this genre not being my first choice of interest or play, Outbreak's latest full-length album is a fast and furious, ripping good time.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]