Outsmarted- 'The Amoral Ranger'
Austria. It hasn't featured too heavily on the music scene since Ultravox belted out eerie classic 'Vienna', really has it. Well jump forward a couple of decades and we find that Austria has flung forward a very interesting offering in the shape of a five-piece hardcore punk outfit, Outsmarted. And not 'interesting' as in the on-the-fence expression of gratitude you convey for those novelty socks you got at Christmas, which you then conveniently 'accidentally' set fire to.
No, Outsmarted are interesting for their real punch of fresh originality. 'The Amoral Ranger', a catchy and very fast paced body of work, is a confident first full-length album. It may have something to do with the long game the band has been playing; taking a good six years of evolution and building a style for themselves before they got to the stage they find themselves at. They have taken hardcore and looted it for all its aspects that will be of use for them. A novel approach. And an independent choice given the rather 'purist' view many of the genre seem to hold.
The result? A sound that can slot in well amongst a plethora of popular artists... but stand alone in a way that is difficult to draw a direct comparison to. Perhaps the best thing to do is to see who they have toured with. Sum 41. Songs like 'Dandylicious' echo the similar mucky guitar approach to punk as 'Does This Look Infected?' Architects. There is a measured flirtation with their breed of blistering breakdowns. 'A Kissing Disease' is a dilute example... dilute but still very much delicious upon consumption. AFI. There is catchy melodic punk running throughout 'The Amoral Ranger', the high points 'The Doctor Is In' and 'Vampires' biting down pretty hard.
Anything else? Well, yes. There's older rock n' roll rhythms we've seen revived by the likes of Steel Panther, as well as darker rock-metal fusion we may have seen from early Reuben. For a relative newcomer to bring so many styles into play within their 'hardcore' statement of intent, you would normally expect an unpleasant and confused siege on your poor lugholes. Quite the contrary. What Outsmarted have achieved with 'The Amoral Ranger' is a record that is very reflective of 'the' sound of the moment, but without going about it in the unoriginal shyster fashion we see all too often. (Looking at you... the scenesters and the fakers and the creative tealeaves.) They have genuinely compiled a broad range of influences to mould a welcomingly fresh sound.
This is not to say that the album is perfect. There is a lack of variety amongst some of the tracks, and it could have done with at least one more 'stand out' track. However. Praise must be given for the independent approach that has been taken with the ever-wearing sound of hardcore on the scene at the moment. They have tried to make something that sounds new, and this is something that can sadly be overlooked. A very fair effort for a band that show a lot of promise.