Black Coast – Outworld

Is there such a thing as the perfect album? If there isn’t then Black Coast are having a good crack at it as the Stoke based bare knuckle brawlers stoke up the fires of hell with these twelve neck twisting songs on their latest album Outworld, out on November19th . Five tracks have already been released between March and October 2021. I’ve reviewed them all making it the most eagerly awaited album of the year for me and it doesn’t disappoint!

‘Ache’, my favourite of the five singles has an Alice In Chains vibe running through its veins. It’s a superhuman album opener as riffs from Joe Mayer and Scott Pinnington get under your skin to shiver your bones. Bullish bass guitar from Jack Beardsall taps at your hearing with menace and the vocals of Charlie Hewitt are all consuming as an unhinged delivery is in need of an exorcism, point proven of the roared, lung stripping cathartic outro.

‘Paradise’, starts with a quirky intro of clipped guitar lines as an ambling bass groove sees it anger up into a crushing midsection as haunting choruses sooth as well as grip with aplomb until it takes a curveball into seismic kick drum driven devastation courtesy of Matty Clarke.

‘Addict’ is sort of nu metal but nowhere near as boring as it full bloodingly assaults the senses with an ear popping rant of clubbing grooves interspersed with deft ambient touches all pinned down by a reached to the skies vocal tirade.

‘Mental’ lives up to its name as industrial and grindcore go head to head in this blockbuster as somehow Charlie manages to keep his vocals head and shoulders above the musical maelstrom all around him as a refrain of “I’ve got my back against the wall” is terrifying.

There is not much smiling going on in ‘Vodka Smile’ as they attack from the off with a gruelling grind as Charlie barely pauses for breath to keep up with the musical tidal wave behind him that is surprisingly symphonic in parts.

‘Void’ creates a volatile void that opens up and sucks you in for four minutes of body blows heavy metal. Quiet passages come from laid back riffs as Charlie goes into a spleen venting hate fuelled rant that climaxes with a vociferous ” You fucking parasite!”.

‘Outworld’ is a certified pit opener for sure as snappy snare work, downtuned riffing and guitar squalls muscle up for a seismic stomp over a schizophrenic vocal tirade.

‘Twisted (Interlude)’ is a meandering minute of sleep inducing vocals and gentle guitar lines.

‘Burn’ is by far the heaviest track here musically and vocally as they go for the jugular and take your last breath on an adrenaline rush of headbanging rhythms that are not to be messed with.

‘Day Dream’ lumbers along slowly but surely on a suffocating groove as reflective vocals bring to mind early synth drenched Ministry.

Someone must have shouted “Beetlejuice” three times in the studio when they laid ‘Domino Rose’ down. It’s an almost punk rock delivery due to its raw fury and a buge eyed vocal tour de force as it shifts between a put up or shut up rant and creepy lines of “It feels so wrong but feels so right, sinking into my demise. I turn my back on it all, I turn away from the fall”.

‘Strangers Skin’ closes this magnum opus to a shuddering halt as melody and muscle combine for a musical backdrop of clinical riffing and fretboard wizardry around vocals that swoop and soar.

An album launch will be held at The Underground in Stoke on the release day for Outworld, an event not to be missed!

Pre-order links to Outworld and band info are here :- https://bfan.link/outworld I https://www.facebook.com/blackcoastuk I https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtqr1THf-6dmXWkbBxQu8jA I

Black Coast band line up :-

Charlie Hewitt – Lead Vocals.

Scott Pinnington – Guitar.

Joe Mayer – Guitar.

Jack Beardsall – Bass Guitar.

Matty Clarke – Drums.

Outworld album track listing :-

Ache.

Paradise.

Addict.

Mental.

Vodka Smile.

Void.

Outworld.

Twisted (Interlude).

Burn.

Day Dream.

Domino Rose.

Strangers Skin.