Black CoastOutworld

Well, here we are folks. It’s now been a touch over two decades since the release of Linkin Park‘s groundbreaking debut Hybrid Theory, and now the music world is engulfed by an unrelenting wave of art made by those who grew up binging A Place For My Head and In The End, with metallic riffage, baggy aesthetics and tight AF snare drums once again reigning supreme on heavy playlists.

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Thankfully, Trent-On-Stoke’s nu-est nu-revivalist sons Black Coast have nailed the most crucial part of the 00’s MTV formulae on their debut outing Outworld, one which has proven all too elusive to their peers; the fine art of an additive chorus.

From the searing one-two opening of Ache and Paradise, to the anthemic bounce of the title track, right through to thunderous closer Strangers Skin, Black Coast keep things simple for the sake of melodies that embed themselves in your conscience. Being released via Blood Blast Distribution, an offshoot of Nuclear Blast, things were always going to be about the metal, and testosterone fuelled ragers Addict and Burn eagerly step-up to the riff plate with a hurricane of double kicks and Korn-esque guitar lines.

Black Coast keep things simple for the sake of melodies that embed themselves in your conscience.

Indeed, the achilles heel of Outworld is a lack of dynamic range, with most tracks bar Strangers Skin operating in the red zone of intensity. Despite this though, the songwriting chops displayed here are undeniable, anchored by the harsh/clean talents of frontman Charlie Hewitt, comfortably taking the man-of-the-match award on this record.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Paradis, Burn, Strangers Skin
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Deftones, Ocean Grove, Loathe