OLDE OUTLIER

A respected stalwart of the Australian underground, Beau Dyer has been involved with an assortment of projects over the years, most notably INNSMOUTH, whose sole 2014 album "Consumed By Elder Sign" remains an underrated classic. With OLDE OUTLIER, he has ventured much further into the primitive, genre-blended realms of the '80s, with a sound that retains the gruff aggression of early death metal, while infusing everything with the stripped down, infernal simplicities of CELTIC FROST and SAMAEL. Across four epic tracks and 35ish malevolent minutes, "From Shallow Lives To Shallow Graves" screams its opposition to overly polished and precise extremity, preferring instead to dwell in arcane, intuitively progressive territory.

The opening sprawl of "The Revellers" sets the scene, with just under eight minutes of abominable, knuckleheaded riffing and peculiar detours into clangorous post-punk. Vocalist Appleton has a monstrous, untutored roar that seems to erupt from his core at all the right moments, and an overall feel of ramshackle militancy ensures that every riff and growl oozes nefarious sincerity. "The Pounding of Hooves" ups the tempo somewhat, as mutant NWOBHM riffs slash and slice, and Appleton regurgitates hellish warnings in the frosty foreground. Again, a curious sidestep into ghostly, doomed-out repetition only adds to its aura of supernatural menace, and by the end of its near-11-minute duration, the sound of a band lost in an intoxicating reverie of sonic steel is unmistakable. Resolutely opposed to overcomplicating matters, Dyer's winning way with a sinister riff reaches an apex of efficacy on "Swept", the best of these songs by an inch or two, and a master class in evoking a cherished, earlier era. Intermittently catchy and never less than wholly cohesive, "Swept" also edges into lysergic realms, with a mid-section that recalls the best of DARKTHRONE's recent excursions into slow-burning classicism, but with even more melody underscoring the grimness.

In truth, what OLDE OUTLIER are doing is rooted in old-school heavy metal, and convincingly so. The closing "All Is Bright" starts with a thuggish gallop and powers forward with intent, rudimentary riffs wielded like broadswords, and Appleton's throat-rending cries echoing out like the pained screams of the damned. The connection to death metal remains intact, but this is as much a descendent of VENOM and MERCYFUL FATE as it is a clearly defined relic of a specific subgenre. And again, unexpected forays into woozy, pot-addled ghoulishness give OLDE OUTLIER an identity that refuses to be easily defined. "From Shallow Lives To Shallow Graves" is redolent of many things, but none of them are an easy fit. Instead, Dyer's vision seems open-ended and exploratory, as if revisiting such archaic vibrations has provided him with an entirely fresh and invigorating array of inspirations. Plus, in simpler terms, the whole thing swings, hard and heavy, with a total disregard for current trends. Assuming that this is Dyer's vehicle for the foreseeable future, "From Shallow Lives To Shallow Graves" is an opening statement that promises even greater dives into the darkness in the future.