Review Summary: Anger truly is a gift...
The Guilty Parties:
Zack de la Rocha (vocals)
Vic DiCara (guitar)
Mark Hayworth (bass)
Chris Bratton (drums)
Released: 1990 (
Revelation Records)
As it is clear that mostly '60s and '70s biggest Rock bands are considered as the most talented in history and it is also believed that this kind of era won't ever be seen again. While I still have to agree to this statement, it doesn't mean rock 'n' roll ever died. It just changed, maybe in a negative direction but fortunately there were a few exceptions who managed to make legends out of themselves in terms of Rock music. I mean the names that did it in the last decades of the 20th Century. One of them, outside the overrated ones, was
Zack de la Rocha. Inside Out wasn't the band Zack became famous for, and I have to admit that I'm one of those who ended up hearing this EP through the effulgent
Rage Against the Machine (which was in fact initially a song by his previous band in question).
Late '80s was the time in California when
straight edge hardcore bands were at the height of their slightly short acclamation. Drugs ans alcohol were “regrettably” in vivacious use, and the one and only true goal was to revolt. These buddies were obligingly
born to rage against them, and although they'd still have a very good reason, they did cope.
Minor Threat as the obvious main influence, the Orange County-based four piece toured chiefly around the West Coast, and became notable by their exquisite and supremely intense live shows. Inside Out existed from 1988 to '91, leaving
No Spiritual Surrender as their only release. 6 tracks, 15 minutes, still able to make it a pure
classic.
It all starts just like it was recorded in a small gig. Guitar opening it with a slow dashing riff while drums warm up to the true banging that's coming up. Then Zack comes in with his trademark and yells
"Break!" That's when the real s*** starts and you think “oh brother, this is hardcore.” In
Burning Fight the riffs are all extremely catchy and when combined with Zack's great singing it provides huge anger inside the listener, exactly what this band was intended to do. After a minute and a half the ferocity and strength intensifies even more in such marvelous level of violent energy in a song that I haven't heard to occur in any other musical piece. The opener proves to be the best song they created, and arguably the best hardcore song in history, at least in my opinion it's the optimal.
“I refuse to let myself down by falsely putting judgement on you/I will never choose a different path; I will never turn away from you.”
The next two tracks,
Undertone and
By a Thread, are the shortest and primarily the most expeditious. They definitely do their job at keeping the atmosphere after the mind blowing opener.
“'Cause if I don't try, I'm gonna fall into the hatred of this world” in the later mentioned is another example of the lyrics that are about not giving up and remaining loyal to revolution. The title-track is up next with an impressive intro, bass starts it and the guitar makes off dark sounds to follow. The song gets quite repetitive towards the end but is still one of the most powerful of the EP.
Sacrifice is my second favorite. Lyrically it's simply independent:
“I kept you from drowning when I couldn't swim/Now I'm sinking and you're not there” or
“So now I choke on every word that I said to your pretty face/Like when I said that no one better could take your place” should prove my statement. The sixth and last track is called
Redemption, which tells about helpless children of the street, and is of course an encouragement to wake up and try to avail them. The song breaks off in the end with the reiterate of
“Sometimes I just don't know, I guess we lost our way to go” that forsakes the EP gratefully.
The only 'cons' that can be found are audibly the very brief length and the
production. I personally think it suits the music, but I can't argue with its low quality. On the much more visible side, the positive, Zack shows a distinct side of his vocal skills and another piece of his notebook is used with significant lyrics. Overall every instrument is played dynamically, delivering some remarkable basslines and a neat guitar composition by
DiCara. This record is arguably one of the best Hardcore punk releases ever, and if you've listened to bands of the music range, or if you're even just an unobtrusive fan of
RATM and especially their
self titled you have to hear this.
Quote:
"Inside Out was about completely detaching ourselves from society to see ourselves as...as spirits, and not bowing down to a system that sees you as just another pebble on a beach. I channeled all my anger out through that band."
-Zack de la Rocha
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