Review Summary: A serving of melodic black metal that balances darkness with melancholy - a formula that works brilliantly for a while, but does start dragging on later
Outlaw are a curious band whose mix of played genres and influences happens to very closely match that of Dissection, known for their famed "Storm of the Light's Bane" album, often quoted as the pinnacle of melodic black metal mixed with melodic death metal. Outlaw are skilled emulators of that formula, and their most recent outing "Opus Mortis" continues it quite competently.
Just like "Reaching Beyond Assiah", their previous album which I also happen to have reviewed, the impressions this time are rather similar - the music is engaging and pleasant, even more so than last time (especially if you're in the mood for this kind of stuff), and has occasional flashes of brilliance scattered throughout that keep you engaged, but just like before the album is also rather front-heavy, with the more interesting moments unfortunately tending towards the first half. What works best with Outlaw's formula and makes things interesting is the balancing act between the melancholy of melodic death metal and the ominous, spooky vibe of black metal - in my opinion the songs that mix these in a ratio favoring the black metal component do turn out better and more interesting. Perhaps the reason for that is that the black metal aspect of the sound brings more energy and upbeatness, as paradoxical as that may sound, while the melancholic parts can be rather sleepy and meditative. The latter half of the album leans more heavily on those, which is perhaps why it starts dragging on a bit - not aided by the fact that even though there are only seven songs, none of them clocks in at less than five minutes.
For that reason the album opener "Blaze of Dissolution" seems the album's standout track to me - a powerful, energetic banger with memorable hooks and an almost sassy verse riff that makes for a powerful statement. On the inverse, the second track, "Through the Infinite Darkness", demonstrates the more melancholic aspect of the band, but since this is the first such song, the formula still feels fresh, and the opening riff sounds like genuine Dissection worship. But after that? The remaining five tracks are basically more of the same. If that's your bag - you'll be happy, but like I mentioned, the album later starts leaning into the more melancholic vibe, which makes the rest sound a bit sameish, and the surprises wear thin real soon. An injection of more of those angry, energetic black metal melodies and a slight rearrangement of tracks would perhaps have alleviated that problem.
Despite fundamentally being a black metal band, Outlaw's sound is not as venomous as say, Dark Funeral's, nor is it as sad and all-in with the sappy stuff as for example Old Man's Child's. Still, they're a very pleasant and competent yet at times predictable MBM band that can provide quite a bit of listening pleasure to enjoyers of such soundscapes. My only wish is that they introduced some more experimentation and leaned more heavily ond their defiant black metal riffage, as that could elevate them into true excellence.
3.7
