After nearly two years, Outline In Color finally release their first full length ‘Jury Of Wolves’; an intense, fast-paced album that puts them on the map as a stand-out in the post-hardcore world.
Yes, this is another clean singer-screamer style band, but in the freshest way possible. Singer K.C. Simonsen has a truly beautiful voice that has enough power to rise above the band’s intensity, floating clear and high over bone-crushing drums and finger melting guitar riffs.
Besides the vocals, Outline In Color deliver intensity from beginning to end. ‘Another Nightmare’ has a quick, anxious rhythm with electronic elements that gives it a catchy, dance sound without crossing the line into mainstream pop. ‘Jury Of Wolves’ and ‘A Fracture, A Fallout’ hit you in the face with all the intensity you can imagine before calming to showcase soft, poignant lyrics, showing the band’s knack at balancing complete discord and chaos with calm. There is usually something present in each track that really sets it apart; a soft bridge or a soaring climax can completely transform the song by the end.
There is quite a bit of variety on ‘Jury Of Wolves’. No track is exactly like the next, with some more scream-heavy and classic hardcore, while others are much more melodic. ‘I’ve Had This Dream Before’ is a simple piano ballad rife with harmonies, and is then immediately followed by the epic, electronic dance track ‘I Ain’t Afraid Of No Ghosts’. This kind of juxtaposition keeps the album from getting stale.
However, Outline In Color isn’t completely consistent. Some tracks, like ‘Hope In The Wrong Hands’ and ‘The Chase Scene’ are heavy-handed, with too much guttural screaming and heavy instruments. These songs are trying too hard to be hardcore, which makes them fall flat amongst the other, very well done tracks.
And then there’s the hopeless N’Sync cover of ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’; a random Punk Goes Pop style track that offers nothing new to the very stale boy band song besides some heavy instrumentals. Besides that, the song is essentially the same, making it a confusing choice to add to a debut full length. The same goes for the final track on the album, an acoustic version of ‘The Good In Me’. It’s a fairly well-done acoustic track, but the band’s choice of putting it in the album is questionable. These would have been better served as bonus tracks in between albums, and this lack of restraint is what brings this very good band down a few notches.
Outline In Color is a band to be taken seriously. ‘Jury Of Wolves’ is a serious album with serious talent, and despite a few missteps, their first full-length album shows what kind of musicians they are and what they are capable of. This is definitely an album you’ll want in your melodic post-hardcore rotation.
3.5/5
‘Jury Of Wolves’ by Outline In Color is out now.
Outline In Color links: Website|Facebook|Twitter
Words by Jenny Gagas
