Outsound: Crackdown (Music Review)

On Crackdown, the four-piece Irish rock band, Outsound, turn the mental challenges of living in a nationwide lockdown, into a chaotic chord-driven rampage carefully crafted into rock excellence.

Although Crackdown is the second single of the band’s first-ever official LP (Megatherium, to be released this June.) the song feels like it has the budget and studio equipment financed by a big-name record label. From how the song is structured, to the deeply nuanced lyrics, Outsound gives the impression of a band that has spent a lot of time building chemistry and harnessing its sound.

Outsound’s ear-invading chords and unpredictable melodies are reminiscent of the earlier work of the Alternative Metal band, “Tool” (minus the movie score song lengths). However, Outsound isn’t a band that is looking to thrive off someone else’s sound, for in this song, they tell their own stories from their own perspectives.

Throughout the song, the singer retells the mental toll of being by himself every day during the “crackdown”. “Miracle what are you waiting for, Can’t take this silence anymore.” He sings as his built-up anger, in the form of guitar chords, rages on in the background. The song reaches its climax once the singer rejects the person he was during the “crackdown”, and from then on, suddenly transitions into a fantastic flurry of guitars and harmonies.

The song’s theme is one we can all relate to. Lockdown took its toll on everyone, and many people are still angry with how careless governments around the world were when it came to the effects it was having on people’s mental health. The singer gives the listener a chance to let out that inner frustration that might still be brewing from that era, all in the space of four minutes.

This song, it seems, is just the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come from “Megatherium”. If the LP sounds anything like this, it’s sure to be one hell of a debut.

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Score/Excellent: Crackdown is a single that promises the telltale signs of the great album to follow it up. It’s deep, relatable, and yet still lots of fun to listen to. Bravo Outsound!

[I rank on a scale of: Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, Outstanding]

Written by Jake Campbell.