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morlocks outlawoffives
Artist: Morlocks
Title: The Outlaw of Fives
Genre: Alternative / Industrial
Release Date: 5th October 2012
Label: Echozone


Album Review

What the hell is this? Sweeping choral sections contrast with jittery electronica, panic-stricken vocal samples, tension-building cinematic strings and massively overloading metal guitars. Think KMFDM (for obvious reasons) and pump it full to bursting with monster steroids and maybe, just maybe, you’re halfway to getting a handle on the enormous sound clash that is ‘Outlaw of Fives.’

Seriously. To now, I thought that Raymond Watts’ Pig took the hard-edged techno / industrial crossover thing to the highest of bombastic heights, but the ambition displayed here elevates it all to a new pinnacle. ‘Midnight report’ – which, granted, does have a running time of close to eight minutes – feels like an entire EP in its own right, packing in brooding atmosphere, sweeping stings and grinding metal chug. Hints of NIN and Pig bubble round the progressive folk intonations of ‘Lover / Enemy’, and by rights it shouldn’t work, but somehow, they pull it off.

‘Non Trigger Man’ is all about the overloading guitar chug, while ‘The Dividing Theory (Parts I and II)’ introduces church organ and orchestral signatures, not to mention a chorus of voices that recreate Karl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ for the industrial generation. ‘Happy Day in Zombietown’ is a metal / pirate folk shanty / techno / disco crossover that goes beyond the realms of sanity (and needless to say bears echoes of MINISTRY).

Bombastic isn’t the half of it, wildly over the top doesn’t even come close. And consequently, there are times – numerous times – that ‘Outlaw of Fives’ all feels a bit much. But by the same token, there’s no point going into an album like this half-heartedly: if you are going to go over the top, far better to fly over by miles than scrape it by an inch or two. This is an album that shows, and requires, commitment, which in turn will bring its rewards, and at the very least leave you feeling giddy.


Tracklist

01. Yet Unnamed Intro
02. Midnight Report
03. Lover/Enemy
04. Non Trigger Man
05. The Grand Dividing Theory pt.I
06. The Grand Dividing Theory pt.II
07. Happy Day in Zombietown
08. Man of God
09. Whistling in the Dark
10. The Conflict Synthesis
11. Consecration

Line-up

J.Strauss — Lead vocals, keyboards, trumpet
Innocentius Rabiatus — Lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboard
Logos — Rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Lamashtu — Bass guitar, backing vocals


Website

http://www.morlocks.net/


Cover Picture

morlocks outlawoffives


Rating

Music: 7
Sound: 6
Total: 6.5 / 10





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