Old punk rockers don’t retire gracefully – they just start the process all over again. Consider Luke Pabich, for example. For over ten years Pabich has been the guitarist in heavyweight outfit Good Riddance. Still feeling that he had something to give the musical world, Pabich wrote a complete full-length album and then built a band around that album. The result is Outlie, and whereas most projects like this are one-offs, this is a full time band. ‘Comparisons To Devils and Saints’ is Outlie‘s debut release, an album that has been produced by the very able Ryan Greene.
‘Companions To Devils and Saints’ impresses from the start. This is a driving, powerful album that blends a variety of styles and is only enhanced by Pabich’s brooding vocals. Pabich has managed to create a band that does his song writing justice – this is a band that switches from basic chord progressions to metal-styled solos with ease. This isn’t original stuff by any means, but it is executed brilliantly.
‘Anxieties Of The Vain And Unknowing’ kicks off the album with a strong indication of the sound that makes this band who they are. It is a forceful slab of punk rock that has the rhythm section in fine form, coupled with some very strong lyrics. ‘Dance Of Shiva’ keeps the tempo up and proves to be another god example of what Outlie are all about – powerful and infectious in equal measures. The band are also more than capable of slowing things down and beefing up their sound. ‘The Prince Of Denial’ showcases this well – with a chorus that could be a toned down Machine Head. ‘Find My Way’, by comparison, sees the band mixing metal and punk to great effect. ‘Run With The Wolves’ deserves special mention for managing to evoke images of Iron Maiden inside my head and the slower-paced driving punk rock of ‘Soundproof’ wraps things up well.
I have to admit Outlie kind of crept up on me. To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from an album penned by a guitarist from Good Riddance. However, as it turns out ‘Companions To Devils and Saints’ is a very polished and enjoyable album – Pabich has proven himself to be a very accomplished song writer. There is much to enjoy on this and thus Outlie come strongly recommended.
www.outlie.net
Mark