More about: Black Coast

You want something heavy? Rhythmically heavy? Oddly buoyant and well and truly massive? *Slaps Black Coast Outworld vinyl on desk*. Otherworldly five-piece Black Coast are Stoke-on-Trent’s latest news, and are out for blood with their brand new, debut studio album Outworld.

From its slamming riffs to its hellish screams and annihilating choruses, Outworld introduces Black Coast as outsiders with one intention and one intention only—to open up this fucking pit. 

Guitar-heavy introductory ‘Ache’ is heavily influenced by '90s grunge rock, and is definitely for fans of KoЯn, Disturbed and Deftones. Consisting of frontman Charlie Hewitt, guitarists Scott Pinnington and Joe Mayer, Jack Beardsall on bass and Matthew Clarke on drums, the group team together a disruptive sound destined to prevail live. Recognised as one of the heaviest tracks on the album, if ‘Ache’ is this domineering on record, it’s bound to explode live. 

Edging follow-up ‘Paradise' welcomes sturdy spoken word lyrics from Hewitt and looping bass plucks from Beardsall, before erupting into a screamo-chorus. Eerily, ‘Addict’ takes on battling the disintegrating and controlling effect addiction can have on you, as Hewitt sings: “fucked up in every way, I’ll take all your pain away, one pill is all it takes”. Between the beckoning rage across ‘Addict’ to the lonely grunginess of ‘Twisted’, Black Coast wear their heart on their sleeves as they explore some of the most troublesome topics across melodic metalcore. 

The distinctively cryptic interval ‘Twisted’, sandwiched between the flamboyant title track and the corrupting ‘Burn’, stands at just over a minute in length and is an alluring break from the boisterousness of this very courageous project. Amplifying Black Coast’s versatility, ‘Twisted' harnesses a sombreness the album has not yet seen. It’s mellow, tame and completely unpredictable—but perfectly placed. 

Weaving in glam rock tendencies in the exhilarating penultimate cut, ‘Domino Rose’ also boasts hellish screams and thudding drums that are juxtaposed by the odd spoken word verse. If there’s one thing that Black Coast have made a point of across this album, it’s that their guitars are central tenets of their recording process. Sliding their way through some of the most intense riffs at break-neck speed, Black Coast are out for disruption. 

Until next time…

Outworld is out now.

Issue Two of the Gigwise Print magazine is on sale now! Buy it here.

More about: Black Coast