Outer Circle
Artist: Outer Circle
Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Yeaaahhhhh....Mark Salomon is singing punk again (this is his side project; Stavesacre is still his main priority)!  Punk fans should be seriously stoked...no, this isn't the Crucified reborn, although the vocals obviously bear a strong resemblance--kind of a mix between the frantic full-speed cries of the first Crucified album and the slightly slower, deeper lungs of Pillars.  Old school punk (Social Distortion, Minor Threat, the Blamed) is the name of the game, and the guys provide a powerful, percussive bed of muscular punk rawk for Mark's voice to roll with.  This album pumps me up, man.  Each instrument exudes energy...thick, jangly bass jumpin', skins pounded out, guitars strummed full-throttle.
 
Mark powerfully examines a range of topics, but I noticed recurring themes of finding joy in adverse circumstances, and acknowledging differences in people's lives: 

    I'll walk the narrow road
    and there's a whole lot more to go.
    Hope yours is filled with sunshine
    but now it's not my world
    It's   not   my   place
    And that's all right
    Abundant life...to me, the joy is to survive....
    joy is to surviiiivvvve."
    (from "It Must Be Wonderful")
 I was thinking punk had all been played out and drained of life, and then along comes this gem.  It's not perfect (the under-30 minutes length is pretty lame), but Mark's passion drives Outer Circle to the top of the genre.

By Josh Spencer

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