The debut album by British act Hacktivist, Outside the Box fulfilled in 2016 the promise of a noticed EP. The band pushes to the extreme the meeting of djent, syncopated riffs and low tunings inherited from Meshuggah, with rapid-fire rapped grime. The result, technical and modern, appeals through its rhythmic precision and its sharp two-voice flow.
Despite high-profile guests and a slick production, the album sometimes struggles to vary its moods, the formula tending toward repetition over the long run. The committed lyrics, denouncing surveillance and corruption, add welcome depth. A bold, contemporary proposition, more convincing in moments than as a whole, yet one that asserts a rare identity in the metal landscape.
