UMUR "Self-Injected Reality" is the 2nd full-length studio album by French metal act Outcast. The album was released through Thundering Records in October 2008. It´s the successor to "First Call / Last Warning" from 2005 and features one lineup change as guitarist Guillaume Peraudeau has been replaced by Jean-François Di Rienzo.

Stylistically the material on "Self-Injected Reality" more or less continue the mix of Slayer type thrash metal riffing and more contemporary progressive thrash/death elements in the vein of acts like Gojira and Hacride. Lead vocalist Wilfried Fagnon has a raw shouting delivery which isn´t far removed from how Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy...etc.) sounds. A few times he takes on a more growling vocal style, but it´s not the dominant vocal style. Outcast occasionally also venture into more progressive territories, but it´s moments here and there and not the dominant sound on the album.

"Self-Injected Reality" features a sharp, detailed, and powerful sounding production, which suits the material well. The musicianship are on a high level too (...and Jeff Waters of Annihilator guests with a solo on "Autonomy In Progress", casting a bit of stardust over the recording), and while the songwriting insn´t the most unique, the material are still both effective and memorable and "Self-Injected Reality" definitely is a recommendable release if you enjoy sharp, heavy, groove laden, aggressive thrash/death metal with occasionally more adventurous (semi-progressive) moments. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "First Call / Last Warning" is the debut full-length studio album by French thrash/death metal act Outcast. The album was released through Manitou/Thundering Records in March 2005. The band were formed in 1999 under the Overlander monicker but changed their name to Outcast in 2002.

The music on the album is an interesting mix of Slayer type thrash metal riffing and more contemporary progressive thrash/death elements in the vein of acts like Gojira and Hacride. The band are very well playing and the music is delivered with militant precision. The mix of more old school thrash metal riffing and the more groovy contemporary riffs work well for the band and while some tracks don´t stand out enough (especially some of those toward the end of the album), there are some really killer material on the album that overall makes it a very enjoyable listen.

"First Call / Last Warning" is well produced too. Especially the guitar sound is crushingly heavy and the sound production is really a great asset to the album. Even some of the less interesting tracks still sound pretty great because of how well produced they are. "First Call / Last Warning" might not be the most original sounding album out there but it´s a very promising debut album by Outcast and when it´s most catchy the album is really great. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

J-Man Awaken the Reason is the third album from the tech-metal monsters in Outcast, and this time around the Frenchmen have cooked up another groovy, technical, and heavy platter of extreme metal. While the band's primary influences draw from modern thrash metal, liberal dosages of Obscura-like technical death metal and groovy math metal in the vein of Meshuggah keeps Outcast from sounding like the hordes of other modern thrash outfits on the scene. Most metal listeners will notice a strong influence from the likes of Meshuggah and Gojira in Outcast's sound, and while these comparisons are completely valid, Outcast has a unique edge that gives them a rather original sound. Overall, Awaken the Reason is a pretty solid album that should appeal to fans of modern, groove-based technical thrash.

A good portion of the riffs contained within Awaken the Reason are very djenty, but unlike many other modern acts that subscribe to this downtuned, polyrhythmic style of riffage, Outcast makes these riffs groovy and infectious rather than sterile and boring. Of course, this is also due to the fact that the band mixes up the composition style quite a bit throughout Awaken the Reason - in addition to djenty riffs, you've also got plenty of full-on death metal assaults, mind-boggling technical portions, and even some melodic sections. Outcast does occasionally fall into the 'technicality before memorability' trap, but this album is generally quite interesting throughout its full duration. The amount of time-signature shifts, crushing breakdowns, and complex rhythms always keeps the listener thinking, even as their ears are being assaulted with some very dense extreme metal.

The predominately shouted vocals could've used a bit more variation, but they are still very passionate and well-executed. All in all, Awaken the Reason is a very solid effort in my opinion, and while it does occasionally sound a bit too mechanical and sterile for my tastes, the quality of this release is undeniable. Fans of Meshuggah, Gojira, and Obscura will definitely want to hear this!