Global Domination | Reviews | Inside Out: No spiritual surrender

Recent updates

Recent discussions

Reviews

Inside Out: No spiritual surrender

08/09/09 || Daemonomania

I own two hardcore albums, and this is one of ‘em. The other is Minor Threat’s “Complete discography”. I know you were wondering. These days it seems the genre is populated by shorthaired toughguys who exercise all the time and demand RESPECT through PERSERVERANCE and STAYING TRUE to my BLOOD BROTHERS from DA STREETS. The same thing over and over again to the level of self-parody. Of course, I’m sure those wacky windmillninjas could make a healthy number of generalizing statements about us metalheads too. Nonetheless, the whole hXcX-XXO thing doesn’t float my glass-bottom boat. If you’re gonna play punk, play punk. Likewise with metal. Don’t quit halfway in between.

But in a teenage vision quest to see what Zack de la Rocha was up to prior to his other band, I picked up the album in question and have not regretted it yet. The Zackman wasn’t organizing itinerant grapefruit farmers at 18. No sir, he was screaming his guts out at the helm of Inside Out straight outta Cali. Their first and only EP on Revelation Records is pretty fucken good.

First and foremost – the vocals. There is no rapping. I repeat, no rapping. ZDLFDR mostly howls in a fashion you’ve surely heard before if you got that album with the burning monk on the front. The bellows are a little less powerful here, but full of youthful rage (hardy har) and intensity. He does a little spoken word within verses from time to time, and there are some bad attempts at singing that are thankfully not so common. Zackattack is definitely the frontman and the reason you’re listening. While I’m at it, let’s talk about the lyrics. Less political and more personal is ze focus. About not bowing down to those out there that would be interested in making you bow down. And not judging them in the process. We wouldn’t want to do that, now would we?

Next, the guitars. The stringman Vic has got him some chops (we’re not talking about Yngwie here, mind you). No wonder he’s been in a bunch of these type of bands and has a hardcore pedigree a mile long. The riff in the title song will stick in your head a long time, despite its simplicity. Good job duder. Now go back to being a Hare Krishna retard. Yep, that’s what killed the band. Guitarist left to harass people in airports for a while. Will wonders never cease?

Bass and drums are both pretty low-effort in comparison to the amazing feats pulled off by members of various Swedish metal acts in their sleep. Since we’re not talking about metal though, kudos for your efforts. And the basswork in “Burning fight” is also quite commendable.

So this review is longer than the EP itself. To close, there’s a lot of passion and for hardcore tight performances on everyone’s part. Plus hearing an iddy-bitty de la Rocha’s vocals is quite a treat. If this were Global Backwardshatpit Domination, I’d put “No spiritual surrender” in Class 6(66). Since it ain’t, I won’t. One last piece of trivia before you go. Guess what the band was planning to name their second album before they called it quits? You guessed it – Rage Against the ATM. Congrats. Now go pick up some change.

Information
Released: 1990
Label: Revelation Records
Website: Inside Out MySpace
Band
Zack de la Rocha: vocals
Vic DiCara: guitars
Chris Bratton: drums
Mark Hayworth: bass

Tracklist
01. Burning Fight
02. Undertone
03. By a Thread
04. No Spiritual Surrender
05. Sacrifice
06. Redemption

Reviews