In the way back of 2016, the Australian Death/Black Metal band INNSMOUTH split up much to the dismay of a cult-like following . . . metalheads. But phoenixes, the evil dead, and Death/Black Metal bands never really die. They keep coming back, sometimes to pursue a life of magic and mystery, sometimes just to swallow your soul. And so it is that sometime in the early 2020's, former members of INNSMOUTH as well as GRENADE came together to form OLDE OUTLIER. On December 19, 2025 they released their debut album, "From Shallow Lives to Shallow Graves," via Iron Bonehead Productions. The four-track album is full of filth, very sharp edges, and all the metal you can eat.

"From Shallow Lives to Shallow Graves" is surprisingly sophisticated in its songwriting as well as it's delivery. Now don't get me wrong, this is a raw, analog sounding slab of extreme metal. No flutes or choirs. But there is also a patient focus at work as the band slowly and deliberately explores multifarious phrasing and movements. A bit Doomy in some areas and positively Atmospheric in others, "From Shallow Lives to Shallow Graves" excels on many levels.

If you're into aggressive Black Metal assaults, fear not, the very first track, "The Revellers," kicks off in exactly that vein. The sophistication I mentioned is hinted at throughout this eight-minute track, with several breaks and then a complete tempo shift near the end, serving as a kind of outro. It's with "The Pounding of Hooves," track two, that things really to get interesting. This 11-minute track starts by vomiting sheer evil. Think utter chaos that resolves into a brutal assault which then slowly deconstructs into an Atmospheric grayscape before reemerging again as the carnage grinder we met in the second phase. Just a perfect track, this one.

Track three, "Swept," is almost an extension of the track two but stays in the Atmospheric zone for much longer. There is also some spoken word sample at the end of Eddie Lenihan describing Irish faeries, particularly their propensity to shape shift and then rend and maul those who fail to respect them. Another fantastic track, this one.

The final track, "All is Bright," is another hard hitter. Musically, this one is evenly bifurcated into the fang and the fog—that is, the first half rips your throat out while the second half watches you die in a pool of your own blood. Wait for the gorgeous solo in this one. Fine track. All in all, "From Shallow Lives to Shallow Graves" is a stunning album. Seeing it was only four tracks and a debut, I was thinking it was going to be demo-level light weight. Could not have been more wrong. Fantastic album from a band to watch.