Band's List Sludge Metal Outlaw Order Dragging Down the Enforcer

Spoiler Alert: I LOVE EyeHateGod. Their brand of groove heavy, feedback (and whiskey) drenched nihilistic sludge has always struck a chord with me. I’m not sure why really, maybe it’s just the fact that ‘Dixie Whiskey’ has probably one of the best riffs I’ve ever heard (future Riff of the Day post is coming on that one). But I think the reason I like Outlaw Order so much, is because I like EyeHateGod so much.

Outlaw Order are very EyeHateGod. Its probably because 4 of its members have either been in, or are still in EyeHateGod. Except the mighty Joe LaCaze, may the ghosts of the Mississippi carry him to his final resting place. But Outlaw Order have less of the gut wrenching, vein bursting dirge and pain that EyeHateGod do. What they do have is spadefuls of NOLA groove, the tortured howl of Mike IX Williams and a sense of speed. Not that they would ever challenge thrash or anything, but compared with a lot of sludge records, ‘Dragging Down the Enforcer’ rocks along at a fair whack. Tracks like ‘Mercy Shot’ show off that thick, Southern groove that is so endemic of the NOLA sludge scene. Where black metal took the frozen north as part of its sound, sludge took the swagger of southern rock and roll, and then drowned it in tar like riffing and elephantine groove.

‘Siege Mentality’ has the most potent mix of hardcore punk and Sabbath, with a frank awesome riff near the end, while ‘Safety Off’ find its riff and keeps it, varying slightly from the blueprint, but remains faithful to the groove. The title track is a serious rager, that breaks down into a crushing EHG-esque ending.

‘Dragging Down the Enforcer’ has been Outlaw Order’s only record, which is a shame because they bring a potent mix of sludge and a no frills punk attitude. It’s a record that feels dangerous (in fact the name Outlaw Order came from the fact that all the members were on probation when the band came together), far more so than the wretched, puking spawn of the Dirty South that EyeHateGod is. Its refreshing to hear that so many members of the same band can create a side project that SOUNDS like their day job, and yet isn’t simply a clone.