Outlaw - Opus Mortis (2025)

Hailing from Germany, but with Brazilian members, today we have Outlaw and their late 90’s/early 2000’s inspired ravaging Black Metal onslaughts. With “Opus Mortis”, the band brings back the days of crafty BM similar to Old Man’s Child, Thulcandra, and Dissection. Featuring seven tracks and nearly 45 minutes of intricate music, the band showcases creativity and masterful execution while creating interesting atmospheres and plenty of headbanging moments.

Blasting things wide open with the pummeling onslaughts of “Blaze of Dissolution”, we get that nice old-school BM vibe, with melody oozing from the band’s guitar attacks. There is something magical about melodic guitar driven BM, as the band showcases in “Through the Infinite Darkness”, “The Crimson Rose”, and “A Million Midnights”, creating some blistering tempos while adorning them with subtle atmospherics, bringing those Dissection vibes front and center.

Things get a bit more atmospheric, but equally fast-paced as “A Subtle Intimation” opens with a more moody intro that quickly transitions into warp-speed drumming and poignant atmospherics, this is our favorite track in this release. Keeping that more melancholic pace, “Ruins of Existence” closes the album with another masterclass of speed, technical proficiency, and yet a very foundational and narrow core sound.

As a whole, “Opus Mortis” is a very mature and enjoyable release for those that like their Black Metal more melodic, melancholic, and (slightly) less evil. The band is very crafty as it creates engaging songs filled with intricate guitar riffs and playful drumming patterns. Not only being a re-hash of a certain period of Black Metal, Outlaw takes those elements and brings them forth in a more modern and atmospheric context, creating one hell of a release.

Label: AOP Records

Release: October 31st, 2025

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Germany