Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, melodic death metal band Outlying will release their long-awaited new album "Oblivisci" on November 21st. A visceral and uncompromising work, the record blends aggression, melody, and raw emotion into a cohesive listening experience that fans will find impossible to ignore.
Formed in 2003 by high school friends jamming covers, Outlying has evolved through lineup changes and years of musical exploration into a band committed to creating music that is both powerful and accessible. Frontman Fred Dubeau, the band’s primary songwriter, sought to move beyond “music for musicians” and instead craft songs that resonate viscerally with listeners. The result is a sound described in five words: captivating, dark, aggressive, melodic metal.
The album’s title, "Oblivisci", Latin for “to forget”, reflects themes of withdrawal, alienation, and the struggle to escape trauma. Across eleven tracks, the band explores grief, loneliness, disenfranchisement, and addiction, culminating in a three-part epic that chronicles frontman Dubeau’s personal battle with alcohol and drug dependency. Now sober, Dubeau channels those experiences into music that is both cathartic and brutally honest.
“It is a great pleasure for us after all this time and a very difficult process to introduce the world to our newest effort, Oblivisci. We are glad to be musicians who are somehow different from most other bands in our environment, and strive to make music that is expressive, dark, heavy, and brings the listener through many different kinds of atmospheres and vibes. We try to avoid trends and gimmicks, and create something that comes from our diverse musical influences, different backgrounds and lives, and many other forms of art such as movies, books, or video games. While staying true to what Outlying always was, we always try to step up our game and improve our sound and musical connection with our audience. Despite being more often than not called a melodic death metal band, the band absorbs influences from thrash, black, prog, and also 70s, 80s, and 90s rock. In a world of thousands of forgettable songs, we hope to find our way into the hearts of many metal enthusiasts locally and around the world,” says the band.
Musically, "Oblivisci" strikes a balance between relentless, heavy riffing and soaring melodic passages, enriched by clean vocal textures and dynamic arrangements. With Outlying, the band steers clear of unnecessary complexity, instead crafting songs that prioritize emotion and impact. While echoes of their influences, At The Gates, Testament, Cradle of Filth, In Flames, and Wintersun, are present, Outlying’s sound stands apart as distinct and refined, heavier yet more melodic than ever before.
The record begins with The Raven Is Gone, a blistering and epic opener that channels the urgency of escaping chaos in search of refuge. Stigma follows, rooted in old‑school melodic death metal, confronting themes of societal judgment and subcultural rejection. The atmosphere turns chilling with Snow, a haunting narrative of abuse elevated by female vocals and an expansive, epic structure. The descent continues in Pitch Black Serum, a dark and unsettling track that delves into defeatism and indulgence in fleeting pleasures. Sentinel then emerges as a poignant power ballad, weaving clean vocals with an aggressive bridge to capture grief and memory. Closing the album, the three‑part suite Dreamless Nights I–III delivers a sweeping chronicle of addiction, false escape, and painful aftermath, culminating in a climactic, melodic finale that leaves a powerful and lasting impression.
The album artwork depicts a post-apocalyptic version of the band’s home city, visually reinforcing the themes of decay, alienation, and survival that permeate the record. It mirrors the music’s balance of heaviness and melody, offering listeners a complete aesthetic experience.
With "Oblivisci," Outlying has crafted a “no skipped tracks” album; every song matters, every riff and lyric carries weight. The band hopes to continue releasing music consistently, exploring new directions while staying true to their core sound.
Listen to the album in full via its stream premiere on Bravewords
HERE.
Available on all digital platforms on November 21st, 2025.
Bandcamp -
https://outlying.bandcamp.com
Spotify -
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5q6oycizRFEpwSzpUBJ0Z8
Track Listing:
1 - The Raven Is Gone - 5:27
2 - Stigma - 3:49
3 - Snow - 6:02
4 - Streets Of Rats And Vultures - 4:47
5 - Pitch-Black Serum - 4:36
6 - November - 5:56
7 - Sentinel - 5:43
8 - Impaired - 5:32
9 - Dreamless Nights Part I: A Lullaby For The Insomniac - 4:19
10- Dreamless Nights Part II: From Velvet Skies - 5:13
11- Dreamless Nights Part III: Walking Out Of Eden's Ashes - 4:25
Comments
Post a Comment