Review: Twelve Foot Ninja – Outlier
Artist: Twelve Foot Ninja
Album: Outlier
Rating: 9.5/10
When you do anything in life, you want to set yourself apart from others like you. In fact, if anything… you want to make sure there is no one who does it like you do. You want to be the best, different from any others in your field of expertise. You want to be an outlier. When it comes to music, especially these days, it’s very difficult to do that. Fortunately, though, there are bands like Australia’s Twelve Foot Ninja who aren’t afraid to mix and mash genres to their liking, creating something incredibly bold, fun and refreshing. Their new album, Outlier, signifies all that the band strives to do, with their music. On the surface, they are an alternative metal band, reminiscent of bands like Sevendust, SOiL and Motograter. Beyond that, they’re a band who aren’t afraid to take risks and who aren’t afraid of the consequences that those musical risks may bring about.
A cacophonous mixture of rock, metal and funk… this band is unlike anything you’ve ever heard. One moment, you could be headbanging and shouting along with vocalist Kin and the next, you’re transported into a lounge-setting where you’re treated to what can only be described as modern-day elevator music, the latter of which bordering somewhere between jazz and funk. When I was first introduced to “One-Hand Killing,” the album’s explosive lead single… I knew that this is a band I’d want to hear more of. Sadly, prior to that single… I’d no idea that they existed but I’m glad I decided to keep up. Honestly, they blew my expectations out of the water. When the album opens up with the aforementioned single, you might think that this is just a heavier nu-metal band, which isn’t entirely wrong… they definitely have their roots somewhere in the nu-metal genre.. but they’re much more than meets the eye. When that funky bass line couples with some jazz piano or a saxophone section, you find yourself transported to an entirely new realm of music. Their ability to pen emotional and meaningful tracks like “Collateral” and “Post Mortem” while simultaneously able to destroy you with tracks like “Invincible” and “One-Hand Killing” goes to show how well they’ve perfected their craft. The most impressive thing about this album, though, is the atmosphere they manage to create with each track. It almost has a theatricality to it that, many artists attempt, but few manage to nail correctly.
If you’ve been challenging yourself to find music that is different, in a sea of cookie-cutter bands, you’ll do well to take a listen to Twelve Foot Ninja and Outlier. This album is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive I’ve heard this year. It’s not easy to create something entirely different, when you can do what every other band is doing… but Twelve Foot Ninja step outside of the box and set themselves apart from anything you’ll hear this year. Outlier is out now on Volkanic Records and it’s begging for you to check it out! Take a taste of the album by checking out the videos for “One-Hand Killing” and “Invincible” below.
“Invincible” (Official Lyric Video)
“One-Hand Killing w/intro” (Official Music Video)
Twelve Foot Ninja on Social Media
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Twelve Foot Ninja is:
Damon – Bass
Kin – Vocals
Russ – Drums
Stevic – Guitar
Rohan – Guitar/Vocals
