Hacktivist releases Outside The Box

Hacktivist have been fighting their way from Milton Keynes to the mainstage since 2011 and now, with the release of highly anticipated debut album Outside The Box, it's time for the world to listen up.

Like antibodies that fight disease, Outside The Box is an immediate and fierce response to the world Hacktivist inhabit. It's a conscious call to arms and the product of a unique bunch of mates that could only ever have been conceived in the neglected corners of one of the UK's most misunderstood towns in 2016 by one of the most exciting bands around.

“This is OUR world. I think people forget that and feel powerless when they're actually very powerful,” states vocalist Ben Marvin. “We want to awaken people to what’s going on in the world. We want an end to the corruption and lies perpetuated by the powers that be, but at the same time for them to enjoy their lives and make sure they live a positive life.”

“We all love music too much to see it get washed away by all these so-called ‘artists’ polluting our radio and TV screens; we aren't afraid to speak about the continuous recycling of pop music and the way it's completely controlled,” he continues, “but we do have some party songs and a bouncy vibe in a lot of our music, so we keep the balance of both speaking about important issues and having a good time.”

Hence why Outside The Box is such a firebomb of an album, painstakingly created by Marvin and his co-frontman J Hurley, guitarist / producer Timfy James, bassist Josh Gurner and drummer Rich Hawking.

And accordingly, it's airtight with sunburst-brilliant chaos, from the widescreen Taken (featuring Enter Shikari's Rou Reynolds on hook duty) through No Way Back's all-out assault to the riotous Buszy, which places the party and the political alongside one another by speaking about the titular community creative space in the band's hometown currently under threat of closure due to a lack of council funding.

Those new growls on fan-favourite Deceive & Defy? That's Heart Of A Coward's Jamie Graham, while renowned mischief crew Astroid Boys and cyber-rhymer Jot Maxi pop up on the grimey Rotten, a track that simply could not have been written by any other band.

It's no understatement to say Outside The Box has been a long time coming - it comprises over five years'-worth of ideas that have been bubbling while the band crossed milestone after milestone, fuelled by the success of their incendiary self-titled 2013 EP.

On the back of the DIY release, Hacktivist garnered strong support from all sides of the media – Kerrang!, Rock Sound, Metal Hammer and BBC Radio 1 all amplified the message, and word soon spread to the likes of The Guardian, XFM and legendary hip-hop publication Insomniac – and spent every spare second on the road.

On the back of the DIY release, Hacktivist garnered strong support from all sides of the media – Kerrang!, Rock Sound, Metal Hammer and BBC Radio 1 all amplified the message, and word soon spread to the likes of The Guardian, XFM and legendary hip-hop publication Insomniac – and spent every spare second on the road.

“We’ve had a crazy few years!” smiles Marvin .”We've seen so much of the world and met so many cool people along the way. What we've learnt is that there are always signs of hope – that's what the artwork represents.”

“For me, it's not about getting fame, money or big house,” says James. “Success for me is bringing people together that you wouldn't expect and eradicating hate, discrimination and negativity towards each other. We want to promote diversity and individuality and stop people blindly following everyone else into a black hole just because they've been told to. We strive to be different and will continue to spread that message.

“We've been contacted by many fans from thousands of miles away thanking us for our powerful lyrics and music, some saying we've even given them the strength to march against their opposition shouting our lyrics in protest for what they believe.”