REVIEW: House of Protection - Outrun You All

LA’s House of Protection have barely existed for a full year, yet they’re already charging into their second release while staying busy on the road. Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta are scene veterans and clearly didn’t feel like Pulling Teeth (wink) with the slow approach. Their new record Outrun You All drops this Friday via Red Bull Records, so here’s what to expect:

Intro track ‘524å§ł€€-°’ is a literal welcome. This time, they directly reference “The House of Protection” as a real thing, whereas before it had only appeared in the lyrics to ‘Pulling Teeth’. It hints at a growing theme, a cult, society, or something more. Musically, it carries the same dreamy lounge vibe they’ve had since the end of their debut single ‘It’s Supposed To Hurt’, often used to bookend the more chaotic tracks. Naturally, it leads into February’s first single, ‘Afterlife’, which is heavier and more blunt than earlier material. Dual vocals and modulation are the main stars in the track, and feels very deliberately placed at the beginning of the record given how final it’s subject matter is.

‘Godspeed’  is the first non-single track fans are treated to, and it takes that coasting speed of ‘Afterlife’ and immediately ups the pace. It has some near-hyperpop elements, as well as sections of very deep, industrial guitar and bass. As always, Improta is dead-on with percussion, before letting loose into one of his trademark cacophonies to finish out the track. This track could’ve made waves before release, especially after touring with the genre-straddling Poppy. It would’ve drawn a lot of eyes towards them for their sound, if the US tour the duo just completed with her didn’t already. It tows the line between dance and rock perfectly, as we’ve come to expect(?) from the unpredictable duo.

Given the relative proximity to record release day when House of Protection released ‘I Need More Than This’, there's not much that needs saying about the brilliant third single. It leans into a throwback 2000s rock sound. It carries a lot of atmosphere in a very simple musical arrangement, and has proved popular with fans so far considering it is quickly catching up to the other singles on stream volume, despite being out for substantially less time. This was the best single they could have brought out so close to the record, considering how literally it translates, and it has drawn so many extra eyeballs to Outrun You All.

Then comes ‘Fire’, which - for all those trivia fans looking up House of Protection for the first time - has been in their arsenal since their second ever show in London’s Underworld. It’s sample-heavy with an almost rap edge, blending their past projects in surprising ways. It manages to blend elements of both Harrison’s and Improta’s individual work in the past, as well as their joint venture. Harrison taps into hardcore roots, channeling The Chariot, while Improta’s drumming recalls his work with Night Verses that he got so much praise for just last year. The order for the track is certainly controlled chaos, and seems even more destined for the live shows than ever given it’s persistent “F-I-R-E” chant through the latter half.

The genre-hop continues into ‘Phasing Out’, though aside from the drum and bass element, this isn’t totally unfamiliar ground for House of Protection. ‘Phasing Out’ is very similar to ‘Being One’ off the previous record, right down to the prolonged and altered vocal line consisting of the song’s title, though this carries a bit more energy than its ancestor from last year. ‘Being One’ served a very specific purpose on Galore as a sort of catharsis, ad well as giving Harrison a chance to climb in and amongst the crowd at intimate shows, ‘Phasing Out’ may be the next evolution of that bit.

Finally ‘Slide Away’, which feels like just the right song to wrap up the record, amalgamates all the experimenting they have done on the record for the final four minutes of listening. It feels very reflective and mature, considering just how chaotic the band have managed to be in their first year of existence. There’s notes, drum beats, and screams that all hang on for that moment longer and “Slow things down” - exactly as the song suggests. It’s a hot commodity for fans nowadays, when a band has that one specific song they can play live, and it sets in for a viewer that the people they idolise are up on stage in that very moment, ‘Slide Away’ feels like that song. It’s emblematic of how big House of Protection are going to be, how they will make you feel something. 

Outrun You All is expertly produced. Some may not love it - but it feels like the exact record House of Protection needed to make. It delivers on the promise they’ve shown live and pushes their sound into new territory, as well as probably raising a few eyebrows. The faces you have seen sprinting around the room at full tilt for over a year just stopped dead in their tracks, held their arms out and said “Be angry, be sad, be lost”. Outrun You All feels like a risk, because they wanted to show us something new. 

“House of Protection loves me, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Score: 9/10

Outrun You All will be released on May 23rd 2025 via Red Bull Records.

Words: Nic Howells

Photos: House of Protection