Review by Tammy Lomax for MPM
It is out on all platforms across the world, the new album from Malevolence. I can tell you now, it is an air kicking monster! Given the last few months, yes I was totally excited to dig my teeth in this and yes I probably sound like I am girl fanning but, I don’t care. This is exactly what the doctor ordered.
The South Yorkshire band formed in 2010 and established their own record label MLVLTD in late 2019, this resulted in Malevolence having a channel to release as much music content as possible with zero limitations.
‘Malicious Intent’ is their third album and Nuclear Blast have partnered with the quintet in cooperation with their own MLVLTD label for this fabulous release. ‘Malicious Intent’ surfaced on the 20th May, it was recorded at Tree House Studio In the UK and of course is self produced.
The mixing was handled by Carl Brown and the engineering by Jim Pinder. The skillful and textured artwork was created by renowned artist Eliran Kantor.
This album has resulted in a more mature and evolved sound and resonates with anyone searching for self reflection and progression. It is also a display of strength and an advancement of individual growth.
Malevolence are without doubt known to not follow the rule book when it comes to genres; they mould and blend many genres together, hardcore, punk, thrash even sludge and balance them accordingly, offering a different take on metal and a downright belting of a sound.
I have been privileged to discuss my thoughts on their three singles that were released in preparation of ‘Malicious Intent’.
‘On Broken Glass’ was the first single released and this was accompanied by a video which was directed by Daniel Prieß in their hometown, Sheffield.
‘Life Sentence’ was the second release and the flow aligned with ‘On Broken Glass’ entirely. The third, ‘Still Waters Run Deep’, I felt was the heaviest at that moment in time.
Title track ‘Malicious Intent’ opens the album and there is no fluffing around at all. They set their bar of standard instantly when it comes to musicianship.
The group throws you straight in at the deep end as the lovely clunky down-tone riffs leak through. The hardcore aggresive vocals hit and are like “are you ready mate?” before they drop you to the floor with those nasty, filthy breakdowns.
Album breaker ‘Higher Place’ allows you to see another side to the band, a more gentle soft side. It is assuredly more melodic as the vocals are clean, the pace is much slower and the lyrics are full of raw emotion.
Maybe unexpected but they have proven again they are their own masters of versatility and ranges. You find meaning in every single word, they are expressed with everything they have. It allows you to catch a moment, breathe and suck in their vibe.
The guitar solo is reflective of those mushy vibes too, it feels deep, simple but with maximum effect, very moving indeed.
Ok, enough mushy stuff, allow the next track, ‘Karma’ to shake you out of that. It is an excellent addition and its position within the album fits perfectly.
After that little breather you are fully belted in the face with the accelerated loud double drums and the monster riffs. It feels full of bounce and highlights another diversity, especially with moments of pace changes that are cleverly yielded.
I feel from here there is a slight gear change in their sound. The colossal energy remains and they still throw you up against a wall. The track ‘Above All Else’ opens with gentle twangs from the guitars and slight distorted vocals. It is not long though before they ramp it up a notch as their energy and pace gradually builds, kinda making me want to throw a beer in someone’s face.
I feel they are tapping into a bit of thrash metal with track ‘Do Or Die’ as the guitars completely shred and the pace is vast, it springs in front and behind those hammering drums like butter.
‘Salvation and ‘Armageddon’ draw this 37 minute masterpiece to a close. Upon reflection I feel proud of what they have achieved already, no doubt the band are also ecstatic as the feedback has been more positive.
‘Malicious Intent’ has everything a metalhead requires to feed their fix. There are moments of clarity throughout the album, then they proceed to bash you in the face and kick you in the stomach with utter filthy drops and breakdowns, they certainly feel like slam in some places.
I have mentioned more than once regarding their paces and I take my hat off to them for executing this with ease. They have proved there is no cap with experimenting. The production is transmitted with complete balance and refinement which allows the instruments to sound very crisp and clear.
Malevolence’s advancements have got aggressiveness and attitude, this album is a wonderful creation and the wait was certainly worth it, I feel they have created one of their best albums to date.
Follow Malevolence: Website: https://mlvltd.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MalevolenceRiff
Instagram: https://instagram.com/malevolenceriff
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MalevolenceRiff