Review by Rachel Jablonski
“Death metal is for brutal people who are capable of killing, it’s not for idiotic children who want to have a funny hobby after school” –Eponymous
Uncertain who said it, not sure where it came from, but without a doubt one of the most amusing citations I’ve stumbled upon. The apparent sarcasm makes me laugh while at the same time, in all seriousness, the quote sums up my lingering childlike curiosity towards the genre of death metal. What drives such celebrated brutality?
Enter Malevolent Creation with their newest release The Will to Kill. A veteran Florida death metal band having produced eight full-length albums over the course of the last ten years, Malevolent Creation’s latest gets an open-minded, unbiased review from this first time listener. Having last seen Morbid Angel in February of 2001, my experience with the savageness of death metal has been somewhat limited, but curiosity remains. The Will to Kill is a delightful journey into the depths of uncertainty as again I am able to explore the dark growling realms of the death metal genre.
With years of experience under their belt and a recently altered line-up comprised of musicians from such bands as Cannibal Corpse and Hate Plow, Malevolent Creation knows the driving forces behind death metal and demonstrate it well. Fast, heavy, violent. What else would you expect? It’s pure and uncontrollable death metal! The eleven tracks of The Will to Kill display endless energy that gets even my blood pumping.
The first track, the title track, immediately explodes with solid chaotic audio and sets the harsh tone consistent throughout the album. Vital guitars and furious drums dominate continuously. Crushing vocals by new singer Kyle Symons overpower as the vocal styling is kept true to death metal form. I seemed to really connect with Symons as the rhythms he produces vocally provide an almost stable foundation to tightly grab onto as the violent guitars, drums, and bass knock you around every which way. His high pitched scream, though he only does it once in the first track, is pleasantly chilling. The punishment of sound throughout the album becomes almost harmonious over time. With typical, simple death metal lyrics involving strings of violent descriptive words and hostile imagery, I can’t help but smile.
As the album wears on one track mindlessly seems to fade into the next while continuing the trend set by the first track. That is until the heavily inescapable riff in Burnt Beyond Recognition. Perhaps my favorite track, the melodic frenzy of the guitars is soundly captivating.
As a born again virgin to death metal and first time
listener of Malevolent Creation, The Will to Kill has proved to be a powerful
array of sound and an overall pleasure to explore. Hardcore death metal
fan or curious, innocent child, an open-minded listen is recommended.