Plagued by a rotating cast of musicians, label difficulties, and more than a little controversy, Malevolent Creation's lengthy tenure in extreme metal has been, to put it mildly, turbulent. However, with the release of the band's seventh full-length studio album, Envenomed (Arctic Music), it would appear that the cards are finally falling into place for the Floridian deathsters. Retaining the same lineup for the second consecutive album, and now signed to a label co-founded by guitarist and frontman Phil Fasciana, Malevolent's recently acquired stability appears to be a central factor in the ferocious return-to-form that is Envenomed. The new album is an entirely different creature than its predecessor, the solid but unspectacular The Fine Art of Murder. Envenomed is an ear-blistering 11-song juggernaut that boasts a clear songwriting focus and a vibrant intensity that surges from the album like a massive electrical charge. Opener "Homicidal Rant" states Malevolent's intentions with unflinching clarity, as pulverizing double bass drumming, hyperactive riffing, and a vehement vocal performance set the mood in a song that is as memorable as it is fierce. One quality that is readily apparent on Envenomed is that all of the tracks were written very much as songs, with distinct choruses and an abundance of killer ideas differentiating one tune from another. Six-string maniac and mainstay of the band Phil Fasciana attributes this quality to the positive group dynamic, which made it "quite easy to create the material for this album. We all knew that we wanted to write a good, solid, heavy-as-fuck record. I think we reached our goal." Phil suggests that the band's approach to songwriting is inspired by a ceaseless urge to ram ever more brutality down the throats of its audience. Regarding the response that Phil hopes the music of Malevolent Creation creates in its audience, he says, "I hope people get the same feeling I get when I listen to music I love. It is hard to describe, but I'm sure any musician knows what I am talking about. I love to see a smile on someone's face when they hear our music." Among the songs most likely to inspire excessive headbanging are the blitzkrieg riffing and assault-and-battery rhythm changes of "Kill Zone," and the memorable following cut, "Halved," where the malicious guitar onslaught is bookended by an inspired clean guitar line that conjures an atmosphere of ominous anxiousness. Lineup problems are a perennial problem for some bands, and for Malevolent Creation that challenge has been particularly acute. Commenting on the relative longevity of the current lineup, Phil says, "The stability has made a huge difference in the music, I think. The Fine Art of Murder was put together very fast, without much contribution from the other (members). With Envenomed, we worked together as a team." Phil continues: "This lineup is without a doubt the best I've had the opportunity to work with. I'm so glad we all get along! I feel much more confident and (the band feels) more like Malevolent Creation again." With sheer sonic carnage the invariable result of every cut that appears on Envenomed, Malevolent Creation races through a venomous selection of tracks that manage to recapture that classic early '90s American death metal vibe without sounding anachronistic. Dave Culross's drumming propels the band into the stratosphere at breakneck speeds, while the formidable axe duo of Phil Fasciana and Rob Barrett cuts a wide swath of destruction that indiscriminately obliterates anything that dares cross its path. Entrenched behind the microphone, Brett Hoffman offers a misanthropic array of throat-searing growls which, while not as sickeningly deranged as some of his comrades-in-gurgling, imbues the songs with a distinctive intensity that expertly captures a series of thoroughly uncommercial vocal hooks. Without the hindrance of label or lineup complications, Malevolent Creation walked into the recording of Envenomed with a clear mental image of how the album as a whole would flow, and the focus thus shifted to "the production, and the way the music would be delivered," states Phil. "We wanted a thick-sounding record... I'm really proud of the fact that we produced the album ourselves and it sounds so killer!" An album highlight is "Pursuit Revised," where Hate Plow vocalist Kyle Symons joins Brett in a duet of deadly proportions. "Kyle shared vocals on the song 'Pursuit Revised,'" explains Phil, "because Brett wrote the song about Kyle, so it only made sense." Envenomed also marks Malevolent Creation's debut for the Arctic Music Group, which is a label founded by Fasciana and Malevolent Creation's manager and attorney, Scott Hecker. Phil notes, "We wanted to start a record label for a while, and the time was right. Both Malevolent Creation and Hate Plow were free of contracts, so we started Arctic and worked out a deal with Pavement Music, who markets and distributes all of our releases. We have signed a few bands and are looking forward to a lot more releases." In addition to Malevolent Creation and Hate Plow, the Arctic Music roster is also home to the unyielding black metal of Kult ov Azazel and the southern-styled death rock of Burner. Touring Europe in support of Envenomed, Malevolent Creation will be part of a package which features In Aeternum, Hate Plow, and Rotten Sound. As Malevolent Creation shares three of its members with Hate Plow, the tour should be extraordinarily grueling. "Dave, Rob, and I will be playing for both bands," notes Phil. "It's gonna be rough!"

| Main | News | Interviews | Reviews | About | Links | Newsletter |

© 2002 Chaotic Critiques.
All writing property of the respective author(s)
and may not be used without permission.