To describe Malevolence as a staple of the UK scene would be an understatement. Being one of the work horses of the tour circuit, many of whom have seen Malev bring their hardcore-metal fused sound across the smallest of venues and now on their tour with Architects, to some of the largest venues. Off the back of this, they’ve become one of the darlings of the UK hardcore scene, with any hardcore show in the UK well scattered by punters representing the Sheffield unit’s merch. With their nearly 10-year run, full-length records are far less frequent than you’d expect. With 2013’s Reign of Suffering followed up a full four years later by their standout record, Self Supremacy. Not to ignore 2020’s The Other Side, which saw Malevolence take a diversion in sound, 2022 now brings a five year wait to an end in the form of Malicious Intent.
There is an out of the gates force to the opening moments of Malicious Intent, with the album’s title track + opener alongside single “Life Sentence” opening up with a blood shedding brutality. It’s the Malev that we’ve come to know and love over the years, huge vocals with some of the most savage breakdowns. It’s no surprise that their shows have garnered a reputation with breakdowns offered up on “Life Sentence” going as hard as they do. There is an argument here that potentially one of the heavier tracks on Malicious Intent doesn’t live up to the ferociousness of tracks such as “Outnumbered” or “Spineless“, but in its isolated moment it suffices.
The fury that is expected with Malevolence records remains across Malicious Intent. The most notable difference is that there is a departure from their hardcore leanings that had defined them in previous years. By the time the record reaches “Karma” it becomes evident its leaning more into its metal influences, with swirling guitar riffs and epic cleans becoming the crux of many songs. The breakdowns in these tracks begin to feel like an overused drug that has lost its potency. Each placed towards the end of each track, as fun as they are, the repetition settles in.
The latter half of the record is where the waters of Malicious Intent become further muddied. With substantial feature from Matt Honeycutt on “Above All Else“, not delivering on the mouth-watering brutality that it could have. With the track feeling caught in a half and half between Kublai and Malev’s respective sounds. While it comes down to personal taste, the bite that Malev had on their previous records feels defanged on Malicious Intent.
The likelihood of whether listeners will enjoy Malicious Intent will come down to which side of the fence they sit on. Metal fans will likely embrace this record, with its plentiful guitar solos and riffs a common occurrence. Those of the hardcore disposition will feel somewhat letdown by the record, with the breakdowns and the heavier moments not matching up to past ventures on Self Supremacy and Reign of Suffering. What is evident on Malicious Intent is that Malevolence are on a course change which has the potential to leave some of the fan base less than enamoured with what they are hearing.
7/10
Malicious Intent is out this Friday, May 20th via MLVTD + Nuclear Blast.