Review Summary: Malefice have the potential to make a record as great as their live show, but on the evidence of ‘Dawn Of Reprisal’, they still have a great deal of work to do.
For me, as a live proposition, Malefice are the cream of the crop as far as young British metal bands are concerned. Their sheer energy and imposing presence mean that the songs, whilst still great on record, are re-energized with a sheer barbaric strength that makes their show a stirring spectacle.
Unfortunately, the band is yet to match this quality on record. Yet, their sound, although it can be said to be highly derivative of most of today’s metalcore heavyweights, does retain certain pleasing attributes that make the record much more than merely run of the mill.
Opener ‘The Midas Effect’ kicks in with some fantastic guitar interplay, the lead lines running in harmony until the verse settles down in a comfortable chug. Indeed, the guitar work throughout the record is consistently fantastic, as the duo, whilst not altogether foregoing the technical aspect, lay down a series of monstrous grooves, such as in the ferocious ‘Abandon Hope’ and ‘When Embers Unite‘, which bring a refreshing, unadorned violence to the tracks. A number of lead breaks are also included, and executed well, such as in ‘As I Bleed’, with the soaring section of dual runs elevating a fairly sub par song which is confined to a succession of rehashed melo-death riffs. Breakdowns are also handled admirably, with the typical open string riding for the most part avoided as the band inject some inventive touches, such as the complimenting harmonics in final track ‘Sickened’.
Vocalist Dale Butler certainly impresses, as he employs a dynamic range of extreme metal approaches. From the low, guttural exectuion of ‘Retribution’, the strained yelp in the aforementioned ‘The Midas Effect’ or the mid-range bark, Butler spans the whole gamete of vocal styles, deploying them effectively and appropriately. Yet, the presence of cleans in penultimate song ‘Hatred Justified’ are unfortunately a blight on the record, as it becomes immediately apparent that Butler simply does not have the tone or the strength to carry off this melodic exertion.
‘Dawn Of Reprisal’ is a great record, but it does contain a number of significant faults. For all the impressive musicianship and flashes of creativeness, it is far to say that some of the songs are highly forgettable affairs, with the band suffering from a distinct lack of hooks to garner much replay value. The inclusion of the mediocre clean vocals could be a indication that the band are looking towards a future more accessible sound, yet the fact that this aspect of the record simply did not work means that hopefully the band will look towards an alternate approach in injecting a more infectious nature to their songs. Malefice have the potential to make a record as great as their live show, but on the evidence of ‘Dawn Of Reprisal’, they still have a great deal of work to do.
