|
An alright release that is full of unrecognized talent.-
|
| Malefice: Dawn of Reprisal |
Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal
Metal Blade Records
February 27th, 2009
- This Midas Effect - 3:48
- Abandon Hope - 4:04
- An Architect Of Your Demise - 4:13
- End Of Days - 4:16
- Human Portrait - 3:35
- As I Bleed - 4:54
- When Embers Ignite - 3:21
- Retribution - 4:34
- Hatred Justified - 5:02
- Sickened - 4:22
|
| Links |
| Review Information |
Release length: 42:09
Review posted on July 19th, 2011
- |
|
| | Original Score: 2/5 |
 |
| 2011 Grading Scale: 4/10 |
|
|
|
|
| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Entities (2007) • Dawn of Reprisal (2009) • Awaken the Tides (2011)
|
| EP(s): |
Relentless (2006)
|
|
| - |
| Review |
Here we are with yet another band that blends thrash and melodic death metal together. The UK band Malefice have released their second full length album, Dawn Of Reprisal, which seems to have slipped under the radar for many individuals. Usually there is a reason for that, and this release is no exception to that theory.
While Dawn Of Reprisal is not a bad album, it's just something we've heard enough times over. Right from the start, with "This Midas Effect", you will pick up on some rather stale guitar riffs and drumming that doesn't really stand out. The same can be said for "Abandon Hope" which just sounds like your stereotypical mid paced melodic death album with some thrash-esque guitar chords. The fact that the song slows down at the end is a nice touch, but by then you'll be screaming inside for the song to just end.
"An Architect Of Your Demise" is where this release picks up, but slowly. The song just has an edgier feel to it then the first two on the release, as well as runs the gambit between somewhat fast to mid paced to slow/failed breakdown. However, the solo on this, and many of the other songs on here, is nice to have and fit the flow of the music. But it's not until the next song, "End Of Days", that the band really starts to show what they are made of. "End Of Days" is perhaps the best song on the album, being a faster paced song with one hell of a catchy chorus with some nice ambience in the background from keyboards, well done singing blended with shouting, and leaving a rather haunting feel to the music. It's clear that the first three tracks had to be filler because as the album progresses, it remains heavy and shows that this band does have talent, even if the music does sound someewhat stereotypical.
"End Of Days" and "Retribution" are perhaps the most original songs on the release. While "Human Portrait", "As I Bleed", "Hatred Justified", and a few others sound like they may have been co-written by As I Lay Dying or At The Gates, these two seem to just be different compared to everything else. As mentioned above, "End Of Days" has a rather haunting sound to it, while "Retribution", while also being a mid-paced song most of the time, seems to have a bit of a march feel to it that might make you want to punch the nearest person in the face. That urge to punch someone will travel over with the song "Hatred Justified", aside for the generic as hell sung chorus line.
So, what can really be said about this band? Much of their material sounds like it was taken out of other melodic death bands play books, and there really isn't a lot of noticable thrash in it either. For what it's worth, the band has some good songs, like "End Of Days", "Retribution" and "Hatred Justified", but much of the album, even parts of those songs, are just too generic. It's clear the band has some talent, it's just sad that it was wasted in this manner.
|
| - |
|
Physical review copy of this release provided by:
Personal funds.
| Submit to Social Networks |
|
|
|
|
