Doomsday X

Doomsday X (DX) marks Malevolent Creation as the most prolific purveyors of Florida death metal (though they were still in New York for their first demo), with more full length albums than longer running peers Obituary and Morbid Angel.

They return with an unrelenting attack from the glory days of death metal, ignoring the current mindless trappings of who has the fastest blast beats or lowest growls, focusing instead on song craft. It's non-stop aggression even in the slower moments, one aural assault after another. There is a massive amount of variety in each song as they are never content to play the same riffs or tempo for very long. Except for the modern sound this could have come out in the early 90s. It's refreshingly under-produced with a live and crushing sound that highlights the musicianship. Overall the best comparison from their past would be The Fine Art of Murder and Envenomed era. DX takes some time to absorb, it is the kind of album that continues improve with each listen. This is because there are no instant stand out tracks. All the songs are of equal quality, if you like one you'll like them all. That could be said of all their albums as consistency is one of their trademarks.

The most important part of DX is the return, for a third time, of original vocalist Brett Hoffman, the true voice of Malevolent Creation. He delivers a similar performance as his previous stint, only utilizing monotone mid-range growls. The vocals are vicious but he is capable of more. The Ten Commandments (TTC) showcased Hoffman at his most dynamic, with a greater range and variety. He is still their best vocalist and pens some intelligent lyrics on humanity. Previous vocalist Kyle Symons contributes some low growls on the last track Bio-Terror, which gives a hint at what could have been with some more variety. Guitars are the driving force of the aggression, precise and intense. They are slightly louder in the mix than everything else making them even more domineering. You can count on multiple solos in every song as well. Original bassist Jay Blackhowicz has also returned to the fold. He has a good presence at times but mostly you have to concentrate to hear the bass as it can blend in with the drums or get drowned out by the guitars. The drums are more powerful than any I've heard in a long time. The double bass is pummeling. The drums were not altered digitally so they sound very natural, showing what a real drummer can do. In general, they just sound much more appealing than the clicking of bands like Nile.

Seventeen years after TTC and Malevolent Creation are almost in the same place as they started. They really haven't changed that much since Retribution. This could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your point of view. There will always be those who want advancement and those who hate change. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. My opinion on that varies from band to band. I was expecting something more, something grandiose for their tenth full length but it's just another Malevolent Creation album. At first I was disappointed with DX as it didn't live up to my initial expectations, yet the more I listen to it the more pleased I am that haven't deviated from their Florida death metal roots. It's a welcome piece of nostalgia. The Motörhead mentality suits them.

Highly recommended for old school death metal fans. I was going to say this is their best release since Retribution but after repeated listens I find DX rivals it in many ways. DX is only surpassed by the unbeatable classic TTC.