Doomsday X

So here we are folks, embarking upon Malevolent Creation's 10th studio offering, 'Doomsday X'. Who would've thought that a band that has to deal with copious amounts of bullshit, whether its constant line-up or record label changes from personal feuds etc, that they'd be able to churn out blistering death metal for 20 years now and remain strong, consistent and quite frankly, one of the leading veterans in the genre. No, they haven't fucking lost it.

The first part of this review, I want to mention the founding and surviving member of this band, the mastermind behind the wheel of this 'Malevolent Creation' for the duration of it’s existence, Phil Fasciana. He's kept the ship afloat and is still killing 20 years on with a career to look back on and be extremely proud of. I tip my hat to the man.

Anyway, to the album. It's been a long three years, the anticipation has been killing a lot of eager Malevolent fans and no doubt the excitement is sky-rocketing as they pop the CD into their players. Malevolent Creation have clearly not lost the anger, the over the top aggression and more importantly, they haven't lost the ability to write crushingly brutal and enjoyable songs. And they don't waste any time as "Cauterized" begins the record, and the melody played by the axe men, Fasciana and Jon Rubin is almost unexpected. The first part of this song is carried solely by rhythm and melody, then, appears Hoffmann, one the most characteristic and unique vocals in death metal lays down his trademark roar, doesn't it feel good to hear that dude on a Malevolent album again? It's not long after that before they really show us what they're made of and pulverise the listener with neck snapping guitar riffs, Hoffmann's rhythmic and venomous vocal onslaught and the pounding of the skins by the criminally talented, Dave Culross. They ain't fucking around on this one it seems.

Following an excellent opener, proceeds "Culture of Doubt" with the riffs having the black metal influence like they've shown on previous albums and also a really energetic and catchy moment in the song, another solid track. Next, we hear the band perform a track that many have heard of prior to the album being released because, 'that guy from Slipknot' layed down a solo for the track. People didn't waste time calling them sell-outs just because of one measly guitar solo, pathetic eh? I'm sure it's no loss to the band. "Deliver My Enemy" cruises along with mid-paced riffing and letting Hoffmann carry it through until a minute or so in, then they really smack you face with an extremely violent attack of guitars with a tempo set at 'destroy', with Culross' frantic and insane blasts and fills throughout. Oh, and by the way, Mick's solo shreds, as does Rubin's.

So, it's blatantly clear now that Malevolent Creation are kicking ass, the riffs are classic; brutal, yet catchy, the solo's are shredding, Hoffmann’s performance is as always, outstanding and Culross' hasn't been shy either, he's pummelling his kit better than ever! You might've noticed that I haven't yet mentioned other veteran and returning member, bass player Jason Blachowicz, but I will now as we press onto his penned songs. "Archaic" is devastatingly brutal and it's an non-stop assault on the ear drums, in a good way, of course. Followed by an album highlight, "Buried in a Nameless Grave" which has an inspired and memorable intro, before going into riffs galore. It's more than likely that this song will become a part of their live sets from now on, if not, then they can take this as a request.

"Dawn of Defeat" is a strong and surprisingly catchy song, with an infectious riff that has the listener humming it for the rest of the day. Guitars set to kill once again as is Dave Culross, displaying thunderous moments on the kit. We now reach, "Prelude to the Doomsday" which parts this album into two, if you will. An instrumental track penned by Jon Rubin which contains strong riffing and layered guitars providing melodies and shredding, true Malevolent axe work. I'm glad they kept this track as instrumental, it allows the listener to really appreciate their talent.

Continuing on with the album, the next few songs are very much similar, "Upon Their Cross", "Strength in Numbers", "Hollowed" and "Unleash Hell" all feature the perfect recipes for a killer death metal record. The strong song structures keep the album going solidly without disappointment. Album closer, "Bio Terror" shows us that they're aren't leaving without a bang. The monstrous vocal duet between Hoffmann and who I assume to be Kyle Symons (unless that's actually Blachowicz?) and the guitar riffs remaining razor sharp and still giving the listener's neck the whiplash effect.

So to conclude, this album is another wealthy addition to Malevolent Creation's catalogue, it's all here, the memorable and brutal guitars, the incredible song structures, the intense and chaotic drums and the sick and vicious vocal attacks to round up. And no people, it's not "Retribution", but who the fuck cares? They made that album 15 years ago, why would they make it again? This album is nicely spliced with their early album eras, with a pinch of "Envenomed" and a dash of "The Will to Kill". A remarkable album to sum up their career as one the leading bands of their genre. Any Malevolent Creation fan should buy this. Fuck it, any death metal fan should buy this.