Band: Malevolence
Album: Where Only The Truth Is Spoken
Label: Nuclear Blast
Country: UK
Release Date: June 20th, 2025
Since their inception, Malevolence have shaken the venue halls across the UK with their undeniable and unique sound. The five have risen from the underground of Steel City and brought hellfire with them in their newest release, Where Only The Truth Is Spoken. Putting the entire genre to the grindstone, Malevolence have produced one of the most polished entries this year in metal. Hitting the ground running and only gaining momentum, the Sheffield quintuple have produced a shining Magnum Opus that is without fault. Every riff, breakdown, chorus and verse is in perfect lockstep with their vision. Feast your eyes and ears at the eleven track-by-track banquet below:
Blood To The Leech:
Frantic, hectic, chaotic and a variety of brutality for everyone. This opener sets the stage for what is set to be strong contender for Album of the Year. “Block out my name when you speak, cut off the blood to the leech!” Doesn’t it just make you want to hurl a sedan at the sun?
Trenches:
This is another fantastic “Fuck You” neck-snapper of a track, carrying on the same energy from Blood To The Leech. No need to tell the crowd to “get up” with this one, they’ll be running to the wall of death with every riff. The vocals in this one are seeped in pure venom, you can physically feel the agony and disgust in Alex Taylor’s words. Perfect!
If It’s All The Same To You:
The first single off this album with heavy rhythms and grooves, If It’s All The Same To You brings the headbanging back to a manageable degree with a slower and catchy chorus, channeling influences from Hatebreed. Who doesn’t love Hatebreed? Even in their slower riffs, the technical prowess is on absolute full display here. The outro riffs especially had me pulling my very best “totally brutal” face on the tram.
Counterfeit:
Opening with the sounds of echoed shouts and containing a very lovely surprise with a dive-bomb laden guitar solo, Counterfeit is a perfect example of just how comfortable the band has gotten in between those brutal moments between breakdowns and chorus’.
Salt The Wound:
This is the single that brought Malevolence to my attention. Opening with an almost ethereal and reverberated clean riff paired with softly sung vocals, Salt The Wound transitions seamlessly into the rage-fuelled heavy vocals and yet another ear-worm of a chorus. “Salt the wound and rip the heart from your chest”. During an interview, Alex Taylor said the inspiration for the themes and lyrics came from personal experiences, and every word in this song reflects the truth in that statement. “One last earthquake to trigger collapse; bury the hatched in your spineless back”, I have a feeling this will lead to a lot of new gym PR’s being set.
So Help Me God:
“With a gunshot, point blank, back of the head” is, coincidentally, exactly where this song is being put by the band in your head, as well as the opening lyrics to this foot-tapping, chest-pounder of a track. The rhythm sections of this song remind me of another British band, Dyscarnate, in their complexity and arthritis-inducing speed. Closing out with a punchy guitar solo and a last few roared words, “You’re fucking dead in my eyes”, this was a highlight of the album for me.
Imperfect Picture:
Flipping the script, Imperfect Picture is a mostly melodically sung/shouted song, adding a balance to the album as the gang-vocals encourage a charming sing-along by the band. The breakdown comes as heavy as an anvil, before swinging right back around into the opening grooves.
Heavens Shake:
Not slowing down for even a moment, Heavens Shake tells the story of the difficulty growing up in Steel City, Sheffield, and the bleak future they stared at while enduring it. Pooling their dark experiences into this song, you can feel the pain from the whole band on this one. Backing vocalist and guitarist Konan Hall is clear in his deliveries as well, giving the entire track a feeling of being attacked on all sides.
In Spite:
Many bands will opt for a featured vocalist, but few of them can claim the honour of having Randy Blythe on their albums. Malevolence goes a step further by bringing exactly the kind of flawlessly executed energy deserving of such a collaboration. My favourite aspect of In Spite is that you know he’s coming, but the song builds it up until it’s time for that unmistakable roar to come to life, almost like Alex Taylor is vocally bowing to Randy to make his appearance. This is certainly going to be a fan favourite.
Demonstration of Pain
It’s the little things that keep an album like this shining throughout. The drum cymbal taps at the beginning of this song keep the listener on their toes as a heavy riff comes crashing down on them, with a chorus crying “Spill the blood till the river runs red!”, I foresee blood on the future floors of the venues these songs play at.
With Dirt From My Grave
This closing track is what sealed this album in gold for me. Despite ten previous songs of unrivaled, orchestrated chaotic musicianship, With Dirt From My Grave had me recoiling all over again. This is my favourite chorus, an absolute ripper of a song with non-stop memorable lyrics and contrasting riffs and drum patterns. You’ll be singing this one in public as if you were in the front row. A perfect close to a phenomenal album.
Rating: 10/10
TRACKLIST:
1. Blood To The Leech
2. Trenches
3. If It’s All The Same To You
4. Counterfeit
5. Salt The Wound
6. So Help Me God
7. Imperfect Picture
8. Heavens Shake
9. In Spite (feat. Randy Blythe)
10. Demonstration Of Pain
11. With Dirt From My Grave
Total Length: 43:15
Click here to visit Malevolence’s Bandcamp
