Artist: Malevolent Creation
Label: Arctic Music Group
Release Date: 11/5/02
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Title: The Will to Kill Artist: Malevolent Creation Label: Arctic Music Group Release Date: 11/5/02 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
Who the hell names these guys' albums? Anyway, I thought MC's last album Envenomed was a great step forward for the band, and, despite a few personnel changes, I found myself looking forward to this platter. These guys have been around for a long time, and just hearing their name brings me back to my youth. You remember, when you didn't feel the need to define a certain death metal band with 25 adjectives, you thought hell would freeze over before any of your favorite European bands would make it to this side of the pond, and (this will really take you back) Roadrunner wasn't a bad record label. I might have lost some of the younger kids in the audience with that last one, but it is true.
"Malevolent Creation continue to put out good ole' American Death metal."
Well, a lot has changed since then, but one thing that hasn't is that Malevolent Creation continue to put out good ole' American Death metal. That isn't to say that they've ever been my favorite band. I actually remember seeing them live for the first time and thinking that I had more rhythm than their drummer did. And I'll be the first to admit that my sense of rhythm does little more than substantiate every stereotype you've heard about white men. But my point is that I'm glad there are still bands like MC that stand the test of time, and keep with it. That's why I found myself liking Envenomed so much. It showed a band that kept on trucking through different trends, but never really changed their vision, and never really stagnated either. Critics will say that they've heard it all before, but that's just plain pointless. I've heard distorted guitars and growling for a long time now, that doesn't mean I'm done with it. So with that in mind The Will to Kill is ultimately as successful album.
"Fans of American death metal should no doubt pick this one up, but it isn't the band's best work." Of course, that isn't to say that I've liked all their stuff. Joe Black and The Fine Art of Murder left me unimpressed, but also not without hope. And that's where this new one, The Will to Kill hits me as well. While it is a pretty good album, I'm not completely psyched about it. The guitar work remains thick and aggressive, and their new vocalist gets the job done, but the songs don't seem as well crafted as their previous record. That isn't to say that this is a lackluster album either. I especially enjoy the guest solo work by none other than James Murphy, which comes across as both impressive and exciting, and I don't foresee this album being one that I listen to only a few more times and then relegate to the CD rack for all eternity. Fans of American death metal should no doubt pick this one up, but it isn't the band's best work. One word review: Solid.
Death's Review:
Creative? Unique? Fuck it, this just crushes your skull from the get go. Old school Flordia death metal lives on with this latest release from Malevolent Creation. Sounding like classic death mixed with a heavy dose of classic thrash, the riffs on this album are technical, the production excellent, and the thrill intact. Bottom line? The Will to Kill is an excellent, dare I say "killer," release.
"Bottom line? The Will to Kill is an excellent, dare I say 'killer,' release."
The opening title track just crushes all. Shouting along to the chorus is one of life's more primal pleasures, and doing so while blaring this one from your car stereo at maximum volume is highly recommended. Faster riffs, slower riffs, technical riffs, they are all there, perfectly accentuated with all the trappings in a way that only true scene veterans could devise. Sure, you've heard it all before, but have you heard it done right, like this? Have you heard it produced with modern technology? Have you gotten sick so of this sound, such that you won't get a rush jamming along with this one anyway? Your answers should be no, no and no, or at least they will be if you are any kind of classic death metal fan and you spend any kind of serious time with this record.
"The Will to Kill achieves exactly what it sets out to do: brutalize your speakers." Malevolent Creation should be proud. No, critics and metal elitists probably won't be showering this one with special accolades, but that's not because it isn't very good, it's just that those folk are bored with trumpeting the majesty of traditional Florida death to the underground masses - they're looking to be the first to tell you about something else new that they think you haven't heard before. Liking this album isn't going to score them any scene points. But for what it is, The Will to Kill achieves exactly what it sets out to do: brutalize your speakers. Malevolent Creation will get a chance to showcase this new material at Wacken Open Air 2003 (side note: the "European" cover is much cooler thant the U.S. one, in my opinion) as well as on tours with Marduk and Cannibal Corpse. Things are looking up.
Hel's Review:
Don't you think a band called Malevolent Creation should have an album entitled The Will to Kill? I definitely do. Well, Malevolent Creation has accommodated us, and not only that, but the title track also supplies us with a chorus that is a heck of a lot of fun to scream along to. A big bonus in my book.
"The title track supplies us with a chorus that is a heck of a lot of fun to scream along to."
"All death metal fans need to add this to their repertoire." The new record supplies us with the same sensibilities we've come to expect from Malevolent Creation, but the production values have gone up immensely on this release. It's clear enough that I can actually decipher many of the lyrics! Which aids me greatly in my endless quest to scream along to death metal in the car.
Malevolent Creation has always been a talented band, and the combination of better production and the continued maturation of their songwriting abilities provides us with one of their best albums to date. All death metal fans need to add this to their repertoire.
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