Why Malevolence Is On Fire Right Now

This British metal outfit has the ‘it’ factor. And when I say ‘it’ factor, I mean ‘it’ 1000 times over! Frankly, every metal band that exists right now needs to take some notes from Malevolence on creating an identity and sound that propels them to rapid success.

Their single “On Broken Glass” is their biggest hit to date and put everyone on notice, including me. It was the song that gave way to such rapid success. But it’s a combination of things past this fact that have given way to the love they deserve. 

It’s the vocal dynamics between Alex Taylor and Konan Hall. It’s the range of music they can create. It’s the appeal to the diehard and casual metal fan that flows seamlessly through the songs they make. It’s the fact that they have such natural charisma, even without a distinct look from other bands.

I’m not afraid to admit that Malevolence may be the best hardcore band in the scene right now.

Konan Makes It All Go 

 So let me just rave about the voice that I believe makes Malevolence that much better. There are a few bands that have a two-vocalist approach. Bands like Despised Icon have worked this to perfection. Malevolence has also done the same with Alex and Konan.

I adore the fact that the band has decided to let Konan be a primary lead in multiple songs like “Higher Place“, “The Other Side“, and to a lesser extent on “Turn to Stone“.

The gruff and broken nature of his voice sounds awesome when paired with the screams of Alex. It provides a melodic dichotomy to a band that never fails to pummel you with breakdowns.  

The Band’s Evolution(2010-2023)

 Malevolence’s first album “Reign of Suffering” represents a blistering start to the band’s sound. It has an undeniable desire to make you feel like your head is about to fall off while you bounce to its Southern metal, groove metal, and hardcore influences. This can be seen especially in a song like “Serpents Chokehold”.

The production value is there, much more so than other hardcore bands’ first LP releases. It gets progressively better on their subsequent releases of course. 

“Self Supremacy“, the perfect Hatebreed style name, marks the band’s sophomore effort and is their longest release to date, clocking in at just above 48 minutes. Self Supremacy is not a sophomore slump by any means. Hell, it has my favorite song by Malevolence, “Trial By Fire”, in its 11-song tracklist. It just overstays its welcome by a few too many minutes.  

This album is a natural evolution of the band’s sound and leads into the next chapter of their discography, their 2020 EP, “The Other Side”.This EP is a one-track EP if we’re being honest. The Other Side is such a perfect addition to this band’s song list. 

As I said earlier, Konan taking the lead vocal role on songs like this one has helped Malevolence reach a wider audience. His voice works so well to convey the melancholic atmosphere this song is trying to give the listener. 

The other two songs are fast and unrelenting, with vocals from Byran Garris of Knocked Loose featured on “Keep Your Distance”. Both tracks help offset the emotional weight of The Other Side as it concludes the EP. 

Finally, we have Malevolence’s latest album “Malicious Intent” from 2022. It is easily the band’s most accessible listen. It still provides some crushing ferocity with songs such as “Malicious Intent” and “Karma” with an added focus on sing-song elements in tracks like “On Broken Glass”, “Higher Place”, and “Salvation”. 

It’ll be very interesting to see if Malevolence keeps up with this songwriting style moving forward as it has provided them with more exposure to new fans than ever before.

Why They Need To Be Heard

 While some seasoned hardcore listeners may find Malevolence to be just another band in the scene, they are doing more for the genre than those people probably realize. 

The band has reached a new height of popularity recently that will only help the hardcore scene grow just as Hatebreed did in the early 2000s. So go listen to Malevolence. Support their work and help them continue to put hardcore in the ears of more and more listeners.

The band deserves it.