With Malicious Intent, released in 2022, England’s Malevolence, out of Sheffield, confirm their status as a rising force in metallic hardcore. This record boldly weds the heaviness of metal, the aggression of hardcore and a melodic sense inherited from groove and blues rock. The result is an ambitious, generous album that refuses to choose between brutality and finesse, and finds precisely there its signature.
An embraced blend of genres
What immediately sets the band apart is its ability to make coexist worlds often thought incompatible. Massive riffs and enraged breakdowns rub shoulders with melodic solos, almost warm, borrowed from the great tradition of hard rock. That duality might seem artificial in other hands, but Malevolence masters it with remarkable ease. The band moves from fury to emotion without a break, as if those two facets were the two sides of a single coin. The solos, often loaded with a bluesy feeling unexpected in this context, bring an almost human warmth that contrasts with the usual coldness of the genre and marks one of the band’s signatures.
The voice and the power
The vocals alternate between guttural roars and clearer passages, serving the emotional breadth of the record. That vocal variety accompanies the shifts in atmosphere and avoids the monotony that so often stalks the genre. The lyrics tackle themes of inner struggle, resilience and personal torment, with a sincerity that reinforces the impact. You sense a band that seeks to move as much as to strike, to create an emotional bond beyond the simple physical discharge.
Between ambition and coherence
This richness comes at a price: the album sometimes scatters, pulled between its various influences. Fans of pure hardcore may find the melodic passages too pronounced, while listeners who came for finesse might regret certain heavy stretches. But that tension is also what makes the record alive and unpredictable. Far from settling for a proven formula, Malevolence takes the risk of hybridization, and that daring deserves recognition, even when the balance wavers. This search for balance calls for attentive listening, for the record reveals itself in layers, and it sometimes takes several passes to perceive the coherence that binds its most opposite moments together.
In the end, Malicious Intent stands as a solid and accomplished record, representative of a British scene in full ferment. Malevolence demonstrates a growing maturity here, an ability to marry force and nuance that places it among the most interesting outfits of its category. It may not be a definitive masterpiece, but it is a rich, generous work that rewards repeated listens. It confirms a band in full ascent, one that seems to have fine cards still to play. A record to recommend without hesitation to anyone curious about the crossroads of metal and hardcore.
