The French aren’t the most prolific country for black metal, but when they do it they tend to do it incredibly well. This definitely inspires a bit of faith in Malevolentia who release their second album some six years after their debut in 2005. Having written a scornful review of a band not a million miles away from this lot stylistically it is easy to draw comparisons and to note just how superior this is in terms of quality. Symphonic this may be, but it’s no namby-pamby, limp-wristed Disney friendly fare and no excuse to flirt with fluffy keyboards more suited for uber-girly power metal.
‘Ex Libris Oblivionis’ pumps out of the speakers giving a real sense of pomp and spectacle and is the calm before the storm into battle on the first track proper; ‘Serment De La Corde’. The lyrics appear to be sung predominantly in French which comes across clearly through well executed vocals which are more of a rabid bark than a rasp and full of bite and spite. Drums sound hard as nails and really lay down a fierce foundation while guitars are equally formidable. This is symphonic black metal with balls; it’s uncompromising and refuses to coat itself in sugar for easy digestion. Yes, there are keyboards and yes, there is melody; this works well with the other elements to build a real sense of atmosphere and mystique rather than the band relying solely on keyboards to add this to a bland and aimless rhythm section (see Crimson Darkness review for a contrasting album which totally misses this point). The intro to ‘Martyrs’ is one such example, which then rips into some feral guitar riffs that really aim for the jugular and thrash away at full throttle.
There’s an apocalyptic sense of drama as ‘A L’est D’Eden’ comes chanting in before unleashing the blackened fury…this takes the foreboding classical chants through mixing it into things pretty seamlessly. ‘Dies Irae’ takes that apocalyptic vibe further with an interlude that really prepares one for the reaper. ‘Dagon’ is by far the stand out track of the album, its blackened guitars sound really threatening, especially as they are joined by a massively bombastic piece of orchestration that truly takes one into a sinister place. Vocally it’s a departure from what we’ve previously heard and now comes across a callous and demonic croak. I do find the album gets more intriguing as it goes on with the second half as it plays out with more bombast and mixes the ferocity of the first half with more orchestration and at times moves slightly into horror soundtrack-esque territory, for example, on ‘Nyarlathotep’. I have to wonder what my neighbours think as ‘La Nonne Et L’Incube’ comes to its end and a woman begins screaming out in ecstasy before the final track kicks in and the soprano vocals during the slower parts here really add an aura of mystery and eeriness. Malevolentia may not be a band you have heard of, but if you enjoy black metal that is powerful and epic then this comes highly recommended.
http://www.myspace.com/blackmetalmalevolentia
Luci Herbert
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