About 13 months after the release of ‘In Cold Blood,’ a new Malevolent Creation album is here! It features 13 tracks that span roughly 57 minutes of music! Once again, the lineup has changed significantly: gone are JP Soars (guitar), Jason Blachowicz (bass, vocals), and Derek Roddy (drums, now with Aurora Borealis). Returning are Rob Barrett (guitar), Bret Hoffman (vox), and Dave Culross (drums, who also appeared on ‘Eternal’). Internet enthusiasts could already read about the return of Barrett and Hoffman on Malevolent’s homepage in late 1997.
And of course, these lineup changes have again led to a shift in their sound. The extreme, brutal Death Metal played on ‘Eternal’ and ‘In Cold Blood’ is gone, a style Phil can now pursue with Hate Plow. What’s back is the extreme Death/Thrash that Malevolent played on their first three albums. Bret Hoffman still has that brilliant Thrash rasp, though it’s become a bit lower. Fortunately, there are also plenty of mid-tempo sections that provide variety, which were perhaps a bit scarce on ‘In Cold Blood.’ Malevolent has also experimented slightly—just listen to the menacing build-up and the standard “vocal” parts of the title track, for example, and ‘Fracture.’
Now, you might wonder if 13 songs are too many and if the quality might suffer. Let me reassure you that this CD captivates for its entire runtime, thanks in no small part to the superb semi-acoustic track ‘Day of Lamentation’! People who cherish Malevolent’s first three albums will shed tears of joy, and those who only became interested with ‘Eternal’ can dive into Hate Plow. I’m fine with all of it! As long as Phil keeps writing such great music, he can record a brutal Country-Death album for all I care!
