Lovecraftian metal that presents the author's more visceral side
We come to find ourselves once again in the company of Australia's Malichor, brandishing the proud tradition of blackened thrash metal with wild fervour as per usual. From previous experience with the band I have come to expect nothing but the best in ruthlessness and riffing that takes to straight to Lovecraft's most tenebrous nightmares. Inspired by equal measures Re-Animator and From Beyond - Two absolute classics of Lovecraftian horror cinema, both starring Jeffrey Combs - we're being spoiled with a take on the classic mythos, but without the by now standardised Cthulhu/Azathoth shtick.
"Impeccable tremolos and brutish blast beats achieve critical mass,"
Side West (reference to Re-Animator's pro/antagonist Herbert West) kicks off with what is probably the band's fastest piece as of this single, their violent tunes rip-and-tearing their way through reality and into existence with savage ferocity. Impeccable tremolos and brutish blast beats achieve critical mass, a time tested recipe perfected and distilled into a fine spirit by Malichor. Side Tillinghast (named so after leading role Crawford Tillinghast in From Beyond) dogmatically preaches that humans are, indeed, such easy prey, and promptly makes a reality of their threats to prey upon mankind.
The Serum effectively eliminates any meandering or thoughtful lingering that might have found its way into earlier songs, boredom never presenting its ugly head for fear of being swiftly decapitated in true Re-Animator fashion. Some aspects take a backseat to achieve greater speed, though. This includes the memorable riffs that the Australians made their trademark on previous releases, and though they have always relied on a relatively straight forward approach to songwriting (and to great avail I might add), these intense compositions - though exquisitely tense in their own right - in some aspects lack that memorability.
The Serum effectively eliminates any meandering or thoughtful lingering that might have found its way into earlier songs, boredom never presenting its ugly head for fear of being swiftly decapitated in true Re-Animator fashion. Some aspects take a backseat to achieve greater speed, though. This includes the memorable riffs that the Australians made their trademark on previous releases, and though they have always relied on a relatively straight forward approach to songwriting (and to great avail I might add), these intense compositions - though exquisitely tense in their own right - in some aspects lack that memorability.
7/10
Released in 2014 independently
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