Malevolent – Malevolent EP
Malevolent – Malevolent EP
Necktwister Records
Release Date: 21/12/2023
Running Time: 23:41
Review by Beth Morait
8/10
It’s a cold and frosty morning here at EMHQ, and one that deserves some dramatic music. So, I turned to the ever-growing new release list, to see what tickled my fancy. Symphonic Metal is a genre that I always enjoy, and after scanning the genres in our list for a bit of something flamboyant, I happened across this little EP; the debut offering from Belgian / Spanish Cinematic / Symphonic Metal band, Malevolent. Malevolent is basically two core members: Composer, Nikolaas Van Riet, and singer, Celica Soldream, alongside some great studio musicians. Their aim was to create a meld of the early days of Symphonic and Gothic Metal.
Looking at the press release gave me high hopes, as the EP was produced by Joost Vandenbroek, who’s worked with some of the Symphonic greats, like Powerwolf and Epica, and Epica’s Mark Jansen also provides guest vocals on the EP. The EP is themed on a post-apocalyptic, malevolent world, and starts off with ‘Gaze’. Straight away, it’s as you’d expect from Symphonic Metal. Dramatic from the get-go, in a minor key, with chanting monks, deep echo, low strings, the beating of drums, and growing and swelling harmonies, it blisters into a classic Symphonic track, that’s straight out of the Nightwish handbook. But, for me, Celica’s vocals really make it stand up against the big boys!
Silky, and with a Celtic, lilting quality, she dances around her vocal range with ease, and doesn’t over-egg the vibrato. This is important, because too much vibrato gets right on my nerves. I’m a lover of it in classical Opera because it fits with its period of creation. But Symphonic Metal should breathe new life into vocal style in the same way it breathes new life into the classical musicality of the accompaniment.
The rest of the EP continues in this vein, but not in a boring way. It’s high tempo, with crunching guitars, and thundering drums, which is pleasing and easy to listen to. Musically, the tracks make good use of orchestral sounds, and there are some lush key changes in track 3, ‘Light’, along with some epic guttural growls from Nikolaas. This track also has a section of guitar work that really builds the emotion and tension.
There’s an interesting note with the press release, as the band have included a binaural mix of the 4th track, ‘Creations’. “What’s a binaural mix?” I hear you cry (well I do if you’re an old fart like me, who struggles to keep up with all these new-fangled ideas)! Well, apparently, it’s an immersive recording technique that uses special algorithms to mimic what happens to sound in your head and ears, and the effect can be heard through normal headphones… I’m intrigued.
There is a caveat though – not everyone can hear it, because your head has to be configured the same as the model ‘head’ the algorithms are based on… This sounds like a challenge for me to explore because I suffer from hearing loss. So, can I hear the difference? Well, to my surprise, the answer was yes! And wow! The track is already expansive without this mix, but with it, it’s massive, and emphasises the cinematic nature of the music. I’d love to listen to this mix in a movie theatre to experience its hugeness fully.
This really is a rather lovely little EP, and if you like Symphonic Metal, you’re going to find something that pleases you. My only criticism is that the composition’s a bit safe. While it’s recorded superbly, and displays great technical musical skill, there’s nothing to make it completely memorable. And I hate saying that because it sounds like a downer. But it’s really not meant to be. I just get the feeling that they have a lot more to give, and this is only a tentative toe-dip into the genre.
Maybe this is deliberate, to get people on the Malevolent train, then experiment later. But with a bit more imagination, this could be spectacular. So, Malevolent, don’t be afraid of exploring the possibilities, because I think you can take it up another few levels if you do.
‘The Awakening’ Cinematic Playthrough Music Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Gaze
02. Ways
03. Light
04. Creations
05. The Awakening (Bonus track)
LINE-UP:
Celica Soldream – Vocals
Nikolaas Van Riet – Bass/ Guitar/ Composition
Studio Musicians:
Koen Herfst – Drums
Jan Verschueren – Lead Guitars
Mark Jansen – Guest Vocals
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Morait and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
