MALEVOLENCE -PT- Antithetical [2013] - CD review by NPH - Rate 8,5/10

MALEVOLENCE - PORTUGAL - EXTREME PROGRESSIVE METAL

Here we are to present and review "Antithetical" the new CD from Portuguese Extreme Metal masters Malevolence! The third and yet the best album of the bands career, without a doubt one of the best metal albums to come out from Portuguese lands. A great technical and progressive piece of extreme metal no doubt! Carlos Cariano and its team have surely achieved a colossal piece on this musical genre! An album for adepts of bands such as Samael, Rotting Christ, Meshuggah, Decapitated, Psycroptic, Morbid Angel, Emperor (latest stage) among many others!
"Antithetical" sure puts Portugal back in the map of Extreme Metal references, a great work from Malevolence, a work that shall ensure everyone that there are allot more quality metal bands in Portugal beside the well known Moonspell, a band that back in time has recruited the services of Malevolence bassist Aires! A must in every technical/progressive death metal fan collection, a venomous work that puts the band where it belongs!
As Mankind falls into ambiguous values, slowly slithers into the darkest pits of empty and hollow existence, a life without a true meaning. Living without true values of worth will make you no better than a common beast! Make your stand against human banal behaviour and make your life your own!

NeKronos Promotion HELL

Here is the Tracklist for the new CD:
MALEVOLENCE - "Antithetical" - CD 2013

1. Slithering
2. Cult of the Everlasting
3. Devoured Unlimited
4. Antithetical
5. Equilibrium In Extremis
6. Exocortex Momentum
7. Mechanisms of Destructive Behavior

Recording Line-up (MALEVOLENCE):
Carlos Cariano | Vox & Guitars
Aires Pereira | Bass
Fred Noel | Guitars
Paulo Pereira | Keyboards & Programming
Dirk Verbeuren | Drums ( session musician )

MALEVOLENCE - CD - “Antithetical(*)” - 2013 - Carbon Medien
Genre: Extreme Progressive Metal

(*)Antithethical : "Ancient Greek Etymology (1580s, from Gk. ANTITHETIKOS) that reflects the diametrical opposition to a number of propositions consisting in the revelation of a divergent thought. Pertaining to ANTITHETICAL, the Anti (against) + Thesis (position), as a figure of speech (mainly used by the authors of the Baroque period; style of the epoch known as the art of conflict) acknowledge opposition towards the relative thesis expressed. "

The band:
MALEVOLENCE Portuguese extreme progressive masters have unleashed their third and best album on their careers by the title of "Antithetical".
For those who don't know the band yet, here goes some short description:
The band has been created way back in 1994 by the creative individual mind of Carlos Cariano and are currently in their nineteenth year of existence whilst propelling ahead as a fiercely independent extreme metal act. Since their birth and release, after release, the band has received loads of great critics from the media and fans, the highlight was the 2nd release "Martyrialized" [1999], an album recorded on Fredman Studios (Sweden - Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, Arch Enemy, etc.) that allowed the band to establish themselves as one of the best Portuguese metal acts, receiving great critics and sharing stages in and outside Portugal with bands such as Cradle of Filth, Behemoth, Marduk, Moonspeel, Avulsed, etc. After several years of absence and with this new release, they will surely be brought back to their rightful place in the Extreme Metal scene!

The new album musically:
With "Antithetical" Malevolence present us a totally new and updated formula, allot more venomous and brutal than on previous works, in all with a total "chainsaw guts-fucked" demented aura. "Antithetical" is a great development from their previous "full-length" album, pushing the band forwards in extreme metal. Malevolence became a band deeply into an allot more demanding form of metal, extreme and fast but yet progressive and technical, with it, pushing the band-members skills and talent to their limits. The finished work sets a mark on Portuguese metal scene as one of the best pieces of the genre to come out from Portuguese lands, proving that there are allot more quality extreme metal bands from Lusitanian lands beside the well known Moonspell!
"Antithetical" is an album that shall please the fans of bands like Samael, Rotting Christ, Meshuggah, Decapitated, Psycroptic, Morbid Angel, Emperor (latest stage) among many others!
The new work is a sophisticated, complex, psycho corrosive and technically progressive metal experience. An ambitious third release, aiming to make a stand and set a mark into today's days Metal music. It's hard to label the new sound of Malevolence so better enjoy it's technical, modern, avant-garde, rebel structures, all of this in a truly demanding piece of metal art!
 
The band members and album production:
On "Antithetical" every band-member is pushed to it's limits, Carlos Cariano, the bands mentor long been architecting this outstanding as well as complex metal piece, his guitar and vocal work are at top of what has been done on the field, the pounding bass lines by Aires Pereira (also on Moonspell) prove that he is among the best Portuguese bass players, the Keyboard / Programming by Paulo Pereira as well as the additional guitar work by Fred Noel are a perfect fit into "Antithetical" demands. Last but not least, no one better than Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork, The Devin Townsend Project, Warrel Dane,...) to fullfill the dynamicly demanding drum work, without a doubt this album adds another tight and brilliant performance to his outstanding drumers career!
The production, mix and mastering of this work are another highlight, another great work done by V. Santura (Tryptykon, Obscura, Dark Fortress, Pestilence,...) in Landshut, Germany at Woodhouse Studio between the 14th and 23rd of March 2012. Honestly the sound couldn't get much better than it is, a perfect match to the demanding sound that the album sure requires, elite extreme metal sound!

The album highlights:
"Antithetical" is a pretty organic and dynamic album where it's hard to pick up tracks that will detach allot from each other, yet I must say that the tracks that sure reveal Malevolence in their best shape are tracks like the first one by the title of "Slithering", a brutally powerful track to best introduce you to this album wicked experience, quickly followed by the "Cult of the Everlasting" an epic nonconformist yet melodic track that keeps the intoxicating brutal identity of the band at it's best. Another track that will work out your entrails with a chainsaw is "Devoured Unlimited", a damn strong track that shall pierce your ears with such decadent malevolence. The title track "Antithetical" is probably the best tracks of the album, an apocalyptic hybrid track, with a very own identity, a damn epic progressive and technical song, taking the album concept to it's limits! "Exocortex Momentum" is another great ear-catching track, within it a great classic guitar solo is unveiled, a pure moment of clarity in this mind corrosive album so full of contrasts and mind-blowing musical structures!

The Epilog:
In all "Antithetical" as yet the name inspires, presents itself as an album that makes a stand against the common/usual musical banality! This rebel dynamism as well as brutal demanding sound sure prove that Malevolence have set a mark and stand tall on extreme metal grounds, proving that elite extreme metal is also being played over Portuguese lands, all of this, with the best quality venomous sound and top-skilled musicians!
A must-have album for adepts of extreme and progressive metal! One of the most ambitious releases to come out from Lusitanian lands as well as one of the hardest to categorize! A huge step forwards that may put Malevolence on their rightful belonging place as a cult band in extreme metal universe!
The album artwork by KKStructures sure adds a perfect match identity and design to all "Antithetical" conceptual ideals!
Mankind sinks into human ambiguous values, slowly we all crawl into the abyss of a hollow existence, life becomes nothing more than a slithering passage, fake, monochromatic.... slave or Master it's your choice! Make your stand, mark your position and raise your values to reach out for your own life's meaning!

RüPä - NeKronos Promotion HELL


RATE: 8,5/10

Check out the "ANTITHETICAL" teaser clip : HERE : http://youtu.be/Yk9Up8K9q6Q 



Check out the "Slithering" Video clip : HERE : http://youtu.be/vQcCsjpbOK4



Check out "Antithetical" Clip : HERE : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kLvgP_VSbc



More information at the following sites:

CARBON MEDIEN www.carbonmedien.com
KKStructures: www.kkstructures.com

M A L E V O L E N C E

imalevolence . facebook . twitter . bandcamp . soundcloud . youtube

MALEVOLENCE "Slithering" single Premiere

MALEVOLENCE SLITHERING SINGLE PREMIERE

As previously advanced yesterday extreme progressive metallers MALEVOLENCE are proud to reveal the SLITHERING single PREMIERE is from this moment
available to the public coming online straight from Philadelphia (USA) via the indisputable, the mighty, America’s only monthly metal magazine DECIBEL.
DECIBEL MAGAZINE is a revered entity among many spectrums of extreme metal, from platinum acts to genre pioneers to the best of the underground.

Thus it’s with extreme pleasure that MALEVOLENCE in full cooperation with DECIBEL reveal the radical audio episode comprised within SLITHERING,
the first single from MALEVOLENCE’s upcoming 3rd album ANTITHETICAL.
Besides the audio beast feast PREMIERE courtesy of DECIBEL MAGAZINE, there is as well a quite extensive article, including the very first interview
from MALEVOLENCE in support of ANTITHETICAL.
To know more about everything including quite some interesting details about the new offering check : HERE :.







MALEVOLENCE : MUSIC FROM THE TERRESTRIAL SPHERE INSPIRED BY THE CONTROVERSIAL STRUCTURES OF REPULSIVE BIOFEEDBACK

Links to Malevolence
www.imalevolence.com
www.facebook.com/iMalevolence
www.bandpage.com/iMalevolence
www.twitter.com/malevolence_pt



MALEVOLENCE BIOGRAPHY:

THE DAWNING OF A NOVEL DIABOLICAL AGE UNDERNEATH AN UNDERSIZED RESUME

MALEVOLENCE requires no introduction. The Portuguese renowned masters of sonic extreme metal progression were created way back in 1994 by the creative individual mind of CARLOS CARIANO and are currently in their eighteenth year of existence whilst propelling ahead as a fiercely independent extreme metal act.

After their introductory demo recording PLEASURE OF MOLESTATION was released and distributed to the public sector throughout the usual channels back in 1994, the item promptly rendered the band the swift transaction of more than 1000 units sold worldwide. Soon the gossip broaden by word of mouth stroke the nerve awareness of DANGER RECORDS granting them the chance to sign through the label during the opening of 1995 in support of the release of two full length albums.

DOMINIUM was the first release to come out of this strategic alliance beneath the dawning of 1996. The reaction of the fans and specialized press for such a young band was awe-inspiring cementing MALEVOLENCE as one of the first Portuguese metal bands to release and come out with an official album rising from the Portuguese shores meant for the world. The band embarked upon a Portuguese Tour in support of their debut but the admirable reactions did not match the sales as the album suffered underprivileged promotion and distribution everywhere. It is still very difficult to this day to find a genuine replica of it upon the market. As a result the band parted ways with DANGER RECORDS at the beginning of 1998 and signed with MAQUIAVEL MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT during the fall of the same year.

Without losing precious time MALEVOLENCE enters FREDMAN STUDIO in SWEDEN to record the 2nd full length album titled MARTYRIALIZED. The pre production on all tunes was completed by the band while the recording was registered by ANDERS FRIDEN of IN FLAMES fame.

The final output resulted from a mutual cooperation between FREDRIK NORDSTROM (mixing) and GORAN FINNBERG (mastering) of AT THE GATES, OPETH, ARCH ENEMY, DARK TRANQUILLITY, and DIMMU BORGIR fame.

MARTYRIALIZED was met with increasing critical acclaim on worldwide heavy weight magazines such as TERRORIZER (UK), HARD’N’HEAVY (FRA), LEGACY (GER), METAL HAMMER (POL), GRINDER (CH), BRAVEWORDS (CAN) ILL LITERATURE (USA), NORDIC VISION (NOR), MINDVIEW (BEL), CLOSE-UP (SWEDEN), LOUD (PT) to name just a few.

TERRORIZER (UK) praised MARTYRIALIZED for avoiding the gothic metal cliché that seemed to stamp the sound of every single band emerging from Lusitania. Editor NICK TERRY further acknowledged the MALEVOLENCE brand of metal at the same time as complex, insidiously haunting and incredible hard edged, exalting and giving credit in the process to vocalist CARLOS CARIANO for the extremely anthemic songwriting plus for being undoubtedly in love with a superior lead line, rasping throughout all the compositions as a one-man NEW WAVE OF PORTUGUESE EXTREME METAL all to himself.

MALEVOLENCE was inserted with the harsh captivating sound and downright haunting HUNTERS OF THE RED MOON anthem among a myriad of compilation samplers worldwide for the rejoicing popular support from the masses. A multitude of interviews and live demonstrations inside and outside of Portugal with heavy weights such as: CRADLE OF FILTH, BEHEMOTH, MARDUK, AND OCEANS, NIGHTFALL, MOONSPELL, GENOCIDE, AVULSED or DORNENREICH ensue.

On the dawning of 2005 the band records CELEBRATION OF DYSFUNCTIONAL BECOMING blasting forth in every single direction of the vast extremes of heavy monolithic music. This release garners the attention of a small portion of specialized worldwide metal labels that remained in contact to this day in the midst of the prospect to release the bands 3rd album when it was the right time. This particular release was recorded only for promotional reason and was by no means commercialized on the market.

These days and even if the band members are indeed associated within several other well-known music projects, MALEVOLENCE erects largely as a crucial and extreme progressive metal act expanding the absolute reinterpretation of the crushing earth and the sea of possibilities that emanates from within. Spearheaded by the foursome strength of CARLOS CARIANO, AIRES PEREIRA, PAULO PEREIRA and FRED NOEL the collective continues to forge ahead the bastion of heaviness and extreme metal dynamics in excess of unparalleled aural experiences obtainable and made in Portugal.

Not playing live to a large extent since 2001 beneath personal option, MALEVOLENCE reversed yet again to the stages and perpetuated a unique live performance during 2011 whilst sharing the stage with metal colossus MORBID ANGEL, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and IHSAHN at the 3rd edition of VAGOS OPEN AIR FESTIVAL, rejoicing in the process a massive amount of metal rabid fans gasping for almost a decade to witness the band live.

Notwithstanding the fact the band received a large amount of proposals to play live subsequent to the VAGOS OPEN AIR FESTIVAL appearance, MALEVOLENCE preferred to concentrate on the pre-production and recording of their third extreme and progressive metal chapter. For the recording of the drumming patterns on the new material MALEVOLENCE recruited session drummer extraordinaire DIRK VERBEUREN (SOILWORK, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, JEFF LOOMIS...).

The bands 3rd full length album designated ANTITHETICAL was produced entirely by CARLOS CARIANO and recorded at 20M2SEA STUDIO by PAULO PEREIRA in Portugal, whereas in the process the band recruited sound engineer/producer V. SANTURA (TRIPTYKON, OBSCURA, DARK FORTRESS, PESTILENCE...) to record the vocals, mix and master the album outside of the Portuguese borders. ANTITHETICAL was concluded distinctively in Landshut, GERMANY at WOODHOUSE STUDIO between the 14th and the 23rd March 2012.

Way beyond than just a mere collection of songs, MALEVOLENCE means complexly orchestrated music that stands nowadays with sophisticated character imposing psycho corrosive and progressive sound experiences. MALEVOLENCE represents a massive metallic rebellion that must be perceived and considered as an extreme progressive metal medium under expression and not as a marketing campaign. MALEVOLENCE is pushing beyond preconceptions, significantly broadening the scope on all dissonant levels and it’s roughly certain that ANTITHETICAL will erect as an achievement that stands out as one of the most volatile, ambitious and impossible to aptly categorize records you will hear in 2012.

To a large extent as MARTYRIALIZED was way ahead of its time in 1999, a fact that many media intermediates still corroborate to this day, the ANTITHETICAL outcome is on the edge to pursue the steps of its predecessor and even surpassing it as a heavy brilliant metal ANTITHETICAL concept nothing short of amazing...