Awaken The Tides - Malefice (2011)

ALBUM REVIEW

Reading metalers Malefice are back with their 4^th studio album entitled Awaken The Tides, which was released on the 2nd of August via Metal Blade Records. While listening to the album the first time, I have to say that it left me disappointed as I was expecting something heavier from Malefice and Awaken The Tides is not exactly what I was anticipating. However after listening to the album a few times I grew fond of it and I can say that the album flows really nicely and there are some very nice passages that sound awesome. Awaken the Tides is an album which brings to the listener a nice variety of sounds and styles as it seems as if Malefice tried a different recipe for this album. With the vocals not being as aggressive as one would expect, and with tracks with a slower tempo and vibe, such as The Day the Sky Fell, Malefice really brings out an other aspect of the band which is kind of refreshing to hear. Dale Butler(Vocals) really does a great job on the whole album and uses his vocals capabilities to the max! The guitar riffs are not as aggressive and attacking as on the previous album but are still keeping a nice feel while some riffs are still spine-destroyer material! The big question in my mind is whether Malefice has found their sound yet or if they are still searching. Awaken The Tides is definitely the most "musically mature" work that Malefice have released but how far can they take their music and how much difference can they make is something we will have to wait to find out. Until then though we have a kick-ass album to enjoy!

The album has a bunch of really cool bits to check out. The title track Awaken The Tides has some great drumming from Chris Allan-Whyte(Drums) while tracks like Flood Of Red and Delirium feature some really nice guitar solos that go from crazy atonic stuff to melodic and almost bluesy licks. Dale Butler is really impressive on The Day the Sky Fell introducing a lot of feeling in his singing as well as on The Haunting which is a track with a massive intro riff that turns out into some sort of heavy metal lament and eventually awakes the tides!

Awaken The Tides: 8.5/10

Posted by Nick

Malefice - 14 Jan 2011 (Underworld)

Despite the fact that Malefice performed in London only 2 months ago, with Arch Enemy, they were back for more and I'm glad they did. Malefice is a band that has the ability to make the back of your neck sore for a week after their gig and tonight wasn't any different. With some really enjoyable pits tonight, we had the privilege to hear some of the tracks coming from the new album, due to be released sometime before the summer of 2011, and honestly they were GOOD! The crowd seem to enjoy the tracks and like Dale Butler(Vocals) said: “People killed themselves to our new stuff tonight” so definitely keep an eye open for this album because it looks like it is going to be a killer one. Of course songs from Dawn of Reprisal and Entities couldn't be absent and songs such as An Architect of your Demise really made it for everybody in the venue. An other great thing about this gig was definitely the choice of venue. The Underworld is just the perfect venue for bands like that to get close to the public and deliver some kick ass shows. The way the Underworld is built just makes it a great underground venue and with bands such as Malefice you can only be sure it will be a great night! The guitars of Ben Symons(Guitar) and Alex Vuskans(Guitar) blended really well together and were delivering that hammer-feel blow to the crowd. Chris Allan-Whyte(Drums) and Tom Hynes(Bass) really brought the groove to the gig and really displayed some high-level technique on their instruments. In general Malefice: great band! Very tight, heavy riffs, great vocals and really cool guys. I think we have a winner here and their future definitely looks very bright so good luck to them and I know that I will be eagerly awaiting for that new album and so are the other 300 persons that were down at the Underworld tonight!

For more info on the new album and Malefice check out the interview with Dale Butler below!

Malefice: 19/20

Posted by Nick