Malleus - Storm of Witchcraft

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Spawned from the USA, MALLEUS carry on the vibes of early black metal, throwing in their own elements of occult and witchcraft. Influenced by the early BATHORY and CELTIC FROST, MALLEUS make their first strike to the scene with their debut EP album “Storm of Witchcraft”, released in September this year. “Winds of Wrath/ Ire” sent me into an eerie suspension with sound samples of ethereal winds, that suddenly transformed into dark, thick and rhythmic guitar distortion. Moving onto “Blackened Skies”, this song takes the listener straight in for a ride of repeated bass, as speed changes from slow creeps to faster gallops. “Demonology I” snaps in with an assault to the ears as solo guitar reverberates like a swarm of giant wasps. These vibrations continue throughout the song, setting a strong background for the demonic vocals. “Demonology II” contrasts to the aforementioned “Demonology I” with higher speed chord changes and blast-beats. The guitar chords are discorded and ‘broken’ sounding, like the clashing of nails on the blackboard.

“Act of Faith” is another grim yet rhythmic journey into the forest. To me, it sounded like the vocals echoed down from cave upon the hill. Fills and break downs are subtle and slight, as true to the old blackened styles. “Storm of Witchcraft” is the finale track, head-bang worthy, as the band members let out their steam, filling the room with their dense atmosphere. MALLEUS retain a classic black metal style in their music, and let out a bleak, unforgiving atmosphere in “Storm of Witchcraft”. Brutal in style, I hear how they carry on the legacy of the early black metal masters such as CELTIC FROST with them. Personally, I’d find it exciting to hear some more fluctuations and variety to the dynamics in the songs, though the consistency keeps the stream of dark atmosphere afloat.

Songwriting: 7
Originality: 6
Memorability: 6
Production: 5