Malphas - Extinct Review • Strah

Is it possible to blend Old School Black Metal with its modern features and still sound very updated? Is it possible to be very melodic and at the same time keep the aggression required for a Black Metal band? Is it possible to be very simple and still sound very exciting and complex? Is it possible to combine Melodic Death Metal guitars and still keep the spirit of Black Metal?

Well, to all these questions the answer is a big flat Yes!

Malphas with “Extinct” is a very good example how simple playing can still embrace the masses. Malphas‘s Black Metal has deep roots in Old School Black Metal with simple, but sharp guitar riffs, fast drumming and thunderous basses. “Extinct” is an album to be played alive. It’s a true invitation to headbang. I can already see the masses headbanging and moshing.

“Psychomachia” kicks the album out with a frentic rhythm which from the beginning invites the fan to headbang. It is impossible to stand still facing the pulsating musical mass that comes from the speekers. Malphas‘ signature is to be able to give Black Metal a festive face, if I am allowed to say the word. It’s really impossible to stand still with the band’s music. Things change a lttiel with the beginning of “Trenches” that showcases the band has some Savatage’s influence. Well, between you and me Savatage are a hell of a band a deserves the homage. The initial strumming sounds to be taken from “Hall of the Mountain King” that goes until a Black Metal avalanche overwhelms the fan with all its power and glory changing everything. This one is the track that shows the band’s more melodic facete which is going to be repeated all along the album as following track “Majestic Moon” displays some Scorpions’ mood until it mixes with a desperate vocal with a midtempo beat full of melodic guitars.

I have two things to praise about “Extinct.” The first, of course, is the energy the band exhales from all pores. The album is pure energy. It is fair to say it pulsates. The second is Malphas‘ songwriting because they are able to mix pure emotion with the energy and make a splendide blend of Black Metal with Melodic Death Metal. The beautiful piano in “Majestic Moon” tells this tale very well. It is fair to say thr album goes in a crescendo of emotion and songwriting capability as tracks as “Armada Christi” and “Astral Dissonance” come with their extreme emotional and musical content. The guitars of “Astral Dissonance” are really amazing. To some extent, it seems the album is telling a complex story full of shifts.

Due to this complex songwriting and ability to change themselves, there are times as with “Consumed” that the fan might think it is another band. The moving guitar riffing is one of the things that immediately calls the attention. It’s really impressive what drummer J does here. By the way, the drumming is one of the highlights of this surprising album.

In time, the esplendid guitars of “Butcher’s Broom” teach a lesson on how two or more guitars can riff together without making the same thing. Here, the guitar riffs vary and complete themselves doing much more than simply playing the same riff or playing it octavated.

Malphas “Extinct” will be released on April 11th via Soulseller Records.

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