Malevolence embodies everything brilliant about British heavy music. As determined in delivery as they are devastating, their hard work, perseverance and unbridled love for causing chaos has gained them a ravenous following over the last few years, bringing together metalheads and hardcore kids in perfect harmony.
And with their new record ‘Where Only The Truth Is Spoken’, they have made that sentiment even more concrete. The perfect mix of beatdown battery and heavy metal harmony, it is razor-sharp, ravenous and rallying in equally euphoric measures. Whilst the creation of it pushed the band out of their comfort zones, it is still as quintessentially Malev as everything they have put their names to in the past. And in not letting anything sway them from who they are and where they have come from, they continue to be a grassroots inspiration. Start that band with your friends because you never know where it will take you.
To dive into how they are feeling as they prepare for this next round of domination, Rock Sound had a lovely little chat with vocalist Alex Taylor.
Rock Sound: How do you feel about the position that Malevolence has found itself in? What does it mean to have so many people supporting you in the way that they are these days?
Alex Taylor: It feels like, as people, we are always so busy and so razor-sharp focused on the next thing, whether that’s a tour or a single. In the moments where you take a step back and take it in, that’s when you’re like, ‘Fucking hell, this is happening’. Screaming has allowed me to buy a house; how mad is that? It’s amazing how far we’ve come and the things we’ve accomplished so far. Especially after COVID, it has been one thing after another, and I have definitely been guilty of not stepping back and appreciating it for what it is and whatever is happening at that moment. It just makes you hungry for more, though. It motivates you to keep going and grind. We have been in this band since 2009, which is a lot longer than a lot of our peers in the world, and it’s nice that people have been on this journey with us since the start. They have seen that journey and been a part of it with us.
RS: The not stopping also comes from that journey and the way you have come up. You’re going to keep on going even if people aren’t paying attention because it’s what you love doing. But then, when it starts slotting into place, it’s just muscle memory to keep going at the same pace. But those seeing that graft for the first time appreciate that there are bands out there doing things like you are. It’s the same whether you’re in the back of a pub or in an arena.
Alex: I feel like what Malevolence has been built on from the very start is this community around us, even from just chatting with people and being human, rather than some internet personality who pops up overnight and is suddenly the biggest band in the world. There’s a disconnect there. It works for some bands, but it’s not who we are. It’s the little details that make it a bit more personal with us. We had been back and forth so much about the release shows we’re doing, honing in on those little things to make them something more. Rather than it being some clinical meet and greet in some fucking shopping centre, waiting an hour to get 30 seconds with us. We want to make it a more human interaction. Can we put it in a venue that does food or plays music? Sometimes that’s possible, and sometimes it’s not, and you have to roll with it. But it’s that attention to detail that separates us from other bands because we want to make it a better experience for everyone associated with us.
RS: It comes down to the fact that you are bridging the gap between the two sides of this scene. That shows a bit in the fact that, in addition to recording in LA, you also did some of it in Studio 606, on the same desk where ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana was made. How many UKHC bands even get to consider that as an option? What was it like finding yourself in that position but still making sure you’re not losing what makes you Malevolence?
Alex: We only actually tracked the drums for the record there, and the rest was recorded at [Producer] Josh Wilbur’s studio. However, simply going to a place like that is highly motivational. It’s a fantastic building; it’s set up as a recording and band hangout space. There are games and a nice place to sit when you’re not actually working. The walls are adorned with plaques showcasing accolades from the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and other bands that have recorded there. So, being there in that environment inspires you to deliver a solid performance. It’s almost surreal. Like, ‘Fucking hell, we’re recording on the same desk Fleetwood Mac have recorded on’. It’s mental to think where we have come from to there. But at the same time, it feels like we are meant to be there, you know? I didn’t feel like an imposter being there. It felt like it was our time to add our own little signature to the wall.
But going to LA to record did pull us out of our comfort zone. On previous records, everything has been tracked ourselves at the warehouse. Especially on vocals, we’ve been so honed in on getting every line to sound as good as it can be. On [2022’s] ‘Malicious Intent’, every line was recorded between seven and ten times, and the best was picked from that. On this record, some of the vocals for some songs were done in just a couple of hours. It was great for me because it allowed me to get in a groove and flow, and that’s something that came from working with Josh Wilbur. It’s something he could facilitate, saying, ‘If you’re feeling it, I’m not going to stop you because of the way that a word sounds’. It made the whole process so much less stressful and a whole lot more engaging. That, in turn, has benefitted the overall sound of the album. It’s made me want to push and try new things. Like on ‘With Dirt From My Grave’, there’s a part on the chorus where I’m almost singing rather than screaming, which is something I have never done before. I’m really happy in having that space and headroom to feel proud about something and then be able to move on from it. Malevolence’s main issue has always been that we are our own worst critics and tend to worry about small details. The whole process, despite being so tight, was this time about us going in, doing it, and making it happen. That’s exactly what we did.
RS: In stretching out of your comfort zone, you realise that there is always space to grow. There is no limit to what you can be. And that’s even within you and the things you have wanted to express this time around. This is the most personal Malevolence album, one where it feels like you’ve brought so many more stories and feelings to the table. What has it meant to be opening up in such a different way than you’re used to?
Alex: I think it’s part and parcel of growing up and growing as individuals. Something that you thought 10 years ago wouldn’t be cool to talk about, you start to realise that it is. The songs from other artists that I relate to the most are those with a message or meaning behind them. Those are the ones that resonate the most. On this album, there was a conscious effort to allow that. When it comes to writing the lyrics, we all play our part. It’s a group effort where everyone pitches in. And the conscious effort came from really allowing everyone to have their space to speak before shooting them down over what they wanted to talk about or express. For example, ‘So Help Me God’ is a very personal song for me. The overall theme stemmed from a personal event that occurred around the time of writing. It brought back a lot of feelings and emotions, and I told the guys that I wanted to talk about it, and this was the right song to do that. I was being open and honest about how I was feeling, and they gave me the space to do so, which was appreciated. As we have matured as people, in being adults now, we have realised we can allow each other to do that. Then, when you open that door, you realise just how much you can have those conversations with each other, and it makes you feel more confident in putting other ideas across. There are songs on the album where I’m talking about not knowing what to say in the song. Literally writing about writer’s block. Nobody had any ideas, so let’s write a song about not having any ideas and how frustrating that is. This album feels like we were really able to further the process of writing together in this open way.
RS: That must also come from being in contact with so many different people along the way. For so long, it has just been the five of you, but now you’re touring with bands like Trivium. You have a Randy Blythe feature on this record. These are individuals who have experienced and accomplished so much and want to share their findings with you. It should make you excited about the possibilities of what may come next.
Alex: When I texted Randy about whether he wanted to be on the song, he asked what it was about. I told him that the main gist of the song was overcoming addictions, and he said, ‘Oh man, I got a lot to say about that’. Like, perfect, you know. But I am very grateful for everything we have achieved so far, but it has also made me realise that there is so much more work left for us to do. I feel like we are in the strongest position we have ever been in, but we are also looking forward to the next release we will be working on and seeing just how eye-opening this one will be. We can do it to the best of our abilities, and we need to understand what we need to bring out what we want, as well as the type of positive environment we require for that. Now, we know what works and what doesn’t work. It’s a very exciting position to be in.
RS: It’s an exciting position for MLVTD as a whole project to be in as well, too. Alongside Desolated releasing a new album, it’s a big month for the community you have built with your friends that stretches back over 15 years. That must make you feel really proud as well.
Alex: We’re in such a cool position now where we can put out our mate’s records and showcase other artists that we think are cool. When we were getting started, there were similar issues, but on a smaller scale. If we are able to help our friends get in front of more people, it’s a pretty sick position to be in. It’s something I wish we would have had when we were coming up. It’s Wilkie [Robinson, Bass] and Charlie [Thorpe, Drums]’s brainchild more than anything, but from my perspective, I see what they’re doing and feel like it’s so sick. Being able to push bands to people who might like something because they like Malevolence, doesn’t get better.
