At some point over the last couple of years, something happened to the musical bulldozer that is Sheffield band Malevolence, and, after a few years as a gem in the UK metal underground, things really started to gather serious momentum. Touring in support of their crushing 2017 disc Self Supremacy, things started to shift at a noticeable pace with 2021 seeing the group perform attention-grabbing sets at both Bloodstock Festival and Download Festival Pilot. This momentum shows no signs of slowing down with the release of this, their bruising new album, Malicious Intent, which slams into life with the pit-mauling, neck-snapping title track. A massive statement of intent from the band, it’s only a taster of what is to come as the album hurtles into the ferocious “Life Sentence” where their mix...
