A record I had to get after reading a review and an interview on Portuguese zine Ancient Ceremonies. I hunted down the album for quite a while and when I got it, I was a happy man. But my expectations were extremely high. Too high, as they proved to be.

I don't remember what I waited for, but 'Martyrialized' has something going on and that's a good thing. The band sound energetic and very comfortable and happy with their songs. The band traveled to Studio Fredman, Sweden, to record this, their second album. The band's good mood can be heard. This make even those somewhat average parts sound better, of course. Instruments and all-growled vocals are balanced very well in the mix and even though the sound is very good, it's not too polished for a metal record.

Malevolence's style is quite hard to be categorized. They have a mixture of melody, power and aggressiveness. Take some death metal, gothic metal, classical parts, even some power metal-ish bits here and there and that might be it. Malevolence aren't close to their Swedish brothers in metal, such as Dark Tranquillity, though. I'd say Buried Dreams from Mexico are closer with their style (well, of music I've listened to lately), even though Malevolence's music is not as technical, but more melodic. Still, 'Martyrialized' needs time, because I had it already on my trade list before truly listening the album and writing this review. I wouldn't draw a comparison between Malevolence and Moonspell very deep, even though there are same elements in these two bands' musics. Malevolence are also exploring a history of their nation and culture and much through literature. 'Martyrialized' has this Southern European feel to it. I can draw a comparison between this and older Iron Maiden, maybe because of some riffs and melodies. Synthesizer is used wisely and there's even some individual-sounding stuff, which is quite a treat nowadays.

I waited something ground-breaking, but 'Martyrialized' wasn't that for me. 'Martyrialized' is an embodiment of a record that some days sound great, some days not that good. The record lasts just over 30 minutes, which might feel very short, but I think there's enough music, which is also quite varying and individual enough. However, the powerful production and great vibe make the album stand over many other bands' releases in today's metal scene. Melodic without being soft.

Rating: 6+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
01/02/2003 20:54