Malefaction

"Where There Is Power There Is Always Resistance" maniacally shifts gears from grindcore to dark metal to straight up hardcore in 14 blasts of two minute rage. It just struck me that the album completely played through before I had more than a few thoughts scribbled down for this review. The band's breakneck speed makes plays off their subject matter in a way that keeps the record buoyant. While it's so easy for a band of this type to get stuck in prolonged moments of sludgy metal growling, but Malefaction's energy keeps things fresh, moving and unrelenting. Compare a metal band to a transport truck. Malefaction is a transport truck careening down a steep hill with the breaks cut.

For all the dark imagery of the band's artwork, lyrically Malefaction cover much the same thematic ground as labelmates Propagandhi and Warsawpack. Malefaction's game is political sloganeering: Their medium doesn’t give them the range for any deep insight, so instead they embrace the protest anthem. Stripping these anthems of all excess, Travis Tomchuk barks out disenfranchised tirades against the ills of western culture. Competing for the spotlight, guitarist Clint Chiarella really shines with some blisteringly fast and complex arrangements on tracks like "Right Wing Obsolescence" and "Ongoing Plauge." Likewise Cory Koss' machine gun drumming is simply incredible to listen to.

Truth be told, I'm rather ill equipped to review this record. My CD racks are quite devoid of grindcore, which renders my comparative skills moot. So while I can't truthfully namedrop Nasum or Napalm Death here, I can say that "Where There Is Power There Is Always Resistance" is definitely worth a listen for metal/hardcore fans.