With a name inspired by a DEATHSPELL OMEGA song, it would only be right to expect something out of the ordinary from this UK based experimental black metal band, but MALCONFORT have dismantled the very fabric of the genre on their debut album. They've rendered it almost irrelevant with their take on it. They're able to navigate around the music and seem to have a fair idea of what they are doing. Yet, they have managed to do something altogether different, something refreshing and liberating, perhaps even far removed from the core values of the genre itself. But, that is exactly what makes it so special.

“Compulsion (Ecstasy)” is the first song. Experimental? Use that term lightly. A funky bass line accompanies throaty, angry vocals. The music is bouncy, and jovial at times, and darker and more dissonant at others. Right out of the gates, you have to respect them tossing conventions out the window. “Cruelty (Elation)” has a more even-keeled sound…at first. The drum beat with the high hat is groovy, but the clean guitars create a tension in the air. The spoken word come across sultry, but when the distorted riff kicks in, things get tangled quickly.  “Stain (Fantasy)” is gritty, stormy, and angry. The bass work is excellent in its simplicity, while the guitars build in layers over the top. What we have is some funk crossed with death.

“Rage (Indulgence)” has singing lead guitars that sound like you aren’t sure how they are feeling. The various seasonings in this song just come together somehow…even know it is akin to combining star anise with brown sugar, or oil with water. “Carnivore (God)” features another groovy drum line, combined with smooth guitars and whispered vocals. The bass creeps along the floor, stalking intently. It gives you the distinct feeling that it is a ticking time bomb but it never detonates. “Inertia (Condense)” closes the album. It has a smooth swing to it, with bright guitar tones, and earthy bass lines. Turning from a sheep to a wolf for the second half, it ends on a psychedelic malcontent.

It’s hard to even draw a peer comparison to this band, but if I had to, I would say they are on the same planet as IHSAHN at least. But they occupy half of the celestial body as their own, and live in the shadows. The songwriting and musicianship are outstanding. If you are in for something different, something with a lot of character, style, and substance, give “Humanism” your time. It has album of the year potential for sure.