Metalcore gets a bad rap. Modern metalcore doubly so. Accusations of over-produced gimmicky Instagram-flavor-of-the-week artists chasing the latest trend on TikTok quickly spread into the genre, for every one great trendsetting, there are a dozen half-hearted, sterile clones. There is a nostalgic yearning for the “old days” of hardcore-leaning, riff-laden, metalcore with a greater emphasis on riffs and clarity, following in the footsteps of older Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, Hatebreed, etc.

If any of this feels relevant to you, then Sheffield’s Malevolence is the band for you. And their latest record, Where Only the Truth is Spoken, is the perfect way to stage-dive into the pit!

My first foray into the UK bruisers was with their single “Keep Your Distance”, which immediately hooked me. It felt equally authentic, raw, and fresh (when compared to the modern mess in the genre), and still hit like a truck. I was instantly reminded of New Wave of American Heavy Metal era bands like Lamb of God, Machine Head, and Killswitch Engage, with a healthy dose of early mosh-y Parkway Drive.

I was a fan.

Their fourth full-length, Where Only the Truth is Spoken, follows 2022’s Malicious Intent, which found popular and critical acclaim. The opening groove riff of their first single off this record, “If It’s All The Same to You”, tells you everything you need to know about the band. The breakneck-paced riffs, coupled with hardcore chugs, highlight a near-perfect recipe of early 2000s groove-core. The Southern twang (a la Lamb of God) is ever-present on Malevolence riffs, and is so pronounced in Malevolence’s songwriting that it is easy to forget that they are from the UK and not Virginia, Kentucky, or Texas! The second single, “Salt the Wound” is a “power ballad” of sorts, focusing on the cleaner part of the PBR and Whiskey South, reminiscent of the slower tracks of All That Remains. The track is this record’s “A Higher Place”, with its bluesy solos and slower pacing, however, a harsher build-up and catchy breakdown are enough to keep the blood pumping.

The rest of Where Only the Truth is Spoken is chock-full of bangers, the opener “Blood to the Leech” kicks us with dizzying riffs with surprising technicality, drawing similarities to the more recent winning Bleed from Within records. In direct contrast, “Trenches” is “tuff-guy hardcore” at its best, an instant gym-goer’s jam, the mid-paced chugs and the hardcore trappings will be the soundtrack to your next powerlift. “Counterfeit” takes a modern approach, now drawing comparisons to Wage War, and has plenty of meat to throw into the circle pit.

The Southern tuff-guy reaches its peak in the yearls on “So Help Me God”, to a point where some may think it a bit much. Fortunately, the riffs and breakdowns pack enough punch to keep your neck bouncing. With eleven tracks, Malevolence tries to vary the pacing through the runtime of Where Only the Truth is Spoken to keep individual tracks memorable and enjoyable. The Lamb of God influence becomes evident with LoG’s Randy Blythe providing a vocal feature on “In Spite”, with breakdowns galore, Blythe’s trademark Southern bark is the perfect counterfoil to the modern-classic riffs and chugs that Malevolence brings to the front. Not happy to end the record on a softer note, “Demonstration of Pain” and “With Dirt From My Grave” live up to their names in intensity, with the former having vague nods to Slipknot in places, overlaid with more modern high-precision riffs and overdubs. Nobody can sit here with a straight face and tell me that “With Dirt From My Grave” couldn’t be a bonus track on Sacrament or Wrath.

For a band that has been around for around fifteen years, it is a wonder that Malevolence has had no line-up changes since its inception. That consistency harkens back to the rock-solid era in metalcore, and the effect of a unified front is clear in the songwriting journey. Every aspect of the songwriting machine is firing on all cylinders, and every member is giving it their all on this record. Guitarists Josh Baines and Konan Hall form the quintessential metalcore/hardcore one-two punch. Baines brings the technicality and speed to the riffs, and Hall brings the dropkicking chugs in perfect moshpit-inducing harmony. In addition, Konan Hall provides much of the backing vocals, notably the yarls and drawls on various tracks on the record. Truth be told, this particular aspect of the vocal register took some getting used to, and I disliked its increased prominence on this record, but I relented with the realization that it lends personality to the band’s sound. Main vocalist Alex Taylor has all that it takes to make a stellar -core vocalist and touches all the tropes of the genre’s vocal expectations with ease and aplomb. At points imitating Parkway Drive’s McCall, and other times Hatebreed’s Jasta with equal comfort.

Malevolence’s Where Only the Truth is Spoken feels like it’s treading new ground, by treading old ground well! They seamlessly blend influences from all the juggernauts from the metalcore and hardcore spaces into something unique and familiar. In a quickly crowding space of fly-by-night bands, there is a sense of steadfastness to Malevolence, that is sorely needed in the scene, and Where Only the Truth is Spoken is the soundtrack for that solidity!