Scorching black/thrash and black metal that recalls the genre’s formative years is always welcome in my book, and this is what Boston based Malleus brings to the table with their debut full-length The Fires of Heaven. The group has been refining their ideas for several years now, having put out EP’s in 2016 and 2018 before going quiet for a while, but they’ve re-emerged with even more fire and atmosphere than ever. The Fires of Heaven explores first wave black metal, thrash, and everything in between with bursts of speed and slower, more methodical riffing, and while the longest tracks do drag a bit this is still a strong showing.
Malleus makes it clear that they’re going for something a bit different in scope when it comes to their take on black/thrash, as rather than kicking right in with blistering riffs opener “The Tempest” provides a moodier instrumental set-piece that establishes a more somber and mysterious tone. It’s a small detail, but this intro that’s performed by Jackie Perez Gratz of Grayceon and Kris Force of Amber Asylum makes it clear that the group is looking to add in a bit more nuance and moments of pause in between their scorching riffs. Of course, from “A Dark Sun Rises” to “Prophetess” you are barely given a chance to breathe as the band whips through fast and furious black/thrash alongside some mid-tempo passages that still go right for the throat. Malleus uses much of the first half of The Fires of Heaven to blaze a trail of destruction that feels straight out of the Hellhammer, Venom, and other black and thrash metal playbooks from those formative days. It’s done well and the songwriting keeps things moving at a brisk pace so that riffs hit hard and then transition to the next idea. Once the title track begins the album takes a noticeable shift towards slower writing that lets the type of somber and desolate atmosphere from the intro build while interspersing bursts of speed into the middle of it. Malleus once again showcases a good deal of Celtic Frost influence on these longer tracks, and the final two songs sprawl outwards into the eight- and nine-minute mark. Admittedly putting the two longest pieces back-to-back does make the second half drag a bit by comparison, and while there are some faster passages to break things up “Awakening” does overstay its welcome. Closer “Mourning War” fares a bit better with more intriguing atmosphere and more twists and turns, but I do feel that back loading them does hurt the flow. There’s still plenty here to keep listeners coming back though, and Malleus does have a bit more to dig into than the average first-wave revival band.
There may be some periods of restraint when it comes to the instrumentation, but the vocals remain as furious and in your face as possible whenever they appear. The Channeler has a raspy scream that seems to tower above the rest of the band and often feels like it could tear directly through your speakers. On songs like “Beyond the Pale” there are some distorted spoken word passages that add to the harsher and evil sounding atmosphere. This fits the concept that The Fires of Heaven explores around the Puritans that settled the band’s home region and how their perceptions and paranoia shaped their later actions. While The Channeler’s pitch doesn’t deviate that much throughout the album, the longer songs are smart in how they space out their verses and keep the performance from feeling repetitive.
Malleus has always had songwriting that skewed towards the longer side, and they’ve balanced dark atmosphere with roaring black metal and thrash on their full-length debut. When they push past the eight and nine minute mark some of the passages feel overstretched and do become repetitive, but I like the overall approach the band is taking and they are trying to offer more twists and turns than the average band in the genre. A few meaningful tweaks could go a long way in making the songs remain impactful whether they’re going full speed or slowing down a bit, but there’s still plenty of substance here for those that looking for a dose of fury and violence. The Fires of Heaven is available from Armageddon Label.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg