
Fresh victims for the ever-growing army of the undead!
-- Malfested --
28/11/2020
Stijn Daneels

Album genres:
■ | Death Metal |
Album artists:
■ | Band members | Unknown |
Review written by Stijn "Metal Shredder" Daneels.
[METAL SHREDDER REPORTING]
I got in
touch with Malfested via the band’s vocalist who invited me to check out his
newly formed band’s freshly released EP. In addition, our friends at Hard Life
Promotion offered us a shot at this new slice of Belgian metal madness as well.
And since we’ve got Belgian metal in our name, it’s no more than obvious that
we get this EP shredded!
[SHREDDING BASICS]
“Shallow
Graves” is the independent debut release of the Belgian death metal act
Malfested. Not much else is known about the band, since the members keep their
identities secret (until they’ve got the chance to play live gigs). The only
things I can confirm is that Malfested was formed earlier this year, that they originate
from Kortrijk and that they all have years of experience playing in other metal
bands. Well, who doesn’t like a bit of mystery and after all, we’re here to
shred the music, nothing else (for now, that is).
Malfested’s
“Shallow Graves” EP begins with its title track and immediately the classic
death metal influences become apparent with blast beats, grinding guitars and a
mix of grunts and shrieks. A very fun tune and perfect for frantic headbanging!
The EP’s next track, “Masked with the Skulls of the Fallen,” showcases the
band’s more melodic side with some epic melodies joined by sections that offer
pounding thrash beats, smashing breakdowns, dark ambient set pieces and sweet
guitar solos.
Up next comes
“Fields of Bloodshed,” another slow and atmospheric tune juiced up by hectic
intermissions together with another silk and smooth guitar solo. “Venefica (the
Banished One)” kicks off as a skin shredding song until it ventures into groovy
galloping beats and eventually a short piano section, which allows the EP to
venture into its penultimate track, “Incantations,” which has some of the most
menacing melodies on the EP along with the usual Malfested traits of energetic
death metal beats as well as a longer piano ending. Finally, the EP ends with
“Cistern of Souls,” featuring a final barrage of roaring guitars with equally
roaring vocals and fast drums. Pure death metal material in all of its
blood-soaked glory!

[SHREDDING VISION]
“Shallow
Graves” artwork shows an abandoned battle ground scattered with bones and
shrouded in thick fog. That’s all for the EP’s artwork, but it’s story,
however, is much more interesting!
The main
setting of Malfested’s “Shallow Graves” EP is a long and brutal war between
mankind and an army of the undead. While this may appear as a pure good vs evil
story, it actually isn’t. These undead warriors are in fact soldiers killed in
battle whose bodies got stripped naked, then unceremoniously buried in unmarked
mass graves. Upset by this lack of respect and dignity for their sacrifices in
life, these souls return to their rotten bodies and rise from their graves to
cause death and destruction upon the living.
Facing
imminent destruction, the king pleads to God to save his kingdom and people and
through prayer, he comes to the realization he needs to consult Venefica, a
witch who was banished from his kingdom long ago. The king sends a group of his
knights to her lair and after she devours one of them through violent sexual
intercourse, she eventually accepts their pleas for aid and then she uses for
deadly seductive power to slay the demon lord, bringing the undead back to
their shallow graves, joined by all the freshly killed people from this battle,
most likely causing the vicious cycle to begin once more.
[SHARPEST
SHREDS & BLUNTEST BLADES]
“Masked
with the Skulls of the Fallen” is an excellent, multifaceted tune that beautifully
shows many of Malfested’s strengths and therefore, it’s a clear favorite of
mine. The title track is also very pleasant as it wastes no time to bring in
the death metal violence. No long opening samples or instrumentals, the skull
crushing beats arrive straight away!
Any weaknesses
on Malfested? Well, if death metal isn’t your thing, than this band’s material probably
won’t change your opinion since they play by-the-book death metal. But if you
dig acts like Deicide, Morbid Angel or Belgian death metal acts like Carnation or
Exoto, then you can certainly add Malfested to that list. And therefore, the
band gets put into…
[SHREDDER’S SCORECARD]
8 mass
graves out of 10. Malfested’s debut release is a very enjoyable homage to
old-school death metal while also having a story that’s deeper and more
interesting than the usual gorefests that this subgenre is known for. Overall,
this EP features all the flesh and blood needed to give you a deadly good time.
Here’s “Masked with the Skulls of the Fallen.”