Let’s not pretend Malevolence are part of the underground anymore. Arena tours, Bloodstock mainstage, Grohl’s Studio 606 , these aren’t the rites of passage for gritty hardcore bands trying to claw their way up the sweat-slicked ladders of DIY legitimacy. No, Malevolence have already kicked that door down, walked into the lounge, and is now sipping champagne with the elite. And if you’re a hardcore purist, one who believes the genre belongs in grimy basements and bloodstained pits, you might feel, as I did, a primal resistance to that reality.
But here’s the rub: this album is flawless. “Where Only the Truth Is Spoken” is, on a purely sonic level, the best-sounding hardcore album I’ve ever heard. The production is staggering. It hits with clarity and weight, equal parts bomb blast and brain surgery. Tracked through the same Neve console that gave us “Nevermind” and “Rumours”, it’s as rich and full-bodied as any modern metal release. And I hate how much I love it.
Because here’s the truth, I want to dislike this record. I want to sneer at its stadium-size swagger, at the AI-assembled press release dripping with hollow conviction. I want to call out the contradiction of playing music built on anger and struggle inside arenas sponsored by credit card companies. But this album refuses to let me dismiss it.
Opener “Blood to the Leech” sets the tone with brute force. The riffs are vast, the breakdowns crafted for maximum structural damage, and Alex Taylor’s vocals thunder with surgical rage. From there, “Trenches” and “If It’s All the Same to You” follow like iron fists in velvet gloves, heavy, polished, and built for mass appeal. This is hardcore that’s been lifted from the gutter and forged into a weapon-grade product.
Lyrically, they claim to be baring souls, and maybe they are. There are moments of sincerity buried beneath the polished aggression. But here’s where the disconnect lies: hardcore has always been about emotion first, precision second. This album flips that equation. It’s heartbreakingly perfect in its execution, but rarely do I feel anything beyond admiration. Except maybe a righteous fury at how well this works.
“Salt the Wound” and “So Help Me God” keep the momentum going, while “In Spite” features a guest spot from Randy Blythe, which is exactly as monolithic as it sounds. These tracks are crowd-slaying anthems, engineered for festival carnage. They’re not asking for connection, they’re demanding obedience. And we give it.
There’s no denying that Malevolence are brilliant at what they do. “Imperfect Picture” and “Heavens Shake” dabble in melody, but without ever losing the granite core of their sound. Closer “With Dirt From My Grave” stomps like a funeral march in steel-toed boots. It’s an ending that feels both triumphant and ominous.
But here’s my lingering discomfort: this is hardcore built for maximum reach, not for maximum truth. For all the album’s talk of honesty and loyalty, the lazy press pack and phoned-in bios scream brand, not brotherhood. They say the album reflects lived experience, and maybe it does. But when your lived experience is playing sold-out tours and recording in Dave Grohl’s personal studio, you’re living in a different universe than the kids sweating it out in the pit every weekend.
Still, even through my gritted teeth, I have to admit: “Where Only the Truth Is Spoken” is an exceptional album. It’s calculated, it’s explosive, and it sets a new production standard for the genre. And maybe that’s the new truth, that hardcore has evolved into something far removed from its roots. And maybe, if we’re honest, that’s okay.
Rating: 10/10
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Writer: Andy
Tracklist:
- Blood to the Leech
- Trenches
- If It’s All the Same to You
- Counterfeit
- Salt the Wound
- So Help Me God
- Imperfect Picture
- Heavens Shake
- In Spite (feat. Randy Blythe)
- Demonstration of Pain
- With Dirt From My Grave
