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MALANOCTEM – Promo 2009

Promo, Self – Released

February 2009

Death Metal

4,5/10

This untitled promo is the very first output from this fairly young Italian quintet (from Lanciano), and it features two tracks only, entitled Respect 2015 and Fire Embrace. Initially, Malanoctem started as a Thrash-influenced band, and this promo marks their first venture into Death Metal territory (although some slight hints of Bay Area Thrash leer through from time to time).

It’s rather tough to express an assessment about a band basing on two songs only, furthermore of such narrow length (the total running time barely reaches the 8 minutes), but it appears that the songs at hand were composed and assembled with not enough maturity and familiarity, definitely not doing justice to what might be the actual potential of the band. The songwriting is rather inconsistent and ingenuous, lacking any kind of formula or even initiative to get any kind of momentum going, and the guitar work sounds well performed but insipid, occasionally promising, but ultimately mediocre. In fact, there are some decent ideas woven throughout which never rise to their true potential. Malanoctem definitely need to grow up as a band and reconsider their approach; considering that they are apparently working on their first full – length, I hope this will be their chance to do it.

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