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Malevolent Creation: Stillborn
30/10/09 || Habakuk
Today’s exhibit is another classic example of a greatly hampered album in the middle of an otherwise great back catalogue, see also “Breeding the spawn” filed under Suffocation.
I was in the, well, actually fortunate position to have “Stillborn” as my first point of contact with Malevolent Creation, and I liked it. Quite a good start, so to say, because from there on it only got better. In case you didn’t know, this is definitely among the weakest of Malevolent Creation albums, contrasting its two legendary predecessors and the strong follow-up, but who was I to know, back in 1852 or sum’n, I just bought it.
And although weak, I wouldn’t dismiss “Stillborn” as crap. That has
been done before countless times anyway. If I had started my malevolent
endeavors with, say, “The ten commandments”, I’d probably hate this,
too. It simply doesn’t have that album’s frantic thrashing or
“Retribution”‘s massive groove hitting you left, right and center. Maybe
hints of both, but as a whole, they’re just not there.
“B-but that is what made Malevolent Creation great in the first place”,
you say. Right you are, it is, or rather was back in the day, but
“Stillborn” has to do without most of it.
All the basic ingredients are here, though: The band is pretty much the same as before, with Brett Hoffmann maybe not at the very top of his game, but still croaking his way through the album like only he is able to, tight guitar playing courtesy of Jon Rubin and Phil Fasciana, and Alex Marquez drumming away in good fashion, but there are two distinct problems:
a) less rhythmic, flowing songwriting. That alone doesn’t necessarily pose an issue, but combined with:
b) a completely lifeless production without any bass, punch or grit we’re heading to the danger zone, shovin’ into overdrive. The existing remnants of rhythm are almost swallowed by the thin, mid-heavy sound. Once again this is an output where you can visually make out the production shortcomings when looking at the equalizer. Emptiness, emptiness everywhere below the mids. This is where you put the punch, ferfuckssake!
How a better production job could’ve helped the album becomes apparent when listening to the demo version (!) of one of its best songs, “Genetic Affliction” on the “Joe Black” EP that makes it obvious where “Stillborn” could have gone with a heavier sound. Supposedly the band had wanted to record at the trusted Morrisound studios as usual, but Roadrunner had different plans at the time, as with Suffocation’s aforementioned ugly spawn from ’93. Consequently, both albums are blessed with a Dan Seagrave cover art (Malevolent Creation’s more so than Suffocation’s, as theirs isn’t quite up to Seagrave’s standard), but cursed with shitty production jobs. Thanks, Roadrunner. Thoadrunner.
So yeah, the way it is, songs that could have embodied a crushing flow of awesomeness are limited to a little stream of mediocrity. Why do I still like it, then?
I can’t really put my finger on it, but something about it has always appealed to me. There is a sinister, dissonant vibe to it that makes me listen to the album to this day. The title track is probably a good example, with a slowly scratching, fiendish melody at the beginning, distorted rhythms following and Hoffmann’s still otherworldly growl throughout it all, finishing with a ghastly line that’s probably the most memorable of an otherwise pretty un-memorable album.
That admittedly is quite a small selling point, in fact I cannot recommend this if you’re after a quick fix of awesome death metal incarnate, but if you bring some patience and good will, you’ll be able to discover the hidden qualities that “Stillborn” holds and might be slowly swallowed into the swirling maelstrom fittingly depicted on the cover. If not, well, get Eternal.
- Information
- Released: 1993
- Label: Roadrunner
- Website: www.malevolent-creation.com
- Band
- Brett Hoffmann: vocals
- Jon Rubin: guitars
- Phil Fasciana: guitars
- Jason Blachowicz: bass
- Alex Marquez: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Dominated resurgency
- 02. The way of all flesh
- 03. Dominion of terror
- 04. Geared for gain
- 05. Stillborn
- 06. Ordain the hierarchy
- 07. Carnivorous misgivings
- 08. Genetic affliction
- 09. Ethnic cleansing
- 10. Disciple of abhorrence
