After a full day of non-stop snow and icy roads, there lay uncertainty as to whether the three-hour drive to Newcastle the next day was possible. But for Malevolence, anything is possible.
I was up and out of bed to be greeted by our typical Yorkshire rain and for once I was grateful, Newcastle was a go. There wasn’t a chance in hell I was missing this monster lineup of a gig; Rough Justice, Pain of Truth and of course, Malevolence. After a run of completely sold-out UK shows last November, the lads were straight back out on the road hitting more intimate venues this time as support to their fans. It’s safe to say that Malevolence are definitely in high demand. No matter where they play, it sells out. Exactly like tonight. Now let’s see if these Geordie fans can tear it down like us Yorkshire lot. (Spoiler, they did).
First up on the stage are also Sheffield stars, Rough Justice.
Now this was the start to the night we had hoped for and Rough Justice surely delivered. Just like in their name, it was rough. For such a small venue, those mosh pits looked absolutely brutal. Elbows, feet, heads all flying in different directions as RJ tore up the stage. After just recently releasing a new album, Faith In Vain, the lads were more than ready to show us what they’ve got. Hitting us with the likes of Coward, Akrasia and Faith In Vain, it was clear the Rough Justice lads were made for the hardcore scene. You couldn’t hold back from headbanging, even if you wanted to - it was purely infectious. Even though their set was short, it was indeed sweet as each song continuously hit like a sledgehammer with raw, guttural vocals and bone-shattering riffs that boomed around the whole venue. Rough Justice are a force to be reckoned with and if they keep playing like this, they will be headlining in no time.
Final support are up next and we have a break in the all-Sheffield lineup as New York hardcore kings take the stage. Pain of Truth are here to show us how it goes down in NYC and well, it went crazy.
First of all, these guys know how to do breakdowns. I mean, wow. Us metalheads thrive off a good guitar breakdown but Pain of Truth took it to another level. It was absolute perfection. They delivered such a gripping, energetic performance including Lifeless On The Ground, Blood on Your Hands and In Your Heart. The whole set was brutal and aggressive yet executed with precision. I love these guys. I need to get myself over to NY if this is what you’ve got going on over there! Their stage presence and tight musicianship was admirable and quite frankly, impressive as hell. As main support, Pain of Truth held their own and proved they could easily sellout this venue off their own back. I mean, if you could’ve seen the state of the pits, the enthusiasm of wanting to punch the living **** out of each other, you’d know what I mean. Us metal heads are crazy, we show our love through aggression, it’s just what it is. So lads, we loved you. Congrats, you’ve thoroughly impressed us UK lot. Come back over the pond soon yeah?
As the clock struck 9:15, the lights went dark and it was indeed Malevolence time.
These guys are Sheffield’s own powerhouses. In the last two gigs I’ve been to Alex Taylor (vocals) has seemed to randomly appear on stage. While She Sleeps back in December, Alex came on for Down and then also at Bring Me The Horizon a couple of weeks back and he was out again for Diamonds Aren’t Forever. Both were absolutely insane performances. These guys are bloody legends. Sheffield royalty if I may. To see them climb the hardcore ladder this fast is insane and extremely well-deserved. I think it’s safe to say that the lads are on the verge of world domination, if you don’t know them, I can guarantee you’ll listen to one song and will quickly become a Malevolencette? Malevolencer? I’m still working on that but either way, you’ll become addicted to the sounds of the Sheffield monsters.
Kicking it off with Malicious Intent, well how do I explain sheer craziness? The crowd surfers straight off the bat were relentless. Bodies were flying over the barrier one after another after another. The smile on Alex’s face said it all. He loved it. He lived for it. This was Malevolence. Josh (guitar) and Wilkie (bassist) absolutely ripped the stage to shreds, watching them was somewhat satisfying. The energy, the passion, it was just something else. Spinning, head banging, kicking, wow. And sometimes even in unison, now that was cool. Conan (guitarist) on the other side owns his private little section of the stage whilst Charlie smashes it out on the drums. Each member plays such an integral part of this band. Without one, there wouldn’t be any hardcore titans playing tonight. Although playing more from their recent album, the fans were still treated to some beloved classics such as Slave to Satisfaction and Life Sentence. Taylor commands the stage like no other with his Yorkshire charm and unwavering charisma.
Now the song that I’m sure everyone has been waiting for, including myself as it’s been on my Spotify repeat for months, Malevolence’s collab with also hardcore heavies Knocked Loose, Keep Your Distance. This song is the definition of infectious and we were ready to let our eardrums soak it all up. As the song began booming from the speakers, it’s safe to say it quite literally split the room in half. It’s the wall of death time. Just as predicted, Keep Your Distance created the ultimate riotous response as mass destruction commenced. Tonight, the band left nothing on the table after showcasing why they are who they are. They are Malevolence from Sheffield - now you just can’t argue with that can ya?
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