Maladie - 2023 - For We Are The Plague [mini-review]

(70:44; Apostasy Records)

German band Maladie are out with the album "For We Are The Plague", and this is a production that might be of interest also for fans of progressive metal. With a good possibility for some people to feel that this is a band that falls inside of this categorization too. It is what one might describe as an experimental venture into the extreme metal universe we get on this album. The songs tend to be dynamic and expressive, more often than not with a few different fluctuations of the ebb and flow nature being present. We do get intense riff and rhythm barrages and distorted aggressive vocals, but sometimes backed by a saxophone with a sound and expression long time Hawkwind fans will find familiar sounding. Folk music elements may be used here and there, and gentler, dreamladen pastoral interludes are a part of the experience here. Some passages may touch upon landscapes a tad closer to Rammstein, traditional heavy metal and thrash metal side steps come and go here as well, but we also get occasional side steps into landscapes that have a more defined and purebred jazz orientation. With a few atmospheric laden metal interludes and occasional nods of the hat towards cosmic music included. Everything and the kitchen sink style extreme metal with a dynamic and inclusive spirit and possibly a bit of a progressive metal swagger in terms of approach and structure is how I would summarize this album, and those who find this summary or the prior description intriguing will probably have a good time getting to know the details and nuances of this album.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, November 2023

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/maladieband
https://www.apostasyrecords.net/