ALBUM REVIEW: The 39th Spirit – Malphas
Progressive blackened melodeath outfit MALPHAS, spawned in Philadelphia circa 2012, unleashing a whirlwind of metal unto the masses. Their most recent release, The 39tth Spirit, is a full length follow up to their 2015 debut EP, The Conjuring. This album tells the tale of a man who became corrupted by Malphas, a demon prince of Hell, in his quest to destroy organised religion. He forms a pact with Malphas, sacrificing his soul in order to lead an army against the Church. By the end of the album, the man must face the reality of the terrors he has brought upon mankind.
Invoking the 39th Spirit kickstarts the album with an impressive display of blackened melodeath intertwined with progressive keyboards and a blistering solo right at the end to top it all off. The first track certainly sets a high bar right off the bat. Ambient crows and thunderstorms wind down the track, leading straight into Volcanic Winter with a beautifully foreboding instrumental lasting only a minute and a half, but this in turn leads into the next track. The harmonious choir heard in Volcanic Winter gets cut out and transplanted with classic black metal vocalisations, sprinkled with the prog elements for good measure in the third track, Floods (An Act of God).
Legions enters the fray with the heaviest riffs and drums we’ve heard so far on the album, crushing and impending, MALPHAS know how to knock some teeth out. The machine-gun like drums echo out past the meaty riff work and demonic vocals. The intense heaviness of Legions is pure unadulterated brutality, showing off the melodeath element to the group in all its glory. Halfway through The 39th Spirit we come across You Will Lead My Armies, an amalgamation of previously mentioned themes and musicality, played to an expert degree. From ecclesiastical harmonisations, to pummelling drums, You Will Lead My Armies stands out as a fantastic track.
The initial instrumentation and lyrical timing of Red Constellations indicates a slight folk influence nestled deep within, but rest assured this song is not lacking in heaviness nor emotion. Once again, MALPHAS have brought with them unbridled skill and execution as we reach the seventh track, Visions of the Burning Darkness. Through and through they prove to the world that they have such a solid grip on their sound, seamlessly melding black metal, prog, and melodeath into one being, with each element taken and masterfully worked into the final sound. Spells of Destruction, while not wholly original in its musicality, being much of the same, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Not every track has to be top-tier, and that’s just what this one happens to be, a solid track with nothing bad with it, other than the crime of being somewhat uninspired.
The first of two parts, Heaven’s Fall I: Condemnation keeps the pace relatively slow for black metal, allowing the lyrical themes and power be clearly heard, complemented by the choral vocals and piano work in the background. Around the mid-way mark, the speed ramps ups as the guitar solo kicks in, blistering the ears of all who listen. Once the solo finished, a deliciously funky bass solo grumbles its way forward, before the last segment of punishingly oppressive of drumming leads to the grand finale. Heaven’s Fall II: The Aftermath introduces itself with an entirely orchestral, sweeping vocalisations, accompanied by a fully acoustic set, but only for a short while, then the action starts. Metallic keys ring out in the distance while the main instruments hammer away as to be expected. Piano and classic stringed instruments are interwoven in a duet with the lead guitarist, almost vying for dominance. The entire ensemble takes the listener on a journey from start to finish, ending on an incredibly high note.
MALPHAS have proved in every song that they are master craftsmen of their art, from bellowing crescendos, to creating a sense of impending terror, each track brings something new and wonderful. Legions and both parts of Heaven’s Fall are at the top of the album for sheer ingenuity and brutality, which is really saying something considering the excellence of the release overall. The 39th Spirit is a fitting follow up and indeed a full-length album to The Conjuring. To conclude, this most recent release is an incredible showstopper, and a must have for MALPHAS fans, and those looking to bleed genres together.
Rating: 9/10
The 39th Spirit is out now via Via Nocturna.
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