ALBUM REVIEW: What If Better Never Comes? – Mallavora
Art is political. As such, as music is art, music is also political. It’s hard not to avoid it, even in topics about relationships and nights out, the discussions of societal norms and human interactions are considered political as commentary about life and existing in the modern world. For the metal genre, political topics with heavy music are like bread and butter, since the music is often seen as darker and the lyrics are unafraid to tackle dark topics based on the musicians’ life experiences. This is showcased in Bristol’s alternative metal band, MALLAVORA, who talk about a lot of deep topics in their debut album, What If Better Never Comes? The band have never shied away from topics of gender and racial disparity within the scene, and their music has reflected their thoughts and opinions, for example, on ableism, transphobia, and domestic abuse. Does this continue to showcase the band at their best within the album?
From the get go of the opening track, Prologue, MALLAVORA exemplify what they’re about musically in a great slow build up, sonically intimidating but also inviting curiosity from the listener and lays the groundwork for what people can expect to hear from the band in the album. This incredible heavy and intricate sound does not stop at just the first track, but is consistent throughout the record and very well done, particularly with the drumming rhythms, as exemplified in Waste, Sick, and Empty. In addition, the guitar riffs and melodies are gorgeous, a brilliant mix of heavy grit and beautiful lines of playing that represent the band’s inspirations from both their cultural heritages and their favourite bands. On top of that, the bass delivers that dark deep durge-like foundation within all of the songs that gives them all that incredible depth, as well as the brilliant harmonies woven together vocally and musically. All in all, the alternative music of the album is brilliant, clearly metal sonically, but also uniquely MALLAVORA and undeniably them throughout.
However, the strength from the band comes from their strong lyricism and their poetic words that firmly state what MALLAVORA believes in. Right from the start in Smile, lyrics like “I don’t want your admiration, I am not your inspiration'” scream into the listener’s soul, as the song discusses disability inequality and how being an “inspiration” doesn’t make everything accessible to everyone. Other brilliant lyrics can be found in songs like Waste, Hopeless, Sick, and Host, for example, as the deep topics are woven beautifully around the music that adds so much weight and depth to the topic in each song. From feminism to depression, harsh truths to exclusion, these themes and discussions are intrinsically and beautifully written, with the added weight of experience that is evident throughout each of the tracks. Nothing is faked, everything comes from the heart, and that resonates strongly with the listener with how relatable each song is, especially for those who have faced a similar background and similar hardships. A great example of poetry through grit and beauty expressed in the horror of life.
Overall, What If Better Never Comes? showcases the talent of MALLAVORA in all aspects of the metal genre, with their songwriting abilities at a top tier level that few other bands can match. With the beautiful heavy music that is progressive in areas but also uniquely them, and lyrics that cut deep from the harsh experience and encourage discussion to end inequality, the band have hit hard and raw in every aspect of the metal genre and risen for the occasion with this incredible debut record. It will be interesting to watch where this band will go next from this incredible feat of a stellar debut, but one that will be seen with anticipation and eagerness for excellence.
Rating: 9/10
What If Better Never Comes? is set for release on March 27th via Church Road Records.
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