HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Of Malice & The Magnum Heart – Misery Signals

Sometimes it feels like the gravity of musical events in the mid 2000’s isn’t discussed enough. Of course, GREEN DAY would approach rock opera territory (and conquer it) with American Idiot, MASTODON would unleash sophomore mastery in the form of Leviathan, and SLIPKNOT would find crossover appeal in the bones of Vol 3. You’d be forgiven for feeling like further happenings in the mid naughties were a blur, but the specific time frame of 2004-2005 was home to an incredible shift taking place in metal: the likes of which we’ve seldom seen since.

Though its actual roots can be dated back to a whole decade prior with the likes of EARTH CRISIS, CAVE IN, and INTEGRITY being some of the first to fuse the concepts of both metal and hardcore together: metalcore would enjoy some of its earliest tastings of widespread appeal in 2004. Spurting as what looked like a growth on the back of the new wave of American heavy metal, come the decade’s end – metalcore had begun to feel commonplace, and though now littered with bands who would struggle to make the cut long term, the genre became the epicentre of youth fandom.

Of course, you’d be tempted to cast your mind to KILLSWITCH ENGAGE‘s 2004 opus The End Of Heartache or SHADOWS FALL‘s The War Within as a place to pinpoint metalcore’s commercial rise – and you’d be right to. But lurking in the background during this period were MISERY SIGNALS – a five piece born out of circumstance and tragedy, but one that would go on to make arguably as big a contribution to the next decade as any of their contemporaries.

A breathing Edmonton/Wisconsin crossover, MISERY SIGNALS would never go on to reach the commercial heights of others in their zenith – and maybe things were better that way. The quintet would (at least for the start of their career) steer away from grand accessibility, they were a hardcore purists dream: A band that fully intended to take nods at POISON THE WELL while instilling their own personality into their throes.

Their debut record, Of Malice & The Magnum Heart was unleashed on June 1st 2004. Produced by Devin Townsend a mere 12 months after his well known difficulties with LAMB OF GOD‘s As The Palaces Burn, it’s an album that on the surface, didn’t make anyone a star – but there’s much more to it than that.

What Of Malice… would do instead is lay foundations for which bands in the current day can be thankful for, even if they didn’t know they were there. The thematic impact of the record was circumstantial, bassist Kyle Johnson even told this very publication that the creation process of the LP was merely him and his counterparts “writing what they thought was fun at the time”. The brain child of five future superstars it might not have been, but that takes nothing away from the albums importance, in fact – its almost accidental existence should make us more grateful to have it.

Though its sonic roots are planted firmly in the ground of 90’s hardcore, MISERY SIGNALS‘ weaving through the alternative tapestry on the record has become transcendent. As vocalist Jesse Zaraska‘s abrasive bellows run through the likes of In Response To Stars – guitarist Ryan Morgan often slips underneath to drop a quick, but noticeable line of grace – chuck Brendan Murphy on vocals here and you’d think you were listening to Tragedy Will Find Us era COUNTERPARTS.

Murder has the low tuning, and constant percussive punch that we would find permeating deathcore come the early 10’s. And the open note, two-step inducing breakdown that sprints through the middle of the track is something PARKWAY DRIVE perfected, and very much made their own for, pretty much, most of their careers. There’s even a pinch harmonic thrown in for good measure, it wouldn’t have felt like a mid 2000’s metalcore track without it.

Look further afield and you’ll even find links to the likes of ARCHITECTS and even LA DISPUTE. Listen to Zaraska‘s caustic delivery surrounded by classic hardcore chaos on In Summary Of What I Am, and try not to picture Sam Carter audibly tearing his throat into oblivion on Every Last Breath. Jesse‘s intermittent spoken word vocals that flit throughout Of Malice but leave the harshest bruise during On Account Of An Absence is something that bands like LA DISPUTE, and arguably even KING 810 took to their own, successful extremes too.

Of course, MISERY SIGNALS weren’t the first band to ever formulate their creativity in this manner, but if the heights of the new wave of American heavy metal are to (correctly) be thanked for influencing a barrage of bands at the tip of our lips today – then the five piece are a criminal omission.

Even with all that said though, it’s not like Of Malice… simply came and went without even causing a ripple in the water. In fact, the record left such an impact that the original formation of the band, one that hadn’t been together since 2005 due to the departure of Zaraska, re-formed in 2014 to play 10 dates across North America in support of the albums 10th anniversary. They even made a documentary about the events during the tour, what caused the band to form, and then break up 16 years ago – it’s called Yesterday Was Everything and you won’t see many better band documentaries.

The true story of the record is tied to its best, most harrowing song: The Year Summer Ended In June. Pre MISERY SIGNALS, Jesse fronted hardcore outfit COMPROMISE while Kyle Johnson and Ryan Morgan were figureheads in 7 ANGELS 7 PLAGUES. During a tour of the two outfits, two of Zaraska‘s band mates were killed by a drunk driver – once MISERY SIGNALS were comprised, the track was written to pay homage to Jordan Wodehouse and Daniel Langlois.

As heavy on the heart as the song sits, with the aching lyrics of “This time, it was our summer, it was a time, no one could take from us” musically – it finds the band at home. Of Malice & The Magnum Heart is an often bleak depiction of the bands agony and hatred, but harsh as its subject matter may be, you find yourself often cocooned in its story. MISERY SIGNALS continued on after Zaraska‘s departure in 2005 (he would return for new record Ultraviolet this year), and never released a bad record, but similarly, never captured their magic again to such a degree.

When you look upon the annals of metal/alternative music history, 2004-2005 will rightly hold its accolades aloft. Bands like TRIVIUM, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, and AVENGED SEVENFOLD would break through, more established outfits would come of age, and some bands would play a part in the foundations of the next 15 years of metal without even knowing it. Of Malice & The Magnum Heart wasn’t the first ever metalcore record, it wasn’t the most legendary, but it might well be one of the most important.

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