LIVE REVIEW: Malevolence @ Brixton Academy, London

This feels like a victory lap for Sheffield’s MALEVOLENCE. Since dropping their The Other Side EP a few years ago they’ve been catapulted to the forefront of British metal, the result of a decade of hard work and self belief. 

Through that time, they never once forgot their hardcore roots and they still haven’t. Openers PSYCHO-FRAME might be a deathcore outfit replete with two vocalists à la DESPISED ICON, but much like the Canadians they’re firmly rooted in hardcore. Offering a smorgasbord of unrelenting blastbeats, duelling vocals and guest spots from crew and friends, they blitz through a short set that feels like a basement hardcore show that’s broken containment to hit the big stages, in the best way. This is only their first time in the UK and even with early doors, they get a solid crowd to kick off one of the year’s best bills. 

Rating: 7/10

DYING WISH need no introduction to the metalcore faithful. Their third record, Flesh Stays Together, cemented them firmly at the forefront of a revival of the classic 2000s sound without only relying on it, and this slot proves why they’re already beloved by many. Kicking off with Emma Boster singing the solo opening to I Don’t Belong Anywhere – also the opener to Flesh Stays Together – it’s an arresting moment that belies the chaos to come. Brixton Academy has never sounded this good either, their furious riff work and thunderous drumming filling the space and sounding for all the world like DYING WISH turned up to 11. Simply put, it’s one of the best performances of the night full of fury and emotional vulnerability. 

Rating: 10/10

“SPEEEEEEED!” The cries have gone up well before the band are onstage, but once they are they swiftly tear Brixton a new one. Playing a pure strain of hardcore with no frills and even less bullshit, Australia’s SPEED are the moment. Jem Siow is a blur, near constantly moving across the huge stage as do his bandmates, an electrifying display of hardcore swagger and confidence. That’s echoed by the floor that erupts into constant pits and hardcore dancing, the crowd very much getting the message that push pits aren’t welcome here. Despite the aggression, SPEED’s message is one of love and acceptance, something Siow stresses between songs and shouting out the UK’s own burgeoning hardcore scene. It’s easily the most energetic set of the night and proves that one day they could themselves be headlining a venue this size. 

Rating: 10/10

MALEVOLENCE are clearly revelling in their status as Brixton headliners, and frankly who else could get the infamous Brick Top to introduce them on his own home turf without it seeming ridiculous? Certainly there’s more than a few shades of over the top bombast but this comes from a band who’ve more than earned their stripes and this is a hard won victory. The floor is covered in MLVLTD mats, the back of the stage adorned by a giant drum riser that also features space for the other band members to get up and riff on – which they make the most of. After such an attention-grabbing beginning, the only thing left for them to do is what they do best, hulking groove metal with a hardcore spine that turns the floor into more mosh pits than you can shake a stick at. 

Blood To the Leech kicks off the set proper, followed by an acerbic Trenches that has thousands of throats bellowing back the hard-as-nails “who the fuck are you / never fucking heard of you”. There’s no huge production beyond the (admittedly excellent) light show, but they don’t need it; they’ve got the tunes and the crowd work to turn Brixton into their own personal stomping ground for an hour and change. Self Supremacy hits like a baseball bat to the skull, while On Broken Glass reaffirms its place as the greatest riff they’ve ever written. 

The only misstep is an extended instrumental jam that still sees every member grinning, even if it disrupts the pacing on an otherwise stellar setlist. With an arresting Higher Place they remind Brixton they’ve got the huge ballads too, Konan Hall’s gravelly tones ringing throughout before they bring it back with a crushing Keep Your Distance and finale of If It’s All the Same to You.

This is, ultimately, exactly what you’d expect from MALEVOLENCE. There’s a sense that it’s triumphant, but that they’re already champing at the bit to go bigger next time. 

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from C Wilkinson Media here: 

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