Malevolent Creation

Manifestation (Pavement)
by Tim Den

The way I figure, this review could’ve gone in a few different directions. Not all worth reading necessarily, but definitely packing more angles than the average reader would like to hold his/her patience for. For instance, I could rant on and on about how amazing Malevolent Creation is (and always has been), how I’ve been a follower since their debut, and how they’re still one of the best death metal bands. Or I could bitch about how Manifestation, a “best of” with tracks pulled from all of the band’s records (six full-lengths and one EP), should’ve been a live record instead of a random grab bag (the fluctuation between different recording qualities, band members and vocalists makes a collection like this very disorganized). This opinion I firmly stand by. It’s a much better idea to look back on a career by assessing and displaying the band’s position today as opposed to rehashing the skeletons. Or — and this one’s my favorite — I could tell you to your face that you don’t need Manifestation because you should already own every single one of Malevolent Creation’s albums (well… except for the monotonous In Cold Blood). Your pick. The prevailing theme here is that these guys are essential, and I can hardly wait for the new studio record.
(7400 W. Detroit St. Ste. 150 Chandler, AZ 85226)