Band:	Molten
Album:	Malicide
Style:	Death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	March 2024

01. Festering Anamnesis
02. Malicide
03. Pathogenesis
04. Scorched
05. Moirai
06. Prophets Of Greed
07. Empires Of Divinity
08. Life Of War

Molten metal may scorch, but is not nearly as hot as the riffs on Molten's latest death/thrash installment.

At the farthest reaches of the thrash spectrum, where the genre is at its darkest and most aggressive, you can find American quintet Molten, who blend OSDM and thrash styles in quite remarkable fashion. Three years after debut album Dystopian Syndrome, they have returned with their newest release, Malicide. With eight tracks spanning a relatively brief 35 minutes, this latest offering covers an array of subject matters involving war, world destruction, corruption, and inner turmoil, but how does Malicide fare in terms of quality?

The fusion of death and thrash metal has existed since the 80s, during which time pioneering bands such as Sepultura, Possessed and Vader established a template of blending both styles that is still used today, and Molten serve as a good example of more modern acolytes of this approach. Furthermore, Dystopian Syndrome not only exhibited elements of both OSDM and Bay Area thrash, but also incorporated elements from doom, prog, hardcore, and even classical; the resultant debut turned out to be dark and evil, but equally melodic and accessible, offering appeal for fans across the wide metal spectrum. As it turns out, Malicide more or less sustains this trend.

Malicide doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, but there are a few surprise elements to encounter along the way. One such surprise appears almost immediately, in the form of a soft folkish acoustic melody at the beginning of "Festering Anamnesis", but this intro is short-lived, and soon enough Molten bring out the expected aggressive riffs. Herman Bandala (bass) and Damon Lockaby (drums) drive the song's rhythm section forward rapidly, while the guitar duo Gary Godreau and Chris Corona impressively intertwine thrashy melodic leads and riffs; capping it all off, Brandon Bristol unleashes his gnarly death growls. Across its duration, "Festering Amanesis" undergoes several tempo changes, and the aforementioned acoustic guitar comes back into play, working hand-in-hand with the heavier guitar riffs, and ensuring the album gets off to a ferocious start.

This opening track should give an idea of what to expect for the remaining duration of the album ahead; while the album couldn't be categorized as brutal death metal by any stretch, thunderous drums, powerful bass, demonic growls, chunky riffs and devastating tone offer brutality to match the brutal imagery depicted on the album cover, and the fact that the songwriting remains catchy and melodic makes this all the more interesting and accessible.

The majority of the tracks featured have a short running time, and most follow similar structures, aside from the sub-minute instrumental interlude "Moirai" featured at the album's midway point. This may only be a brief track, but it is memorable for containing an impressive display of guitar work, from acoustics to a striking solo. However, if you're looking for a single highlight track to sum up the album, then the epic "Empires Of Divinity" is the prime candidate. At just shy of 10 minutes, this song features all elements provided so far throughout the album, from folkish acoustic guitar melodies, to thrash riffs in the vein of Slayer and exhilarating Bay Area-style solos. The instrumentation and harsh vocals are excellently performed, and the songwriting, while not entirely original, is both ferociously heavy and catchy, and sums up the album to a tee.

If you're hungry for intense thrash that crosses over into OSDM, and which possesses enough groove to have your headbanging fix in order, then Molten have brought together all the right ingredients to satisfy your appetite here with Malicide.