01. Blood To The Leech
02. Trenches
03. If It's All The Same To You
04. Counterfeit
05. Salt The Wound
06. So Help Me God
07. Imperfect Picture
08. Heavens Shake
09. In Spite
10. Demonstration Of Pain
11. With Dirt From My Grave

The evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Having hit new heights following their breakout album Malicious Intent, UK heavy-hitters Malevolence have been on an extended victory lap since, raising their profile and growing their fan base at great rate. Now faced with the task of following up the act of capturing lighting in a bottle, Malevolence come out swinging yet again, and, though the bottle might be slightly cracked capturing the lightning this time around, capture lightning again they do.

Perhaps the hardest part of being a musical artist isn't achieving that initial breakthrough, but maintaining and progressing from it. From the first notes of "Blood To The Leech", the band unleash a fury that signals that they aren't content with merely matching the bar they set for themselves, but aim to raise it further. While the target the band are aiming for with Where Only The Truth Is Spoken is clearly visible, it falls just slightly short of it; although undoubtedly a fun and powerful release, it doesn't quite hit the same heights as Malicious Intent.

Wasting no time on grandiose entrances or hype, the band hit the ground running and don't look back, with the opening four tracks likely to be the soundtrack to a circle pit near you soon; only once they reach the fifth track "Salt The Wound" do they slow the tempo (but not the intensity). It is with this track that the first crack in the bottle is visible; the band have decided to take a second bite of the cherry, with the slower but no less heavy tracks a la "Still Waters Run Deep", but the formula still works, it is noticeably less impactful in comparison.

Almost as if a make good, Malevolence follow this up with the highlight of the album, a track that drips with 00s metalcore nostalgia, "So Help Me God", a song that blends the band's hardcore roots with a groove that sways like a wrecking ball. It is this mix that serves to be the band's winning formula, to which the likes of "Demonstration Of Pain" and "With Dirt From My Grave" attest, blending nostalgia with a vitality and intensity that is less breathing life into a genre, and more using a sledgehammer for CPR (results may vary, please do not try this at home). The guitar tandem of Hall and Baines is key to this, blending both in a way that, while nothing new, is vital and exhilarating.

The second crack appears when "In Spite" kicks in, something the band hasn't fixed from their previous work, namely that they don't get the most out of their guest appearances. Given the pedigree they are working with in Randy Blythe, it seems really wasted in the minor role he is given, as if they shoehorned him in rather than including him naturally. The other noticeable crack is the mix on Where Only The Truth Is Spoken, namely how the bass is buried to the point of near non-existence; everything is pushed so far forward that the bottom end is missing, only appearing when the band throw a breakdown in on occasion (see "Heavens Shake"). This missing weight in the mix is a noticeable absence, and something you would think Malevolence would want, given the kind of noise they generate.

A worthy successor for sure, and an excellent addition to a discography that is slowly getting the attention and praise it deserves, Malevolence are far from coasting on former glories; instead they are putting rockets on their backs and aiming ever higher.

Performance:	8
Songwriting:	7
Originality:	5
Production:	7