Dead March

Preemptive Strike

Supremacy Through Annihilation

Murder Reigns

Captured

Merciless

Section 8

On Grounds Of Battle

Tyranic Oppression

Ravaged Conflict

Shock And We Awe

Jack The Ripper (bonustrack)

Kyle Symons - vocals

Phil Fasciana - guitar

Rob Barret - guitar

Gordon Simms - bass

Dave Culross - drums

Recorded at Liquid Ghost Recording Studio in Boca Raton, FL, by Phil Plaskon, produced and mixed by Jean Francois Dagenais (KATAKLYSM) and mastered by Bernard Belley in Montreal, Canada - release date 28.06.2004

our review The Will to Kill

preview - review  by dalia  di giacomo____   

synopsis -  This album is not only a killer but a complete bone-breaking giant predator. The ferocious fast Death of The Will to Kill becomes just  more melodic , and even hyper-heavier  with enthralling hook lines. The once subtle melodic wave  turns definitely  into a manifest attitude nevertheless its "blasting brutality" is  warranty for powerful fierce music  that nothing has to do with the weak.  Warkult is another must for all Death devotees who  can taste here many excellent  "facettes".

review -  Produced and mixed by one of the more able and clever artists of the moment: Jean F Dagenais (Kataklysm), Warkult of Phil Fasciana's mythical and veteran combo is successful in undertaking one of the best goals of Malevolent Creation's career: to repeat and even to increase the already impressive success of its previous brother-in -war "The Will to Kill", and the good side is that Warkult shows much evolution remaining anyway unmistakably MC. First of all MC are able now to fully unite their typical ferocity with more brutalism but also with more melodically marked hook lines. Doing this, the band attacks more on the level of the pressure and bone crunching than on the level of knife cutting: the lead solos are in US style, varied and intense, but  more tuned down, more smoothened with only short peaks of blade, while the outstanding force is more focused on the hyper-heavy steamhammering tank- heaviness of the rhythmic section, and on the brachial low cavernous vocals by growler Kyle Symons who is getting better and better. In general MC slow a bit down with inhuman strength, launching anyway lots of their fast attacks,  alternating them with slower moments of aggressive heaviness that really reach the sphere of Melodic Death. Therefore US old school impressive pitiless Death rhythm alternate with obsessive melodic catchy hyper heavy loops, enjoyable by the European audience. The violence and brutality remains at a very high indisputable  level, while the melodic parts shift the band a bit in direction raw Melodic Death à la Kataklysm like mentioned, so that wild old school walks hand in hand with  genuine Melodic with grit . Dave Culross' drumming is actually superb: blasting, propelling, supportive, varied but never intrusive. Both  concerning guitar technique and drumming itself some traces of Black tendencies are present. Tracks are varied too, interesting, mature, aggressive, merciless, a real gift for headbangers and Death devotees which have here summed up many enthralling faces of styles in a superb, neckbreaking unity . Tempo changes are enjoyable and fluent, perfectly performed. The production underlines all these qualities. We have more than a killer instinct but a full complete clever predator who is not only a machine. Or better said we have a legion of expressions to which a certain emotionality in fury is not unknown.



The opener Dead March is less fast than than The Will to Kill,  it is much more steam-hammering and pounding with rumbling drums, hook loops, great bass work, some cymbals well inserted. It is a track that will appeal also to all who appreciate Kataklysm and the aggressive raw immediate melodic Death Metal in that style. This opener sums up both the ability to unleash brutal attacks and the one to light thunderous fire following anyway suffocating catchy hooks based on a rhythmic potent rhythmic session. Dead March fades into Preemptive Strike and the word strike turns into an authentic call of arms. The classic US Death rhythm mix with an haunting hot- red fierce way to direct guitar to a tremolo-like wall of sounds,  while the bass'n drum sector is more groovy than ever. A bit dissonant cutting solos balance the rhythm soaked with Kataklysm flavours and hooklines in European taste. Therefore we can also say that never before  Malevolent Creation have united 2 worlds. Supremacy to Annihilation shows blasting drums, tight monster riffs, not linear lead solos and varied hypercompressions with fluent but uncompromising tempo changes. It stops brusque cause the beast bursts out absolute and supreme with the following Murder reigns, a track able to awake the Stones among tight Death galloping rhythm and emphasized brutal- melodic hooks. Captured maintains the tension, being ferocious  but also extreme pounding and dark with some Black tendency. Captured indeed delivers spectacular tempo changes and always overwhelming loops: a varied but coherent Death that can be classic but also very adventurous and threatening; for me Captured is without a doubt one of the best tracks of Warkult.  Merciless couldn't have a better title: a brutal speed with an  old school assault: no trace of pity . And now it comes the gem, the song that makes us fall on our knees: Section 8 (or hate?)  melodic ultra- pounding and panzer-glowing  Melodic Death that alternates once again between classic old school rhythms and  mega-catchy melodic passages that don't forgive. Section 8 is created on valid massive winning schemes that are not really that innovative but who the damn cares when the result is simply enthralling. Drums support the whole track with moments of blasting destruction, or moments in which  double bass and light woody hits of cymbals surface The brachial cavernous vocals are perfect, supported by backing additions.  This is a classic "Dejenais" song i presume, and, as such, it is fated to  receive a great response.  On Grounds of Battle, is a mid tempo intense heaviness at its best, with a certain subtle sense of sorrow intertwined with incredible loops and excellent velvet/iron propelling drumming. Tyranic Oppression slightly speeds up the general rhythm, that still gives us an impression of ultra dark and pounding ambience in spite of its onslaughts. Drums are always blasting, tempo changes among slower and faster parts are simply mastered without one single sharp corner. Obsessive , repetitive  with just a few hits of knife-solos the ninth track Ravaged by Conflict paves the way for the last assault featured by Shock and Awe .  Finally, the bonus track Jack the Ripper  sets free the  last fire -shoot, going nearer to the style of the first songs of the album.


In the foreground, the cannon of the tank turns into a kind of circle... whatever. Imo Malevolent Creation belong  to  the circle of the Gods of Death. I bow.

Rating: 9.7/10

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