Photo Credit: Kim Quint
Three years since the release of their album Self Supremacy, Sheffield metallers Malevolence are back with their new EP The Other Side. Their first venture self-releasing has brought some challenges along the way, but with complete control the quartet have been able to push outside of their comfort zones on the new three-track record. We caught up with vocalist Alex Taylor to find out more, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their upcoming plans, how Knocked Loose‘s Bryan Garris came to feature on the EP and their global achievements over the past three years.
Hey, hope you’re keeping well and staying safe. You release your new EP The Other Side later this month, through your own label MLVLTD MUSIC. How do you guys usually feel in the run up to releasing a record?
Normally in the run up to any release, we are stressed! It’s a hectic time making sure that everything is prepared exactly how we want. This time has been no different really, and because it is our first venture in self-releasing a record, there’s been extra challenges along the way. With that being said, its been a lot of fun having complete control over the whole process and seeing the amazing support from the fans for the record!
You’ve already released two tracks from the EP, Keep Your Distance and Remain Unbeaten, can we expect third track The Other Side to sound in a similar vein?
The Other Side is a very different piece of music in comparison to the other two tracks on the EP. We’ve really pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone on this one. We had put our foot into that melodic style before, but we had never really taken the plunge and as soon as I heard the instrumental, I knew this was an opportunity to try something new, but also keep it ‘Malevolence’. It was a lot of fun to write as well as a challenge. Wilkie and I wrote most of the lyrics for this song and Konan really put a lot of effort into perfecting the vocal melodies and tried to push himself out of his own comfort zone on it. I’m very excited to see people’s reaction to it, as its one of my favourite songs to date and I think that it will be a song that true Malevolence fans will enjoy.
We’re currently facing a global pandemic and the music industry has faced a lot of struggles because of it. Have you faced any issues in the lead up to the EP release because of the crisis?
Our industry has been hit hard, no doubt. We’ve had numerous festivals cancelled and we have to postpone a few tours until we have an idea on how the next 12 months will pan out. However right now it is much more important to protect those at risk in our society. We’re trying to use the time to focus on getting the record out and also stay productive in terms of writing for future releases, but also taking the time in our personal lives to reflect and catch up on things that we have been putting off, and trying to maintain a positive outlook on what is a very challenging time for everyone.
The EP follows your 2017 album Self Supremacy, during those three years you’ve been playing shows across the globe, touring with the likes of Knocked Loose, Comeback Kid and more. That’s an impressive achievement for a DIY band, what have been your standout moments?
My standout moments are touring Australia, Asia and America. They are places I have always dreamed of going to, so to be able to go there and play music is just mind-blowing for me. Seeing different places, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures is one of the main reasons I am in this band.
Are there any parts of the world you haven’t played yet that you’d like to?
I’d like to go back to the USA with a cool tour package as there are a few places we didn’t get to visit on our last run. I would also like to hit up South America, South Africa and Russia at some point soon!
Circling back to Knocked Loose, Bryan Garris features on Keep Your Distance, did that idea come about while you were touring together?
I’ve been into Knocked Loose for quite a while now. When we toured the US some of the guys came out to some of our shows and we met them there, and ever since then we have been good friends. We have stayed in touch and we have ended up playing some festivals and some small tours with them. They are a great bunch of guys. We knew before we did that tour that we wanted to have Bryan on the track. He seemed like an obvious choice. He has a very unique style of vocals: as soon as you hear it you knew exactly who it is.
We did the guest vocal spot a day before we went on that tour, they had a few days off and luckily they had time to get in the studio and get it hammered out. We didn’t have to go through management or anything like that, I just sent him an Instagram message and he was like, “yep!”
I would much rather do that any day than jump through a load of hoops. I want someone on the song that actually wants to be there.
With the uncertainty of the pandemic, what do you have planned following the EP release? Will you be doing anything online to replace live shows?
We are currently working on a few ideas to keep ourselves active and to keep engaged with people, as well as carry on writing for the next release!
Thanks for taking the time to chat to us today, do you have a final message for our readers?
Thank you to everyone who supports what we do and to every single person who pre-ordered the new record. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it!
Malevolence‘s new EP The Other Side is due for release on 24th April via MLVLTD MUSIC, available to purchase alongside merch bundles HERE.
