Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Malevolent Creation Doomsday X Company: Nuclear Blast Release: 2007 Reviewer: Al Kikuras Genre: Death

Rating 4

A damn good death metal record

I wasn't much of a fan of the lauded The Fine Art of Murder, Brett Hoffman's first (and not last) return to Malevolent Creation after a long absence. It bored me to the point that I kind of tuned out on Envenomed. I enjoyed the Kyle Symons-fronted The Will To Kill much more, but then kind of just tuned out again. I'm funny that way.

But, I read so much about Doomsday X that I decided to pick it up. Glad that I did. Brett Hoffman sounds hungry again. The songs have strong hooks, are all good and fast and heavy. The production has just enough mud tossed into the mix to make it gloriously thick and beefy. "Deliver My Enemy" is a barbarically catchy tune with a strong chorus where Hoffman alternates phrasing to great effect. "Dawn of Deafeat" has passages that could be on a classic Bolt Thrower record (that's a good thing). "Unleash Hell" is a blast fest of epic proportions. "Bio-terror" is a frighteningly heavy death metal workout with a mash up of tempos and chugging riffs and double bass all a-rolling. There's not a dud in the bunch, folks.

I'll tell you. It may not be The Ten Commandments for 2008, but Doomsday X is a damn good death metal record, and one I've been spinning quite a bit. To quote Alec Baldwin in the great Glengarry Glenross, "Go and do likewise, gents."