The cult of New Years Day tightens its grip on the masses with their third full-length, Malevolence.
My first exposure to the group was seeing former drummer Nick Rossi hazed on stage at a Boston Combichrist show. So without even hearing a note, NYD had my respect. Luckily, New Years Day have the music to back that early bout of respect especially on latest Malevolence.
Filled with anthemic hard rock numbers and chilling heavy metal breakdowns, Malevolence is equally sexy and salty as Ash Costello exudes vocal confidence on cuts like “Scream” and “Suffer”. Opener “Kill Or Be Killed” on the other hand channels all that energy and adds a pit-friendly chant of “Sick! Sick! All Of Us Are Sick” bringing to mind Korn and Bring Me The Horizon at times.
Speaking of the Bakersfield nu-metal heavyweights, had Malevolence been released in the mid-90’s it would’ve ruled the charts and airwaves alongside Follow The Leader. In 2015, though, Malevolence stands on its own thanks to vocalist Costello. She’s a songstress, a singer, and brims with bile and bite when the song calls for it. But on the other hand, she can also turn a tune into an uplifting song of power like she does on “Your Ghost” or “Anthem of the Unwanted”, the latter being the quintessential anthem for the disenfranchised of the 21st Century with staccato beats and hyperactive guitar attacks.
Malevolence is out now through Another Century. Get yours here, or better yet, grab it at an upcoming show. For dates and more, head here.