Malveillance - Consentir A L’absurde

As I’m sure not many of you know, Malveillance is a Québec-based black metal entity consisting of one member going by the enigmatic initial F, specializing in an unwell amalgamation of madness-inducing blackened crust punk infused d-beat sickness that truly tests the limits of listenability.  Consentir A L’absurde is his latest offering of illness, and one that handily lives up to the mostly non-existent standards set by its forbears.

If you’ve heard anything from Malveillance from 2005’s Insignifiance on, you know exactly what you’re going to hear on this new one.  The album is comprised of 20 short songs that come and go like deranged and unwholesome thoughts bubbling to the surface of a fever stricken mind, and it’s only fitting that several of the tracks appear to deal closely with sickness and disease.  F briefly returned to his depressive, more standard black metal roots on 2010 demo Vaches Sacrees leading to a bit of worry on my part that he was abandoning the abject nihilism of his modern style, but opening track “Faire Face” sounding as if it’s already been playing for a while before you start hearing it, quickly erased all doubts.  The production on Consentir A L’absurde, quite improbably, sounds even further decayed and several of the tracks (“Devoues a l’Idiote”, “Resilience”) almost sound as if they’re played on bass guitar exclusively, the guitars reduced to an undercutting buzz of grisly distortion.

The punk elements of the Malveillance sound are somewhat more pronounced here, particularly noticeable in “Ingratitude” and “Truies et Porcs” which may very well be the catchiest material he’s ever done if such a word can truly apply to music this harsh.  Sadly, there aren’t any of F’s amusing Ramones covers, but there is an enjoyable instrumental cover of “She” by the Misfits to satiate.  Make no mistake, this is an extremely niche release with absolutely no chance of wide appeal, even amongst fans of extreme metal.  That impressive fact alone, however, is not what’s responsible for its success, but it’s truly something to be an acquired taste within black metal, which is an acquired taste within heavy metal, which is an acquired taste in the whole of the music world.

Release Date: September, 2010
Label: Suffering Jesus

1.  Faire Face
2.  Indigne d’un Regard
3.  Devoues a l’Idiote
4.  Le Choeur des Malades
5.  Crispation
6.  Ingratitude
7.  Resilience
8.  Truies et Porcs
9.  A Peine Humains
10.  Mascarade des Malheureux
11.  Lucidite
12.  Lamentables
13.  She
14.  Immobile
15.  Non Justifie
16.  Premonitions
17.  Hantise
18.  Maladie
19.  Worthless/Insouciance
20.  Consentir L’absurde

Total playing time:  37:03

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Reviewer: J. A. Burt

March 16, 2011

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