6th November 2021

Review: “Turmoil” by Malice Strikes

Nine months after premiering their first single “Worthless“, Tampa Florida Hardcore crew Malice Strikes unveiled debut EP “Turmoil” recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Austin Coupe (Weeping Wound, The Browning, Rendered Abstract). Since then they have gone from strength to strength and shared stages with Madball and Dealey Plaza in the last twelve months alone as well as clocking up 73k of Spotify streams for last year’s single “State Of Fear“, so we decided to head back to October 2019 to review the record that started it all…

…they might call themselves a Hardcore band but Malice Strikes are very much a band creating vicious, barbed little ditties. Something of a arty record that sees each cut introduced by a sample, “Turmoil” opens up the floor with your classic two step cut in “Bad Hand” and makes for easy comparison with bands like Bury Your Dead and early Hatebreed in style. Bringing in the bass drives for “Fake Front” shows some Hardcore Punk influences but perhaps their vocalist is too imposing for that with a real vicious bark to add to the incendiary lyrics but overall it’s a good time Hardcore track that doesn’t sweat on style over substance. “Cuts Deep” is another simple and effective, like a knuckle duster to the face effective, slab of Hardcore that if it wasn’t done right would have absolutely no place to hide. The eerie haunting atmospheric closure adds a moment of clarity and calm before bringing things back for that first single “Worthless” that rides high in the saddle with some caustic vocals and socially aware lyrics that are the genre at its best in a nutshell. The addition of backing vocals at a higher pitch give the cut more bite, like adding Jalapenos to your taco, some more flavour to savour but in “LBG” the band have saved the best until last. Staccato riffs and stompy chugs remind of bands like Extortionist and the false ending is perfectly executed for a blood and thunder finale that no doubt goes down a storm live [7/10]

Track listing