5th September 2022

Review: “Malefactors” Split EP by Boundless Chaos & Idle Ruin

Mastered by the Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust fame, Australians Idle Ruin and Germans Boundless Chaos join forces for a split EP titled “Malefactors“, five new tracks of dark, Thrash infused Death Metal savagery. A small new offering from both bands while they’re both in the studio working on debut full lengths, this split is one that finds us abandoning our usual left hand path to review both halves at the same time. Oh and before you ask the obvious question, a malefactor is someone who is guilty of a crime or offense, a person whose behavior is wrong or evil…

…”Side Ruin” starts with the one previously released single of the record in “Valley Inferno“, a rampaging Blackened Death Thrash cut from Idle Ruin that finds them firing on all cylinders with their first cut since their self titled debut EP. A horror fuelled lyric along similar lines to the story of Pompeii as smoke fills the valley residents lungs is an interesting subject for a vicious little ditty while the thunderstorm of percussive battery from Liam Anthony drives it on. The restless and relentless rhythmic pummelling continues with “The Inheritance“, which has a brief moment of respite with a the shortest moment of melody in the centre of this otherwise all out old school Thrash cut. Another caustic vocals performance from Anthony permeates the ear drums and that “Beigh!” moment is delicious. The third and final of the sonic abrasions from the Brisbane natives is “Erythema” which features a guest appearance from guitarist Ben Jarvis of Decapitated Mum fame, a sixty five second single verse ripper that sounds like early Lamb Of God ripping through a demo at breakneck speed to see how hard they can push themselves without taking the train off the rails [8/10]

After the Australians set the bar high with their dingy viciously barbed cuts, “Side Chaos” drives down the darkness in similar fashion with inspiration from the golden age of Death Metal and bands like Deicide as moments of Speed Thrash sink into the rotting flesh of “Overkill“. Menacing and sinister, the nature of the recording makes it sound like it’s straight of the 1980s cassette tape trading scene with the bigger drum sound partially burying the solo that could use lifting in the mix. The second cut from the Germans “Terror” sounds like Municipal Waste playing Death Metal with wreckless abandon and is really good fun, the solo a lightening bolt in contrast the the percussive blitzkrieg [7.5/10]

Track Listing