The 13th Beast

Malevolent Creation had been on my list for years, largely because I always liked the name. The 13th Beast was my introduction to the band, and I enjoyed it more than I expected. Old-school death metal is not always my first choice, but the combination of sheer aggression, melodic guitar work and thrash-influenced riffs grabbed me almost immediately. At its best, this album makes me feel like I could lift a mountain.

The guitars are the biggest reason it works for me. The tremolo-picked riffs are often genuinely melodic, frequently supported by harmonies and high-register lines that somehow still sound enormous. The thrashier riffs provide a different sort of hook, and the movement between the two styles keeps the early songs interesting. The solos are another highlight. There is plenty of wild chromatic shredding, but also some more intricate lines that stand out without sacrificing speed.

Philip Cancilla is a beast behind the kit. Blast beats and double-bass passages are everywhere, broken up occasionally by some welcome groove. Lee Wollenschlaeger’s growl sounds like a possessed hellhound, and I mean that as a compliment. It has a great low-to-mid tone and is unusually understandable for death metal. Unfortunately, the delivery barely changes throughout the record. Even when the vocals are layered, it is mostly more of the same voice, which adds to the fatigue later on.

The first four songs make a remarkably strong opening run. “End the Torture” starts with distant guitars and a spoken passage before a melodic guitar line, the first growl and double kicks lead into the song proper. It is exactly the kind of opening I appreciate: atmospheric without wasting a separate track on an unrelated intro. “Mandatory Butchery” might be even catchier, with a fantastic thrash riff that keeps returning between tremolo passages, plus a wild solo. “Agony for the Chosen” leans more firmly into death metal and has a chorus that absolutely rips. “Canvas of Flesh” barely lets up at all, and its fast but more intricate solo is another standout.

“Decimated” belongs in that company too. A thick, groovy riff, several distinct melodic motifs and a really cool solo make it memorable. Unfortunately, not every song has that kind of identity. “Born of Pain” initially offers a welcome change of pace with more groove and a crushing breakdown, but at almost seven minutes it feels like hearing the same ideas twice. The breakdown loses its impact when it returns, and the fade-out ending does it no favors. “The Beast Awakened” has a machine-gun riff that reminds me of Metallica’s “One”, but otherwise the beast seems to have rolled over and gone back to sleep. Even “Release the Soul”, despite a nice slower melodic opening and ending, feels as though it could lose a couple of minutes.

The production fits the music. It is heavy, big and straightforward, with the performances firmly in focus rather than obvious studio gimmicks. The guitar tone is especially impressive. During rapid tremolo picking, individual pick attacks remain remarkably clear. I can imagine some listeners finding that sound abrasive, but I like it. The strange, gnarly bass tone works surprisingly well too.

What hurts the album most is that the thrash influence seems to become less prominent toward the end, taking some of the variety with it. The riffs are still heavy and the performances are still impressive, but too many songs start blending together. When I am in the mood for this style, I can see myself returning to The 13th Beast often. Give me the opening four tracks and “Decimated” as an EP, and I would have very little to complain about. As a full album, though, the repetition and unnecessary length hold it back. 7.5/10.