Track Listing

1. Dead March
2. Preemptive Strike
3. Supremacy Through Annihilation
4. Murder Reigns
5. Captured
6. Merciless
7. Section 8
8. On Grounds of Battle
9. Tyranic Oppression
10. Ravaged by Conflict
11. Shock and Awe
12. Jack the Ripper [*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #233068 in Music
• Released on: 2004-07-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Customer Reviews

Unstoppable!
This band's last album, "The Will to Kill" came out just in time for the US invasion into Iraq. With songs like "Pillage & Burn", "Superior Firepower", and "Divide & Conquer", it made the perfect soundtrack for anyone watching enough CNN or actually driving a tank through sand filled battlefields. I think the band caught on to this concept and released "Warkult" in that flavor. I could be wrong, but c'mon, coincidence?

Malevolent Creation has never been one for an "Intro Track" that is more of a mood builder than an explosion, as most of their albums open up with something that would give people heart attacks, but "Death March" is nice because it leads straight into "Pre-Emptive Strike", which is exactly like it sounds. This album is extremely brutal, and definately sticks with the "war" theme.
I have noticed that Rob Barret had a lot of influence writing on this album (as opposed to Phil Fasciana, who is the primary song writer/band founder). I can say that his stuff has a lot of energy and does the album justice.
Like most MC albums, this one took a while to grow on me. I have such high expectations for these guys, especially after The Will to Kill, and I can say that this is one of the heaviest f*ing murder-riots that they have ever released.
I'm also glad that Dave Culross (drummer)is back. Justin did a great job on the last album (I was really impressed), but you can tell that Dave just gets bored if he's not playing something over the top, and that's why he's so much fun to listen to.
"Section 8" and "On The Fields Of Battle" are the two slow songs of the album, and, back to back, create kind of a lull in the action. Personally, I would have spread these two out, but what follows definetly blows the tempo of the album back up.
Memorable tracks include "Pre-Emptive Strike", "Supremecy Through Annihilation", "Tyrannical Oppression", and "Shock & Awe". "Ravaged by Conflict" is the probably in the top 3 heaviest songs by MC, ever. It is like a pneumatic pile driver blazing through concrete (if there actually was such a thing, sounds cool, huh?).

Supremacy Through Annihilation!!! \m/!!!
Malevolent Creation, in my opinion, never lets a true death metal fan down. "Warkult" (the bands 9th studio album, not including Joe Black and Manifestation) continues where "The Will To Kill" left off. When I first heard this release, I thought it was a good solid MC album. I couldn't decide whether it was better than the previous album (TWTK). But, as with every MC release, these songs keep on growing and growing on me. Everyday, I begin to realize this album is even better than "The Will To Kill".

This album doesn't hit you with an instant classic, such as "The Will To Kill", but instead opens with sort of intro type song called "Dead March". Very cool intro that kind of prepares you for the war that awaits. "Preemptive Strike" is the first real song on this album and strikes as an instant MC classic. The riffing is awesome on this one and features a melodic riff that sounds like something Amon Amarth would have wrote. The solos that follow are sick as well. "Supremacy Through Annihilation" and "Murder Reigns" come next. These two songs do the most damage, going back to back. Both songs are extremely brutal, catchy, and memorable. "Captured" features another melodic type riff that you would hear from a Swedish band. Experimental for MC, the song ends up being very catchy again. "Merciless" ends up being just that. Its a flat out brutal song with sick as hell drumming courtesy of Dave Culross. Having him back on the drums was the best thing to happen to MC in awhile. The next two tracks, "Section 8" and "On Grounds Of Battle", slow things down. "Section 8", though a good song, tends to be alittle dragged out, but still is very catchy. "On Grounds Of Battle" is the better of the two. Sort of seems epic to me with cool melodic riffs. "Tyrannic Oppression" is my favorite song off this album. Every riff in this one is sick! I love the lyrics too. Kyle really makes these songs twice as catchy as they already are. "Ravaged By Conflict" is 2 minutes long of sheer brutality. I tend to play this song the most off this album. Drumming is superb, yet again, on this one. "Shock and Awe" may be the most catchy song off this album. Awesome riffs, with catchy as hell vocal patterns, make this an MC classic again. The cover of Hobbs Angel of Death's song, "Jack The Ripper", is a cool bonus, but I rather hear the orginial material.

I would give this album a 4.5 out of 5, but I rounded it off to a 5. This not the most original release this year or this short lived century for that matter, but I think everyone should definately buy this album. Malevolent Creation were never about being the most original or most technical band ever. These guys are superb musicians and songwriters and deserve respect because they have 8 other awesome death metal releases that not many people know about. Phil and co. KEEP IT BRUTAL FOREVER \m/!!!!!

One of the most persistent American Death Metal bands ever
After the lackluster "Will to Kill", MC still returns less than 2 years later on a new label with an album that has only one original member: Phil Fasciana. He is the glue that keeps the tenuous DM ship known as Malevolent Creation together. Rob Barrett (beginning from Retribution-era MC) didn't jump ship which was nice and they even got Dave Culross back on drums which should've been a plus. "Warkult" doesn't even match the previous album and may go down as the most bland, effortless, most hastily made Malevolent Creation album.

The guitars chug endlessly along, often indecipherably and with the signature crunchy tone that peppers every MC album. Symons vocals are even more flat than before. There are much worse Death Metal vocalists to be sure, but even Jason Blachowicz was more convincing on vox. The only good thing I can say about him is that he has some degree of range, if only he'd use it more. Culross (drums), easily the best instrument on this album, is the only thing that saves this album from becoming a one star review. The songs blend too much together and there are no stand out tracks. The album concept...what, are they trying to jack the Bolt Thrower concept?

Malevolent Creation is a great Death Metal band, and their persistence has paid off before with the likes of great albums like "Envenomed" and the more varied "Eternal" and the classic "Retribution". All you have to do is wait for Hoffmann to come back, get some of the original members and you'll have a worthwhile album. I can only recommend this to the MC completist, which you will inevitably become if you check out their earlier works.