MALUM SKY

Diatribe

SLIPTRICK Welsh progressive upstarts continue their winning ways

Last year, Malum Sky bagged themselves a slot at Bloodstock as a winner of the 2017 Metal 2 The Masses competition, making good on the potential displayed on their 2015 self-titled EP. As far as careers go, the Cardiff prog-metallers have made a pretty good start, and they continue to impress on this minialbum. There’s plenty for fans of Periphery and even Aliases’ shapeshifting trickery to sink their teeth into here, especially given the band’s MO seems to be cramming at least three songs into every track. Year Of The Rat gets the balance right between melodic accessibility and showing off the itchy fretwork skills but Eye Above and Diatribe are the most striking, tearing off in one direction before changing up the pace, tone and heaviness, and daring you to keep up. Nicely done.

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FOR FANS OF: Periphery, Aliases, Karnivool

DANNII LEIVERS