Metalcatto
It’s been a while since we’ve reviewed some good old school Death Metal. Honestly, after everything that happened in 2024, I’ve gotten dangerously close to becoming a hater. It’s just hard to stay excited when the scene feels so oversaturated. Still, despite the genre fatigue, new bands continue to dive into the old school trenches like it’s 1992 all over again. One of these brave souls is Malformed, who arrive with the debut Confinement of Flesh. This record is supposed to bring something fresh to the table, but you’ll have to excuse my skepticism — I’ve heard that before.
Well, title-wise, Confinement isn’t bluffing. The music definitely lives up to it. The entire album feels like being locked in a steel chamber with only brutal riffs and relentless blast beats for company. Yet, somehow, there’s enough space in this chaos to breathe. The band occasionally allows for brief glimpses of light — not in a hopeful or uplifting way, but more like catching a dying flashlight beam in the middle of a sewer. It’s still unmistakably old school Death Metal, but there’s a noticeable melodic undercurrent. Imagine something like Sepulchral Curse, but with more restraint and without the obnoxiously loud production. It’s a refreshing balance between grit and clarity — raw and ugly where it counts, but smart enough to let the music’s nuances shine through.
Expect all the disgusting charm that this corner of metal has to offer. The vocals are absolutely revolting — like someone vomiting into a mic while battling food poisoning — which, of course, is the correct approach here. What’s more impressive is that the guitars aren’t just buried beneath the noise. There are actually some memorable solos. That’s a small thing, sure, but it goes a long way in creating variety. There’s a uniquely Finnish sensibility here — dark, slightly off-kilter, and always aware of mood.
I hope none of them gets alopecia soon…
Now, is Malformed discovering how fire works? No. It’s taking familiar influences — the tried and true — and combining them in a way that simply works. There’s something undeniably satisfying about that. It’s comfort Death Metal: direct, brutal, and not too complicated. It hits hard, gets the job done, and leaves just as quickly. There’s a spark of something deeper in there, and I’d love to hear it experiment more with structure or atmosphere in the future. We reviewers need some mercy too. (Not that we’re getting any.)
The old school Death Metal scene may have slowed down, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to enjoy. Malformed may not be revolutionizing the genre, but it’s not generic. This isn’t drum machine chaos, nor is it overly polished technical showboating. It lives in that sweet spot between accessibility and menace — which makes it appealing to fans across the metal spectrum. As with most debuts, Confinement of Flesh has its limitations, but its consistency and attention to craft manage to outshine its flaws. Definitely worth checking out. Anyway, I should probably get back to my vacation now.
Label: Dark Descent Records
Release date: 25 July, 2025
Website: https://malformeddm.bandcamp.com/
Country: Finland
Score: 3.5/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 