Year of release: 2018
Label: Blood Harvest
Rating: 8,4 / 10
Do not let the nightmarish cover scare you away: in front of you is one of the best examples of the classic American-way Death Metal that has been released in recent years. The young Swedish band MALIGNER knows no mercy. This is it's first full-length album but the level is already amazing. Listening to the old works of honored techies like DEATH or SADUS, you constantly catch yourself at the commonplace thought: “they don’t do that anymore”. The combination of the rough sound of the end of the 80s, primitive cruelty and purely metallic technicality is very rare today. “Attraction to Annihilation” is one of such cases. there are not only sea knots of instrumental parts that would make late DARK ANGEL feel proud, but also the ferocity that for several years kept groups like DEATH and PESTILENCE from diving into progressive faggotry for "music gourmets". High-speed explosions reminded me about the insane Serbs INFEST who are probably the most fast-paced band with thrashy drumming. Finally, the album features the coolest brutal vocals in the vein of Jeff Beckerra from POSSESSED, the early Schuldiner and other representatives of that era. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the infernal atmosphere, which makes extreme metal something more than just a set of loud sounds.
The result is impressive: MALIGNER managed to collect all the best parts of the key Death Metal albums, rethink them and correctly put it in their own music. I regret about three things only: the absence of those classical mind-blowing drums from the 80's, the lack of 100% killer hits, as well as a terrible cover that will definitely scare away half of the potential fans.
English (UK) 
Крыўская