Review: Malakhim – And In our Hearts the Devil Sings
Malakhim’s sophomore album, “And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings”, is a study in contrasts: a record that flirts with greatness but ultimately settles for being merely good. The Swedish black metal horde has sharpened their sound since their debut and there’s no denying the ambition here. The album is more melodic, more majestic, and more polished than anything they’ve done before. Yet, for all its strengths, it never quite transcends the shadow of its influences or the weight of its own aspirations.
The album opens with its title track, a sprawling eight-minute declaration of intent. The band’s ability to balance aggression and melody is evident from the start, with riffs that cut like a blade and a production that’s clean almost to a fault. There’s a sense of grandeur here, a deliberate reach for something epic and hymnal. “Tracks like “Angel of the Bottomless Pit” and “Hearts Ablaze” showcase Malakhim’s knack for weaving melodic lines into their otherwise relentless assault, a trick that elevates the material above the usual second-wave revivalism.
But this is where the album’s strengths also reveal its weaknesses. The production is almost too polished. The guitars are sharp, the vocals are present, but the bass and drums often feel buried, robbing the music of some of its raw power. The cleanliness of the mix can make the album feel a bit sterile, especially when compared to the grimy, chaotic energy of classic black metal. There’s a sense that Malakhim is holding back, afraid to fully embrace the filth and fury that made the genre so compelling in the first place.
The songwriting, while strong, occasionally suffers from a lack of truly memorable hooks. The band’s reliance on familiar structures and tropes means that, despite the album’s technical proficiency, it can blend into the background. There are moments of brilliance, “Angel of the Bottomless Pit” stands out as a particularly effective blend of aggression and melody, but all too often the album feels like a collection of well-executed ideas rather than a cohesive, transcendent whole.
“And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings” is a solid album, one that will undoubtedly please fans of orthodox black metal. It’s clear that Malakhim is a band with talent and vision, and there’s much to admire in their craftsmanship. But for all its ambition, the album never quite reaches the heights it seems to aspire to. It’s a record that’s easy to respect, but harder to love.
