Vile Apparition – Malignity
Release Date: 10th October 2025
Label: Me Saco Un Ojo / Dark Descent
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal
FFO: Dying Fetus, Cryptopsy, Nile, Hideous Divinity.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Australian death metal band Vile Apparition is back with their sophomore album Malignity. Their latest release fuses groove, slam, and old-fashioned heaviness into a tightly wound display of brutality. Weaving grooving death metal with punishing slamming breakdowns that hit like a collapsing tomb, Vile Apparition has created a record that’s just plain fun. Beneath the riffs, the bass work is full of fretboard acrobatics and inventive fills that add a welcome sense of technicality to each track.
Every instrument here is performed with precision, however, the drum tone might be a point of contention for some listeners. Their overly processed, almost mechanical sound (especially on the snare) doesn’t necessarily take away from the overall enjoyment of the record, but I would have liked for the album to have a more organic drum tone. Still, it’s a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things.
The acoustic-driven “Pulverised Dreams” is a particularly enjoyable surprise, blending classical and flamenco guitar with acoustic bass and what sounds like a cello to create a moment of calm that also highlights the band’s impressive technical chops. In fact, I would welcome an albums worth of songs in this style any day.
When the riffs start rolling and the low-end thunder locks in, Vile Apparition prove that they know how to balance groove and gore-soaked heaviness in equal measure. Fans of bands like Dying Fetus and Cryptopsy will find much to enjoy on this record.
(3.5 / 5)
