Flying out of the south-west’s thriving alternative scene Mallavora have already been making a name for themselves with their ferocious live shows that emphasise inclusivity and social activism with frontwoman Jessica Douek, who lives with a chronic illness, pushing relentlessly for more accessible gigs. On their latest EP Echoes the four-piece push their dynamic sound to its limits with a delicate mix of soaring melodies and pummeling breakdowns.
Opening track ‘It’s Not Enough’ acts as a perfect introduction to the world of Mallavora with intense riffs and engaging vocals being compressed together into a tight yet explorative single. Guitarist Larry Sobieraj’s no-nonsense lead lines and chugging riffs create a bedrock for Douek to build her compelling vocal lines on top of while drummer Jack Pedersen and bassist Ellis James fortify the track with a substantial rhythmic backbone. While comparisons to acts like Spiritbox and Vexed are bound to come up, with Douek’s capacity for tender cleans and throat-shredding screams, Mallavora make it clear from the get-go that they’re ready to carve their own path with their uniquely crafted alt-metal sound.
“Mallavora make it clear from the get-go that they’re ready to carve their own path with their uniquely crafted alt-metal sound”
Although Echoes lasts less than fifteen minutes Mallavora manage to cram a metric tonne of standout moments into this tiny package. The track ‘Skin’, fills plenty of these great moments into just over three minutes of screeching, groove driven metalcore, allowing Douek to bounce between vicious screams and ethereal cleans with melodies that pay homage to her Middle Eastern background. Many of these standout moments are thanks to the clean, full production from Skindred guitarist Mikey Demas who gives Mallovara the same weighty punch as his own band.
While much of Echoes leans on Mallovara’s instantly appealing talent for punchy, distorted riffs and aggressive screams, a scattering of well placed gentler moments make the relentless assault of metal hit so much harder. Both ‘It’s Not Enough’ and ‘Vultures’ start out with similarly menacing riffs before flowing gracefully into melodic, singalong choruses whereas closing track ‘Echoes’ drops the metalcore inspired grooves for a lilting, dramatic close to the EP which showcases Douek’s full vocal potential. Although Mallovara make a solid name for themselves with their brutal alternative metal breakdowns on Echoes, these quieter moments push the confident breakdowns and hefty reefs into the foreground.
Echoes gives a small glimpse into Mallavora’s bright future, showing the first eager steps on a long and exciting road. While clearly taking some pointers from more established acts Mallavora make a confident stamp on the UK’s thriving alternative metal scene.