RESISTING VEGAS - Malevolent

RESISTING VEGAS

Album: Malevolent

Genre: Modern Hard Rock / Metal

Release Date: July 23rd, 2021

Country: USA

Label: Self-Released

Band Links: BANDCAMP / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

What would I do without the Twitter community? Among others, missing out on a lot of great music for sure… Today, I’d like to give a shout-out to RESISTING VEGAS, a quartet from Austin, Texas who play music together since 2015, and is another great discovery for me thanks to a friendly reco. It was announced as “Modern Hard Rock / Metal”, and in combination with the cover artwork, which reminded me of some 80s rock releases, didn’t prepare me for what I got to listen. “Malevolent” is the band’s 2nd album, was self-released on July 23rd, 2021, and draws its thematical inspiration from horror classics like “American Werewolf in London” or “The Thing”. Many of the songs take the villain’s perspective, and are meant to inspire the listener to indulge in their evil side.

Opening with the title track, they don’t hesitate to blow your mind with hard-hitting riffs as well as the rhythm section pushing the songs forward, and latest with the guitar solo, they got my full attention. The vocals come around in modern style, switching between spoken and sung, sometimes growled or screamed. Next up is “The Evil Inside”, delivering the same ingredients, but different in the song-writing - their creativity is striking from the beginning.

“Bloodlines” is best described as a groovy mid-tempo track, the organ / piano sounds delivering an interesting mix with the modern vocals. “Riptide” changes mood completely and starts with a kind of 90s surf/skater vibe, but since we’re talking about a horror-themed album, lyrics and music alternate between “easy-going” and insanity. The following “Patient 237” is a short instrumental interlude, leading to “Hellfire”, which gets a bit too repetitive with the verse melody for me, but during the instrumental parts and chorus, they’re back on track. Over the last three songs, they lose a bit of their high energy from the beginning, but still deliver enough variation to keep the music interesting.

I have to admit “Malevolent” is different from what I expected at the beginning, but the surprise came in a positive way, as RESISTING VEGAS’ creativity easily convinced me, and after having spent a while with their work, I wouldn’t know how to describe their music better than with “modern metal” either. The rhythmic is varied, yet groovy, the great guitar playing brings in heavy as well as virtuosic elements, and the strong vocal performance gives each song the right expression. The addition of creepy soundscapes supports the concept, so does the mixing, and they don’t mind to be creative in different directions. With nine rather short, but powerful songs, RESISTING VEGAS offer a genre-bending album worth to crank it up. Have fun! \m/

Written by Katha