ninehertz

Malatesta’s last release Unter Tage was such a visceral, invigorating record that, even though it was four years ago, the memory of it remains fresh. Gewalt, the Munich four-piece’s new EP may be even better.

This is raw emotional hardcore of incredible urgency – from the very beginnings of Lichtgas no second is wasted. It holds such power, like the sound of aeroplane engines at take-off, while the vocals arrive and take it up to a further notch which didn’t seem available. There is so much heartfelt, pent-up anger in them it’s hard not to be enlivened and enlisted to whatever cause it is that has driven such raw outpourings. The ending, where it goes hard again, is spellbinding.

There are emoviolence stylings in the beat, an ever-present crust as it rampages along. For such grimy music it is startlingly vibrant. The only time it lets up at all, for a brief period as it takes a breath on Überleben, it is simply to make room for another violent sortie forth. It ends with the superb Lektionen, erected upon d-beat percussion and wonderfully harsh, emotive vocals, like a crustier Cursed and with the urgency of Cloud Rat.

It is a bewildering, life-affirming EP, yet again. Malatesta’s music feels absolutely vital – hopefully we won’t have to wait another four years to hear more.