Atlanta blackened thrash visionaries MALEFIC have officially released their long-awaited debut full-length, Impermanence, out today via Terminus Hate City. Marking the culmination of a journey that began in 2018, the album stands as a testament to perseverance, creative defiance, and an unrelenting devotion to extreme metal in all its forms.
In conjunction with the album’s release, MALEFIC have unveiled a new music video for “In Darkest Dreams (The Reaping),” a harrowing visual companion to one of the record’s most dynamic tracks. The video plunges viewers into a nightmarish landscape where fantasy and mortality collide, echoing the song’s tale of a deathly reaper figure stalking the shadows of the subconscious.
Blending black, death, and thrash metal into a volatile and cohesive statement, Impermanence explores themes of political decay, addiction, existential dread, perseverance, and the irreversible consequences of human choices. The album refuses to be confined by genre boundaries, drawing from progressive rock structures, melodic black metal atmospheres, and punishing death metal intensity.
The record erupts with opener “Blood Of The Throne,” a blistering assault of precision riffing, furious drumming, and venomous vocals that confronts oppressive economic systems head-on. “In Darkest Dreams (The Reaping)” follows with a progressive-leaning structure and one of the album’s rare defined choruses, merging death metal brutality with blackened thrash undertones. The album can be ordered HERE.
“Of Gods And Man” shifts into melodic black metal territory, weaving intricate picking patterns and dueling solos beneath vocalist Aaron Baumoel’s existential reflections on greed and humanity’s relationship with a creator. The dynamic “Idiocracy” introduces a black-n-roll swagger, pairing memorable triplet riffs with sharp social commentary.
“Deserter” reintroduces crushing death metal grooves and call-and-response harsh vocals that channel themes of abandonment and despair. “Disembodiment” offers a haunting acoustic opening before ascending into the album’s emotional apex, confronting narcissism and manipulation with both musical beauty and lyrical darkness.
The sprawling centerpiece “Obsidian Earth” serves as Impermanence’s magnum opus: grandiose, melodic, and unrelentingly aggressive, culminating in a searing solo by Jason Davila while lamenting humanity’s self-inflicted extinction. “Echoes Of Silence” ventures further into progressive territory, chronicling addiction’s dual nature through chaotic black metal passages and cathartic melodic release.
Closing track “It Haunts” descends into a blackened abyss of charging riffs and spectral acoustics, sealing the album with an ominous sense of supernatural finality.
Forged through years of personal and professional trials, the album captures MALEFIC at their most focused and fearless, delivering a work that is as intellectually provocative as it is sonically devastating.
About MALEFIC:
MALEFIC roared onto the Atlanta metal scene in 2007 with ambitions to modernize the black metal genre. With their tight riffs, tasty leads, and relatable lyricism, MALEFIC abandons cliches and defies traditional genre boundaries. Their special blend of black metal, drawing from thrash and death metal influences, appeals to metalheads across subgenres. They count OLD MAN’S CHILD, CARCASS, TESTAMENT, DISSECTION, and OPETH among their most prominent influences, offering a fresh, modern take on metal that is unrivaled in the United States.
Though they are set to release their very first full-length album, Impermanence, in 2025, MALEFIC boasts an impressive live performance history, having played shows with notable bands such as 1349, CRYPTA, and PROFANATICA. After a hiatus in 2009, the band eagerly picked back up where they left off and reformed with a new lineup. MALEFIC initially began work on Impermanence in 2018, taking their time to ensure that every detail accurately reflected their vision for their album. The band’s hard work and dedication has culminated in a powerful debut, lovingly crafted by fans of nuanced, boundary-pushing music.
MALEFIC lineup:
Jason Davila – Guitar
Aaron Baumoel – Drums, Vocals
Sam Williams – Guitar
Andy McGraw – Bass
Track Listing:
- Blood Of The Throne
- In Darkest Dreams
- Of Gods And Man
- Idiocracy
- Deserter
- Disembodiment
- Obsidian Earth
- Echoes Of Silence
- It Haunts