Out of all the different sounds that have adorned death metal over the years, thrash is one of the earliest iterations of the sound that saw death metal take prominence with the modern-day brutality owing itself to the thrashy roots of the genre that quickly took form. Sadly, though, it’s not often enough that we see the two realms merged together in a single effort that offers justice for the concept with many barely managing one of the sounds much less both, leading to the need for quality death-thrash exceedingly high despite few rising to the occasion. With their latest effort, Molten has put forth one the most compelling work of the style that I’ve heard in almost a decade.

You would be forgiven for thinking that this a sound that should be relatively easy to execute with it feeling as though all you need to do is make some exceptionally fast-paced death metal and then you’re immediately in the realm that many aren’t able to truly represent well enough. There’s more than goes into that, however, as we can see in full force with every single one of the eight tracks from Molten’s massive second full-length album, “Malicide”. It’s clear from each given moment of “Malicide” that Molten has their particular craft virtually down to a formulaic science as they display an exceptional understanding of it with all the nuances, themes, and executions brought to the table in high quality to ensure that both the death and thrash metal elements of their sound are given plenty of time in the sun rather than favoring one over the other. Bring together a truly magnificent sense of intensity alongside tremendous songwriting that utilizes the imagery of the cover art to put the album as a backdrop to dark catacombs of the Middle Ages writhing with the rotting light of the undead while steel and blood flash in the darkness, “Malicide” does nothing but impress! This is what it means to bring true glory to your sound and show just how adept you already are at it with Molten’s future in the death-thrash scene sure to only bolster their cult following.

Where much of the scene hasn’t delivered, Molten rises to the occasion to be arguably one of the best things we’ve gotten from the whole of death-thrash since the last album from Biotoxic Warfare nine years ago with all the speed, brutality, and excellence that one could ask for out of the sound. Potent from the very beginning and utterly maniacal in its eviscerations all the way unto the end, “Malicide” is likely the pinnacle work of its kind that 2024 is going to receive.

LISTEN to “Malicide” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Molten on Facebook here.