Customer Reviews

Fine Art of Murder

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Malevolent Creation returned with Brett Hoffman once again on vocals. Once Jason had departed from bass and vocal duties, whom better then take over the voice of Malevolent Creation then the original front man with his unique growls and lyric style. Brett Hoffman has always been the true form of Malevolent Creation with Jason coming in at a second and honestly I don't care too much for Kyle's vocals (the current vocalist). Anyways, Malevolent Creation's revolving door policy continues to this day. Brett would only last for one more album, Envenomed; before finally getting kicked out of the band for good.

The Fine Art of Murder is rather experimental, there are two slow songs (the Title Track and Fracture), a Ballad with Death Metal vocals (Day of Lamination), plus there is this rather dry sounding distortion with the guitars. That may not be the best way to say it, but if you hear the songs, you'll know what I mean; there is a rather unique sound from the guitars. Some people complain about the strange keyboards on the title track, but I say, if in the end the effect works, then use it. The keyboards are not a major element to the song other then setting the tone or atmosphere at the beginning and end. Honestly I don't see why some people complain about it. Those are probably the people who don't care for the strange remixes found on Joe Black. As for the ballad that is acoustic half the time; Day of Lamination is a great song. I often imagine a demon sitting on a rock gazing down upon an earth with people have been laminated with plastic and blood in which he helped create and asking himself, "is this right?"

It's a great album, but there is one major problem. There are hardly any solos. Guitar solos can only be found on Bone Exposed, Purge. And Fracture. This is very strange for a death metal band. There are several excellent songs here like Manic Demise, Rictus Surreal, Day of Lamination, etc. that could have been perfected if they only threw in a memorable solo or two. This is what prevents me from giving this album the five star rating.

Well definitely a great death metal album from Malevolent Creation. They always seem to deliver something good no matter whom is in the band. Definitely something to check out as it is one of the few albums with Brett Hoffman that is still in print. Roadrunner Records better re-release and remaster The Ten commandments, Retribution and Stillborn one of these days. Well pick up a copy and sit back and enjoy, or crank it and headbang to the Malevolence.

as the title says, this album is painfully underrated. a lot of people ignore it or forget it when they think of brett hoffman's work with MC, but it's in my top 3 favorite malevolent creation albums. the drumming (Dave Culross) is amazing and the guitar (Phil Fasciana, SUPRISE!) is brutal yet melodic and catchy. it's brett hoffman so you almost can never go wrong with that, and it's just a very very good album that everyone needs to hear.

I really love to crank the shit out of all malevolent creation's music. The best and most classic is Eternal no doubt, but the more I listen to fine art the more familiar I become with it. I dig Culross's super slamming blast offs. Bret hoffman's vocals and the lyrics too. You really can't get much better than Malevolent creation. These guys bust their asses for only a few people whom appreciate kick ass tunes. Screw Rap, it's stupid listen to The Fine Art Of Murder then listen to A tribe called crap, the Love Movement. What takes more talent to make? What band makes more money? Why? because we are in a world filled to the rim with idiots. Does anyone like to rock Like El Duce, (the mentors) anymore. This new album is the fine art of music. I would like to see A SLAYER, MALEVOLENT, Morbid Angel, Melvins, and finally Black Sabbath on tour.

Hard not to like a grindcore-y metal band who named themselves out of one of my own bowel movements.And,hey!The lyric "smell the death,inhale the pain" is something anyone who ever used a public restroom understands.Malevont Creation writes songs for us all.

Don't get me wrong..... Malevolent Creation is a great, great death metal band, one of the best, and this CD is not the exception. I really like it; not their best, but very, very good. Some of this songs are enough to make your neck really sore from headbanging... But this particular version is a real cheat. I have not heard of this label, "Crash Music", but is evidently a "company" of thieves dedicated to bootleg some records out of print right now. The disc is obviously one of those that you can buy in any market, those that come in cans and you get for your PC. Even the back is blue!!! The "booklet" is a single piece of paper that doesn't even fits the case of the CD, the printing is really bad and the sound is of mediocre quality. This must be of course a vulgar copy made by starters, disguised as an original CD. So, if you want to get this record (highly recomended) dont buy this... get one used copy or a new one from a particular seller, and look for the label record!!! Stay away from Crash Music!!!

Fans had something to rejoice about with 1998's "The Fine Art of Murder", not only was the original vocalist Brett Hoffmann back in the band so were the guitar stylings of Rob Barrett and the drumming talents of Dave Culross (who also appeared on the Suffocation "Despise the Sun" EP of the same year). All of these elements only heighten the expectation for the listener. The album starts off with "To Die is at Hand", which is a good number but not great. "Manic Demise" has some stellar guitar work on it.

Hoffmann's vocals still sound way too in the background and don't invoke the same effect as the intimidating vocals of "Ten Commandments" or "Retribution". They're still perfectly intelligible, but they don't project like they used to. The songs aren't as linear and one dimensional as they were during the Blachowicz reign, so there is still tons of variety, tempos, and groove. The songs don't have the plastic feeling that the Blachowicz' years had.

Even though the album starts off a little slow it does pick up through the half way mark. Not without some weirdness by the way. (Is that Phil Fasciana playing a keyboard on the title track?!?) The title track is...not sure if you've heard of something like this before: a Death Metal ballad. "Face your God" and "Day of Lamentation" are constructed much the same way too. Creative, I can respect that but sometimes it feels like they miss the mark. "Rictus Surreal" may be the best song of the album with not a weak moment in it.

The biggest problems with this release doesn't have to do with the band's ambition (for once), the album is less than ideally mixed and the band doesn't sound as together in previous releases with less interesting songs. The band even admits to this by thanking Dave Culross in the liner notes, "...for coming in at the last minute [to fill in on drum duties]."

(3.6 stars) Better than the previous two records, but still sounds hastily put together.

Malevolent Creation have gone through alot during this period when they released this album in 1998 there was a change lineup, infighting, censorship, attack from religious groups etc. but they still have managed to survive and make great music. They have unmatched sheer force and great songwriting ability and of course we have some great songs in here like Rictus surreal, Manic demise, the atmospheric title track that uses a synthesizer and Day of lamentation which is an accoustic and electic guitar ballad well its more like a doom metal song then theres Fracture with its spoken words done by Brett Hoffman and the aggresive opener To die is at hand. You could tell that they were trying something different with this album like an experimentation but the problem is with that it has low production values, the base is some times unlistenable and you could barely hear it however this is just a slight problem and does not ruin the overall experience, this is still a crushingly heavy and intense album with some hyperspeed riffs and intricate solos you name it this album has everything you want in a death metal album.

This is one of my favorite Malevolent Cretion albums in my collection. I bought it in late 1998. During this time, the band went through another line-up change. Jason Blachowicz is kicked out of the band and Brett Hoffman, Rob Berrett and Dave Calross are back in the fold. So things look good and it shows on this album because it delivers.

Now for my review. With this album, it is another new direction for the band. However, the production and sound do suffer a little because the drums are turned up a little bit higher but that doesn't at all take away any of the essential elements of the band. The power, heaviness, brutality, assault, aggression and intensity are still here and the instriments still destroy. There are also many great highlights throughout the album like keyboards on the titled track as well as a "sort of" ballad called Day Of Lamentation. This is very unusual song for the band. Don't worry, it's not a love song and the band is not going mainstream but it's a song is about regret. It features some accoustic parts and heavy parts but it's all Malevolent Creation. So all in all, it's a mandatory purchase for both Malevolent Creation and brutal death metal die-hards. Definitely worth picking up. Some of my favorite songs here are To Die Is At Hand, Dissect The Eradicated, Mass Graves, The Fine Art Of Murder, Fracture, Rictus Surreal, Day Of Lamentation and Scattered Flesh. Buy this album and experience the fine art of murder. You'll enjoy it.

malevolent creation is the equivalent of mike tyson. they knock you out and bite off your ears. this band is supersonic.

This album is good but, it is not great. The vocals are much different here than Hoffman's on the Ten Commandments. He went for the more death shriek style. I liked the old better. And there are some good experimental songs on here like the title track and Bone Exposed. And the so-called ballad is just a song that begins with acoustics, a ballad is a friggin love song!!!!! You don't hear "I love you!" in death vocals....