Customer Reviews

Stillborn

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of my favorite Malevolent Creation albums in my collection. I bought it in late 1993 along with Sepultura's Beneath The Remains and Napalm Death's Harmony Corruption and Death By Manipulation. I bought all the albums on cassette. Before this album came out, the band was going through a rough time which almost caused the band to break up. They were having personal problems as well as problems with their labal Roadrunner Records. So this is actually the band's last album on Roadrunner. The band also looses their legendary lead vocalist Brett Hoffmann. So this is the band's last album with Brett for a while. However, he will rejoin the band again for The Fine Art Of Murder and Envenomed but will be kicked out of the band again but for the final time. This will be before The Will To Kill. Anyway, the band was going through some tough times and when this album came out, a lot of people thought it was a piece of garbage even the band itself. Me personally, I didn't know that all of this stuff was going on at the time. I was just a dedicated Malevolent Creation fan who just went on buying any album that the band puts out. So that's what I kept doing. I bought this album along with the other items that I mentioned and when I got around to playing this album, I was blown away by the first song Dominated Resurgency. I was so happy that I rewinded the tape back and listened to it again. The rest of the album ripped.

Now before my review, let me say this. Like I said before, many people and even the band itself thought that this album was a piece of garbage but there were others who thought quite the opposite. Any person who get this album now might have the first opinion or the other. So I'm just going to let the listener be the judge. As for myself, I will review the album based on what I think.

Now for my review. Despite the bad critsism that this album gets, I personally think that it's just as good as any Malevolent Creation album. The basic elements of the band are still here. You still have lots of agression, intensity, intimidation, fierceness, heaviness, brutality, speed, mid-paced and slow songs, harsh vocals, solos and evil tones. So you pretty much get the total package just like with every other album in the band's catalog. So give this album a chance. Some of my favorite songs here are Dominated Resurgency, The Way Of All Flesh, Dominion Of Terror, Stillborn, Ethnic Cleansing and Disciple Of Abhorrence. Get this album and become stillborn.

I will never know why people trash this Malevolent Creation album besides for the production/mixing quality...something which the band has little control over. The band has always acknowledged this was a difficult period for them (read: drug problems) and Brett doesn't have the most stunning vocal performance here but all things considered and especially with the couple of efforts that came after this, "Stillborn" is still a top notch album.

The riffs via Phil Fasciana and the more than competent drumming of Alex Marquez are enough alone to drive the album...and they do. John Rubin is a welcome addition to aid Fasciana (although Rob Barrett was great too) and they create some great guitar riffs and some really well done solos. Brett Hoffmann's vocals aren't as possessed and raspy -downright intimidating!- as they were on "Ten Commandments" or "Retribution" but this is not all Brett's fault. His vocals are mixed in poorly and dominate the background and fade in and out too easily. They're still mostly intelligible, but they sound kinda flat. Scott Burns did them huge production favors on the prior two efforts, but a different production team this time doesn't give the music the same punch. It is way too treble and mid range heavy. The snare has an annoyning click and the cymbals wash out too easily. Blachowicz's bass is virtually inaudible and that only works to take away from the overall sound. Alex's drumming performance is about as stunning as it was on "Retribution" and there is plenty of variety to his drumming (something most Death Metal drummers sadly lack.) Everything from the ultra slow, varying double bass speeds, quick and interesting fills, blasts and double time thrashing always with tons of groove in mind.

There is plenty of tempo variety on this album, all the songs are well written and there isn't a terrible one among them. I think the biggest problem with this album is the dry production (much the same way Suffocation's "Breeding the Spawn" turned out), and the fact that the band would undergo more line-up changes than Spinal Tap in the coming years. Fans would turn on the band until "Eternal" got some to come back, but in retrospect...I think it was the fan's loss that they trashed this worthwhile effort and great band. If you like the prior two albums and anything that came after this, then "Stillborn" is definitely worth checking out.

I LOVE THIS RECORD. I remember in '93 when Stillborn came out everybody hated it? I cant see why. Sure the music is a bit slower but I think its killer. I think the songwriting is excellent. Title track Stillborn is one of the heaviest Deathmetal songs ever composed. Geared for Gain and Ethnic Cleansing are skull fracturing. Brett Hoffman's vocals are brutal as hell. The production is thick, with a lot of low end. Basically Stillborn is a lot like Retribution only the songs are more mid paced. I think Stillborn is Malevolent Creation's finest hour. I know allot of you will disagree but this album just really grows on you over the years. Plus the artwork is killer as well. If you dont have this album GET IT TODAY or you are seriously missing out on a Classic Deathmetal album.

BUY OR DIE!!!!!

This is one of my fave MC albums. It has never been given any credit because of a supposedely bad production but at the time it DID sound different from all the Morrisound releases. Top tracks are the first two, the title track and the last "Disciple Of Abhorrence" which grinds and grinds and the production actually makes it darker. Unfortunately too many of us metal fans are convinced by reviews and the production on this is one that the so-called experts chose to hate (unlike the first Napalm Death,Carcass , Repulsion or Bathory albums which are equally odd but somehow favourable to reviewers ,nowadays at least). This is well worth a listen.

this album does not deserve all the slagging it gets. Stillborn was my first exposure to MC. I was working at a music review mag in NYC in the early-mid 90s, when this cassette came into the office. i was supposed to write a review then. but i only listened to it once and didn't really pay attention... it was death-metal (read: UGH!!).
Anyway, about a year later i was going thru some forgotten music. Stillborn... Malevolent Creation... hmmm. Well, just think about hearing Dominated Resurgency for the very first time. before you've really listened to it? I was big into nyhc in the mid-late 80s, so i'm no stranger to hard-as-nails combat (btw: if you like this album then check out Rest In Pieces - My Rage). all in 1 night's time.
For me, the highlights are DR, Stillborn, Ethnic Cleansing and D o Aborrance. They happen to be the BEST MC songs i've heard to date. I've recently dld'ed 10C and Rtrbtion. I also have Best of and Warkult. Best of really doesn't count, though.
These 4 songs have riffage, groove, changes, synchopation (thanks in large part to Hoffman's lyrical timing).
I think this album is also very well produced, unlike most other people here.
I am not a fan of death-metal as a whole. and there are other types of "metal" that i think are shamefully, pathetically idiotic. I don't know what the heck Everytime I Die is, but i wish they and every last one of those types of sing-songey/screech-fest bands would die. and what the eff is Korn/limpbizkit/i-don't-know-wtf-else. Them and that Phoney, eye-contact/makeup-wearing, poodle-walker of a marilynn-manson.
I mean, wtf? In Flames? Nobody cares anymore. nobody tries. there is no revlolution. we have all been "televized". even the rebelion is wearing clothes from the same chain store, in a suburban mall subdivision. there's the new rebelion age.
I think this album is worth the price just for these songs. and if the others happen to grow on you, then that's good too.

ok, this is my first malevolent creation album, and i must say, at first i didnt like it at all, considering the production is horrible, and hoffmans vocals are not what they were on their 2 earlier releases,but after giving it more of a listen, i really like it alot. every song on here is good, and catchy. the only song i dont like is "geared for gain." its only a personal opinion. the lyrics are good, and the guitair work is excellent. but, the drummer, isnt too good. he kind of lacks a bit, and doesnt really flow too well. with the exception of the horrible production, somewhat sloppy drumming, and hoffman not sounding how he did on the 2 earlier releases, its really a good album. i like it alot, better that ETERNAL, and i hope to get more brett hoffman-era malevolent creation. peace..

I'VE ALWAYS LIKED MALEVOLENT CREATION SCENCE THERE FIRST ALBUM TEN COMMANDMENTS. THERE ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS. STILLBORN ADDED TO MY CD COLLECTION.

Malevolent Creation on their peak, period!!! The songs are heavy, not faster than "Ten Commandments" or "Retribution", but really good. The production is not good at all, but remember this album came out on 93', you know... if you are a MC fan like me, this is essential but hard to find and out of print, also check out "The Ten Commandments" and "Retribution", believe me, this three albums are the only worth buying!!

This is another great release from Malevolent Creation. Before you complain about the sound quality of the album, you have to take into consideration that in the early 90's recording equipment wasn't as advanced as today. The cd has a mono effect to it which works great with death metal. Plus Malevolent Creation probably wanted the cd to sound the way it does. Either way this is a kick ass cd from Malevolent Creation. If you like death metal and are a fan of Malevolent Creation this is a must have cd. Being that this cd is out of print, and hard to find it makes it more a cd to have in your collection.

The Ten Commandments is like by far the best of all their albums. Then Retribution came along and it wasn't as furious and fast as the Ten Commandments, but still good.

...and now Stillborn. First thing i noticed is the production, it's slower, and.....GODDAMN Hoffman, what happened? vocals are by far unbearable and too mediocre and....dead i say, just dead.

i would rather prefer this album over the fine art of murder, envemoned, the will to kill, and warkult, because those albums suck.

and yes these guys went through some hard times during the release of this album, so i don't blame them