MALLEVS – The Hammer

vote
6.5

• Band:
  MALLEVS
• Duration: 00:40:26
• Available from: 06/09/2024
• Label:

• Floga Records

Streaming not yet available

You don't need to be a big fan of 'old school' metal to know that in Greece there is a great ferment of bands that propose themselves as champions of the 'New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal': if we think that Athens hosts the Up The Hammers Festival, we can well deduce that the whole nation is interested in this phenomenon. Here then emerge from the Hellenic land the Mallevs, at their debut with a decidedly lapidary title: “The Hammer”.
The hammer that crushes the posers? The one that hits the system? What we can be absolutely sure of is that the quintet has its roots in classic heavy/speed metal, without disdaining some solemn and elitist epic metal marches. We start immediately with the intro “Flash Of Rebellion”, which flows into the Maiden-esque “Fire And Blade”, a classic ride launched on the riffs of Manos Triantafyllou and Thomas Trampoyras and the combative voice of Panos Takos. Nothing new on the Western front, and that's fine: in about forty minutes we do a nice review of classic metal and without too many deviations, between the priest-esque “Barricade Of Steel” and the cadenced “Black Abyss”.
What distinguishes Mallevs within a seething cauldron of thousands of bands that follow this style is certainly the intertwining of guitars and voice, well studied and not left to chance, almost as if it were a lyrical game between orchestra and singers. Unfortunately, however, going forward in listening some weak points and recycling of riffs and ideas emerge, as in the title-track and in “Hydra Of Lerna”: perhaps, focusing a little on a more refined production would have helped to make this album a little more interesting compared to many other bands present in the scene.
Despite this, there is no doubt that “Astral Plains”, placed before the conclusive ballad “Lonely Dancer”, is the most successful piece of the lot, touching on Dokken and that slightly more classic and glossy part of 80s metal. Takos sometimes seems a bit in difficulty, both on this and other pieces, but we forgive him for the attitude shown in keeping a band at its first steps in the panorama on its feet.
In short: the Mallevs join that string of bands that faithfully follow this sonic trend that is now omnipresent even in the old continent. “The Hammer” will certainly not be a masterpiece or an album that makes your ears prick up, but, taken as a nice interlude between Night Demon and Skull Fist, it can also do its part.