Lake Malice - ‘Post-Genesis’ review
Lake Malice by Pearl Cook
Lake Malice has become an immovable staple of the UK alt scene over the last two years. And we’ve certainly not been shy about being huge fans. After catching their set supporting As Everything Unfolds in September, I had but one request: "We need a Malice headline tour". Well the duo are giving us that and more, starting with releasing their debut EP Post-Genesis this Friday 27 October, and their first headline shows later this year. We were fortunate to have early listen access to this monster of an EP, here’s what we think:
The opening track 'Blossom' is the quintessential Lake Malice tune. This has been part of the repertoire for as long as I've known about the band. It begins with foreboding samples, then the ever-present Blake Cornwall's guitar comes crashing in. It feels perfect to see 'Blossom' remastered for the EP, bringing the colossal, anthemic sound we’ve come to expect from more recent releases to this older track. 'Blossom' also sets out the tone for much of the EP, setting the standard for Jekyll/Hyde balance between harsh and clean vocals. While many groups change between styles on vocals, Alice Guala has two distinct and powerful uses of both.
'Black Turbine' continues the huge soundscape and the personal edge that Guala always brings to the table. It's a step slower than 'Blossom', but begging to be played across the clubbing scene. A real crowd pleaser, this is the track you’re going to sing, scream and mosh along to. A lot of Lake Malice's music is like a dramatic performance, then they bolster it with an amazing live presence. This is the track that stood out to me when I first saw the duo (in Bournemouth, in a basement they were already too big for).
Lake Malice has the ability to maintain a style, and yet somehow, everything sounds unique. 'Bloodbath' goes full throttle with riffs from Cornwall and has a very poppy edge on vocals. For a track discussing abuse and control, the way both instruments and vocals explode is used to excellent effect. There are fewer inclusions of harsh vocals, but the instances they're used in are very potent. This track dropped as a single before their tour with Vended, and marked them as a band on the up from there.
This gives way to a track some listeners may be less familiar with, 'Power Game'. Anyone catching Lake Malice live this year will have heard this, and this song is their unsung hero. This has an incredibly heavy opening, then takes a left turn into light drum & bass behind the vocals. Everything Lake Malice has in their arsenal, this has dashes of it. The range of the vocals during the chorus is Guala at their best, and this contains Cornwall's best work. It varies between samples and brutal riffs, before a scream like the world is ending that rings out. It borders on relief to finally have this track available to listen to (instead of resorting to live footage).
Starting to round out the EP is their most recent single 'Mitsuko'. I wrote a review of this track, and it's an excellent addition to their catalogue. 'Mitsuko' is by far the shortest track of the EP but packs a punch. It’s an intense, rage-filled couple of minutes that again has that pseudo-pop energy. The intricate lyrics are packed with emotion, but also sounds like "if Resident Evil started moshing". Guala's vocals do act as a sort of barometer for the breakdown of the tracks on this EP, and it shows great cohesion. (Editor’s note: A particularly powerful track, I think every woman will identify with the feeling behind Guala’s voice in the track’s final 20 seconds as she repeatedly screams, “This is not about you, it’s everything you make me go through.”)
The EP's final track, 'Stop the Party', is another example of on-the-pulse songwriting. Baring in mind that Lake Malice has been building quickly since 2021, this track tackles anxiety in a post-pandemic world. It's a little bit more poignant that it dropped in 2023 when people are still feeling the effects of 2020.
Again, a lot of Lake Malice's music is a dramatic performance based on personal experience. Cornwall's guitar has this foreboding and discordant presence, while Guala's vocals ring out that bit more, as well as some modulation to reflect internal voices. It’s a welcome addition to the EP, as they can easily tell that story on the recording, but it's also a ripper live track.
Lake Malice has been drip-feeding fans amazing singles throughout 2023. That, combined with their live praise, it was baffling that we didn't have a debut release yet. Post-Genesis answered that call like a canon. It's an excellent first outing for a group already nominated for ‘Best UK Breakthrough Artist’. Best of all, it baits the hook for what they're going to do next.
Post-Genesis from Lake Malice is out Friday, 27 October via So Recordings and will be available on all good streaming platforms. You can catch Lake Malice on the European leg of Enter Shikari’s A KISS FOR THE WHOLE WORLD tour this autumn, culminating in the duo’s first headline shows:
30.10 COPENHAGEN, DK - VEGA (w/ Enter Shikari)
31.10 MALMO, SE – PLAN B (w/ Enter Shikari)
02.11 WARSAW, PL – PROGRESJA (w/ Enter Shikari)
03.11 PRAGUE, CZ – SASAZU (w/ Enter Shikari)
04.11 MILAN, IT – ALCATRAZ (w/ Enter Shikari)
05.11 RONCADE (TV), IT – NEW AGE (w/ Enter Shikari)
07.11 VIENNA, AT – SIMM CITY (w/ Enter Shikari)
09.11 BUCHAREST, RO – ARENELE ROMANELE (w/ Enter Shikari)
10.11 BUDAPEST, HU – BARBA NEGRA (w/ Enter Shikari)
11.11 BRATISLAVA, SK – MAJESTIC MUSIC CLUB (w/ Enter Shikari)
13.11 BELGRADE, RS – DOM OMLADINE (w/ Enter Shikari)
14.11 ZAGREB, HR – TVORNICA CULTURE (w/ Enter Shikari)
16.11 SOFIA, BG – MIXTAPE 5 (w/ Enter Shikari)
18.11 ATHENS, GR – GAGARIN 205 (w/ Enter Shikari)
19.11 THESSALONIKI, GR – PRINCIPAL CLUB THEATER (w/ Enter Shikari)
22.11 SOLOTHURN, CH - KOFMEHL RAUMBAR (headline)
23.11 MUNICH, DE - STROM (headline)
24.11 COLOGNE, DE - BLUE SHELL (headline)
25.11 HANNOVER, DE - CHÉZ HEINZ (headline)
06.12 LONDON, UK - THE BLACK HEART (headline - sold out)