Ok, so now, I want to talk to you about the band, who, talented as they certainly were, chose to start their musical career way too late – since the contemporary music tastes were already shifting. That meant that there were emerging new metal music subgenres reducing, at the same time, the importance and significance of classic heavy metal. The reason was metal kids started to see heavy metal as too polite and too rigid. It all was taking place thanks to VENOM`s US tour; as a result, US based bands started to feel the urge to play faster and more bestial music than before.

The music definitely became faster – too fast for classic heavy metal bands, who almost immediately started to lose their ardent fans. Because the fans wanted to hear something else, something more exciting. Speed metal and later thrash metal started to deluge the contemporary music market with incessant numbers of new bands. Yes, the VENOM`s influence was very significant, the music became much more extreme. And the fans loved that extreme bands.

That pretty much explains why MALICE`s debut album from 1987 did not have any impact at all. Yes, this sort of music was in full retreat. “In the Beginning” is a solid dose of excellent heavy metal, but I can still recollect that it didn’t have too much impact on me…however, years later, when my need for brutal music cooled down I resultingly decided to get back to classic metal. I started to appreciate the heavy metal genre anew.

As I became more experienced in music and the number of the albums and bands I knew grew bigger, the spectrum of my musical interest broadened as well. I began to explore other areas of metal music, including heavy metal; the very genre I grew up with in the 1980s.

I purchased MALICE`s albums at some unspecified flea market. I decided to give the band a more insightful try. Well, it turned out I should have treated the band more seriously since their music was really excellent. But I was into much more brutal music at the time, that’s for sure.

And weird because my music collection featured mostly brutal stuff like BATHORY, DESTRUCTOR, BLESSED DEATH, BACKWATER, BULLDOZER CELTIC FROST/ HELLHAMMER, VENOM, KREATOR, SODOM but also classic metal in form of KISS, IRON MAIDEN, W.A.S.P., ANVIL, JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, MOTÖRHEAD, SCORPIONS, BLACK SABBATH or KROKUS. But at that time, I decided that MALICE wasn’t for me. Well, when I got back to this band years later, I was stunned top say the least! That music was excellent by all means. Simply, I just wasn’t ready for MALICE`s music, plain and simple.

MALICE formed in Portland, Oregon, USA in the early 1980s. Sometime later, they moved to Los Angeles, USA and released their first demo. The first demo lineup was as follows: James Neal (Vocals), Jay Reynolds (Guitar), Kip Doran (Guitar), Mark Behn (Bass), and Clifford Carothers (Drums). The debut demo features five heavy metal songs which attracted a lot of attention from fans. It also attracted attention of Brian Slagel and his Metal Blade label. As a result, MALICE`s two songs (“Captive of Light” and “Kick You Down”) were featured in the cult compilation release – “Metal Massacre.” The release, beside MALICE, also features METALLICA, BITCH and CIRITH UNGOL. Not too shabby huh?

Right from the very beginning, MALICE`s music turned out to be strongly inspired by NWOBHM and particularly JUDAS PRIEST. In 1983, MALICE released their second demo with such hit songs as “Air Attack,” “Godz of Thunder,” “Hellrider,” “Stellar Masters” and “Tarot Dealer.” The first live show MALICE ever played was supporting METALLICA in Los Angeles in November 1982 at Troubadour. Since then, they occasionally played live shows in Los Angeles.

But they also started to work on their new songs for their next demo (ten songs clocking in at 44 minutes).

With each and every demo, the band attracted more and more attention. They played live with such bands as ARMORED SAINT, PANDEMONIUM…in result, all that commotion paid off, and in 1985, Atlantic Records agreed to cooperate with MALICE. As a result, MALICE released a 7``ep: “Rockin' with You” (with two different versions of the same song). In August 19, 1985, MALICE`s debut album: “In the Beginning” was released. The songs were recorded together with Michael Wagener and produced by Ashley Howe. The album was very well received. The fans praised James Neal`s vocals, similar to Rob Halford`s.

MALICE`s second album was produced by Max Norman. “License to Kill” was released in 1987. The guest vocals were done by the following guest musicians: Dave Mustaine and Dave Ellefson from MEGADETH and Jaime St. James of BLACK 'N BLUE, Tommy Thayer and Jeff Warner did the choirs in: “License to Kill” and “Chain Gang Woman”. MALICE played live shows with ALICE COOPER, MOTÖRHEAD and W.A.S.P.

The second album was much better than the debut one. But there was not too much interest in it due to the fact that speed/thrash scene was getting more and more powerful at the time. When MALICE supported SLAYER during their shows in Europe, the fans were openly hostile to them. They wanted music like “Reign in Blood.” Sure, MALICE`s music was excellent but not as brutal as KREATOR, SODOM or SLAYER`s. In late 1987, Jay Reynolds left MALICE and joined MEGADETH replacing, for some time, Chris Poland.

In 1989, Roadrunner from the Netherlands released “Crazy in the Night.” featuring four songs. And then MALICE disbanded. Jay Reynolds together with MEGADETH`s ex drummer (Chuck Behler) started a new project: WAR PARTY. Mick Zane and Mark Behn joined forces with the ex-drummer of BLACK ’N BLUE.

In 1999, East West Japan re-released both albums on one cd. The same was done by Wounded Bird from USA in 20024. In 2004, Jay Reynolds joined the refreshed METAL CHURCH lineup and recorded two albums with them: “Weight of the World” (2004) and “A Light in the Dark” (2006). He nonetheless quit METAL CHURCH in 2008. Four years later, Retrospect Records released a compilation album titled: “The Rare and Unreleased,” featuring 18 hit songs.

It was almost obvious that MALICE is dead and buried but lo and behold they were not. In 2011, the band announced they signed to SPV/ Steamhammer from Germany. Robert Cardenas from ANGEL STEEL became MALICE`s new bassist.

“New Breed of Godz,” featuring 4 brand new songs and 8 rerecorded songs from “In the Beginning” and “License to Kill,” was released on May 22, 2012. It consists of 55 min of amazing heavy metal the way we love it most.

This great return seemed to be the band`s turning point and the road to success. But it didn’t happen. Shortly after “New Breed of Godz” was out, the band disappeared for another 8 years. Sadly, Mick Zane died on December 23, 2016 (brain cancer). Is there any chance MALICE will ever resurrect? I don’t know but I would love to see them at some fest such as “Keep It True,” for instance. That would be a perfect place for them if they ever reactivate. Yes, I, for one, have seen DESTRUCTOR at this fest and I simply cannot think of any other festival better than this one, huh?

NecronosferatuS