UK industrial/sludge duo The Malefic Grip announce »Virtue And Industry« EP; first single »Death By A Thousand Cunts« streaming now!

Bristol, UK based noisy industrial/sludge duo The Malefic Grip is gearing up to release their new EP, »Virtue And Industry«, which will see the light independent on December 6th, 2024 in digital format.

Listen to the first single »Death By A Thousand Cunts« below!

Tracklist:
01. A Nice Guy
02. Death By A Thousand Cunts
03. Unnatural Selection
04. Blank Masses
05. The Swarming

On December 6, 2024, Bristol’s The Malefic Grip will unleash »Virtue And Industry«, a bleak, five-track EP that showcases the duo’s most realized attempt at blending the gritty intensity of sludge metal, industrial minimalism and the dark and humorous cynicism of post-punk and noise rock.

Lead single »Death By A Thousand Cunts« is a hypnotic dirge of sludge and industrial metal, moulded together to create the cold, concrete foundation for the band’s critique of British politicians. The cynical refrain “Winner fakes it all!” shrieked by vocalist and guitarist Helen Kinsella is underscored by an aptly included sample that amplifies the track’s biting commentary.

Meanwhile, »Blank Masses« showcases Liam S Wolf’s skill in bridging the gap between the band’s fuzz-soaked sludge metal roots and their post-pandemic industrial leanings, offering a seamless fusion of heaviness and minimalism, landing somewhere between the bleak sparsity of early Godflesh and the pummelling doom of With The Dead.

Photo by Jodie Palmer

Formed in 2015, The Malefic Grip originally began as a ‘traditional’ sludge band until the simultaneous departure of their drummer and the pandemic pushed Liam and Helen to explore darker, more experimental territory, blending synths, samples, and drum loops into their music. Now driven by a drum machine, this shift toward industrial minimalism and punk snark now defines their post-lockdown sound.

Building off the various isolation-induced experiments conducted by the band, »Virtue and Industry« sees The Malefic Grip fully embracing their evolving sound, fusing industrial precision with the despair and frustration of sludge metal, resulting in their most piercing racket to date.

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well