"With Death i Walk" By Kensei - remember the good old days of listening Malefice is a sign that this band are able to tap into different sounds in their music.

Now, they’re gearing up to release their debut album ‘With Death I Walk’ which is due to be released to the world on 17th May. And the lads have been ever so lovely as to give me the honour of a sneaky peek before the album goes live.

If you want the simple, straight to the point review: it won’t hold up much in the J-Pop meets Jazz charts, but it’s a pretty solid entry for the metal world so the lads have got a winner on their hands. The initial listening of this album reminded me of the illegitimate love child of Any Given Day and Malefice (if you haven’t heard of Malefice, they were an absolute powerhouse in the melo-death scene back in the 2000s). The album is heavy, melodic and has some tight as f**k instrumental sections that’ll blow your mind.

One factor I must point out that ASBOLUTELY blew me away was the absolute power and mastery of the drums. Seriously. I’m not a drummer by any means and wouldn’t be able to get super technical about the kit but the drumming on this album is tight. It’s powerful. It brings the thunder hard. To the man behind the kit, I salute you for your power alone. That’s not to say the guitars and bass didn’t bring their own thunder. Of course, they matched it flawlessly and provided some incredibly hard-hitting riffs and powerful melodies with the sprinkling of some beautiful

The stand-out track for me was ‘No Remorse’. With the clean orchestral and piano introduction, it builds nicely to a track that hits heavy in the main riff with its thrashy vibes. The build up into the melodic chorus that utilises the harsh vocals over the top were nicely done, and is a track I can see smashing the ears of fans hard when performed live.

The only criticism I’d have about this album is that it does feel formulaic in some places and I’d have liked a little splash more variety, but what I will say is that the band do somewhat counter this with some incredibly impressive instrumental sections and some crisp vocal action. It also shows that the band have room to grow further than they already have and leaves the door open for new creative ideas in the future. Something I’m sure the lads in Kensei will be working on in the background ready for whatever the next release will be.

Overall, it’s a solid entry in the melo-death market. Making me remember the good old days of listening Malefice is a sign that this band are able to tap into different sounds in their music and, as I’ve said before with the Bloodstock alumni I know, more than deserved to grace the legendary stages and should continue to do so if they continue in the direction they’re going. After all, they are absolute babs.