Pentagram Chile has been around for several decades, forming in 1985. However, despite their debut demo emerging in 1986, The Malefice is, incredibly, their debut full-length opus. Leader of the pack Anton Reisenegger is clearly still influenced by the demonic sounds of Venom and Possessed, Venom; his vocals come from the same fiery dungeon occupied by those classic 80s metal acts. Pentagram Chile have obviously moved on since those primitive times however, The Malefice attempting to combine the rawer methods employed back in the 80s with modern dynamics, the result being a rather lethal dose of blackened thrash. This is also aided by another original member, guitarist Juan Pablo Uribe, whose sordid guitar sound compliments Reisenegger?s equally spiky cacophony. The Malefice is a nasty little record that leaves a huge black oil stain on the carpet due to its putrid stature. You can tell these guys have been on the metal circuit for aeons such is the brooding arrogance of tracks like ?La Fiura? ? a deeply satanic number that combines the rusty dynamics of Venom with the brutal blitz of old school Sepultura. However, The Malefice doesn?t just exist as a magical history tour. Instead, it stands proud as a separate entity; the outing is a beast so smug in its ungodly aura that you?ll be wondering why on earth you hadn?t succumbed to Pentagram Chile all those years ago. If you weren?t lucky enough to have heard these guys on the underground grapevine the first time round, then let this scintillating yet obscure sounding leviathan be your guide to the dark side.