MAL is an American rock band with a stupendous understanding of the genre. Their interpretations of universal themes within its contours often take on psychedelic builds and characteristics. MAL has just released their latest album titled Come To Light. It is a collection of nineteen tracks, each one leaving a unique sonic imprint by blending frames of Progressive Rock, Space Rock, Hard Rock, Grunge, Post Rock, and shoegaze. The album is sure to take you back to the artistic brilliance of artists like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and Led Zeppelin. Listen Now! 

The band has been teasing the release of the album since the beginning of the year (2023) with tracks like ‘Besides’, ‘Hero’s Gold’, and ‘Come To Light’ (the title track), all of which we have featured on this blog. This review will explore the soundscapes of the unheard tracks; starting with ‘Sleeper’. It has a close sonic profile with ‘Besides’, ‘Cut Myself’, and ‘Commit Me’, flaring out with psychedelic riff patterns, mellowing down with soulful melancholy and even distortion planes. It hardens and escalates with lofty rhythmic and guitar progressions. 

The album has recurring themes/ series with nuanced variations. The Ritual Series are instrumentals forged with enchanting cerebral profiles. The quartet, titled ~ Ritual (Rite of Madness) (of the Sky) (of the Dust) and (of the Night), introduce and disclaim the tracks that follow them. Each one of them is tailored to dilate the thematic essence, varying in instrumental pallets, stridency, emotional appeal, and sonic planes. If you listen to them one after the other, you’ll see common bass structures that are used to phase into bigger and more layered concepts. 

Another series is the Reprise Series. These are made with vibrant textures and dynamic rhythm. Set out as M.A.L Movements, the trio share a soaring soundscape with mercurial distortion techniques, splattering riffs, and gunning basses. 

Tracks like ‘Thumper/Wormsign’, ‘5 on Eye’, and ‘For Brevity’ are loaded and hefty tracks. Slow burns are strongly charged with emotion and soul. A softer version of this would be in ‘The Confidence of Cats’ ~ melodic and lighter than the rest of the group. The use of acoustic accents and a looser rhythm flow lends it a mellow daze that is quite enjoyable. 

The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to Come To Light by MAL here –