{"id":739179,"date":"2026-07-02T15:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/739179\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T15:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:47:09","slug":"review-maladie-the-dance-of-tragedies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/739179\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Maladie – The Dance of Tragedies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Vince<\/a> on 2026\/07\/022026\/07\/02<\/p>\n

\"\"No artist credited<\/p>\n

Style: Progressive metal, avant-garde metal, melodic black metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Akercocke, D\u00f8dheimsgard, Imperial Triumphant<\/a>
Country: Germany
Release date: 29 May 2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019m normally a big fan of ambition in creativity. Those huge, wild swings. The \u2018everything and the kitchen sink\u2019 approach. Doing shit because you want to, not necessarily because it represents the most optimal path. There\u2019s a version of Neon Genesis Evangelion somewhere, for example, that\u2019s had all the philosophical fat and religious symbology trimmed to create a more concise \u2013 and discernible \u2013 narrative, but that would miss the mark on part of what makes that franchise so enthralling. Of course, that\u2019s not to say that simply running off pure artistic chaos is the key to creating great, or even at a minimum interesting art. You still need glue strong enough to keep all those zany ideas together to form a cohesive whole, after all.<\/p>\n

German avant-garde black metal collective Maladie certainly have a penchant for throwing things at the wall. On latest offering The Dance of Tragedies, they toss metalcore, black metal, weeknight sitcom vibes, punk, melodeath, and motes of symphonic metal into a mad little ballroom and demand they dance. There\u2019s saxophone and flute and fourth-wall breaking, too, in case the room wasn\u2019t crowded enough already with ideas. The Dance of Tragedies marks my first soiree with the long-running outfit. Do Maladie have the right glue to keep this event from falling apart? Or will there be tragedy on the dance floor?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Things start off relatively fine on \u201cVortex of Monotony\u201d, with a catchy, if thin, melodic riff and some early sax exposure sparking off against a backdrop of tremolo-picked guitars. However, the goblin-y harshes which rear their head throughout the track are suitably unpleasant, phlegmy and lacking in clarity. The vocals do find some favor towards the end, at least, buoyed on the familiar waves of black metal blast beats and soaring trems. There\u2019s even some rapping halfway through the song, unexplainable yet mercifully brief. Follow-up \u201cBehind All Suns\u201d affects an almost Full House-esque tone with Hauke Peters jubilant sax \u2013 certainly not an approach I would have expected from a band who have labeled themselves \u201cplague metal.\u201d Much like the preceding track, \u201cBehind All Suns\u201d is built around a central riff, equally as thin and sounding eerily similar to the point I found myself toggling between the two tracks. I\u2019ll admit though, that the riffage, both here and across the album, is deceptively catchy; more than a few times I found myself nodding along, foot tapping to the accompanying drum beat.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, Maladie prove themselves adept at transitioning between ideas without sacrificing song cohesion, whether that\u2019s the piano-led bridge of \u201cBehind All Suns\u201d; the punk ferocity of \u201cToo Old to Die\u201d racing towards a deathcore-ian episode complete with guttural brees and broos, mutating again into some kind of dancey club-stomper; or sudden symphonic rock turn of \u201cThe Unknowable\u201d, to name but an immediate few. Maladie\u2019s commitment to anchoring songs to specific motifs ensure that, no matter how many permutations a track may move through, they always either return to, or continue to implement that defining riff. Songs are executed with the sort of panache and confidence expected from a veteran act, and Dance of Tragedies has plenty of little moments that are undeniably enjoyable.<\/p>\n

What a shame, then, that Maladie choose to consistently undermine their efforts by deciding to put tongue firmly through collective cheek with all sorts of meme-y, Deadpool-ian shenanigans \u2013 like the frontman having an argument with the instrumentation on \u201cThe Dance of Tragedies\u201d, or the fact that oftentimes the vocals come across as acts of parody. And, despite how much I appreciate the sax appeal of Dance of Tragedies, Peters\u2019 contributions also lead to some of the album\u2019s cornier moments: see the chicken coop dance off on the title track, the weird synth-dance flatulence of \u201cEmbrace Our Curse\u201d, or the aforementioned 90s sitcom energy of \u201cBehind All Suns\u201d for all manner of disruptive moments. Granted, not every album needs to be mired in seriousness to be worthwhile, but there is a point where an album\u2019s merits threaten to be overtaken by the interminable dual-threat of quirk and irony.<\/p>\n

Dance of Tragedies feels steeped in both, an artistic effort glittering with fun moments that is nonetheless crippled by said fun. The result is an effervescent amalgamation that looks appetizing (the cover art is pretty cool) and hints at something tasty, but ultimately the experience is one of bloat1<\/a> and empty calories \u2013 not a great combination when you\u2019re looking to tear it up on the dance floor.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: On Inaccessible Paths Part II, Behind All Suns
You may also like: The Biscuit Merchant<\/a>, Hail Spirit Noir<\/a>, Amiensus<\/a>, Pensees Nocturnes<\/a>
Final verdict: 4\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Apostasy Records<\/a><\/p>\n

Maladie is:
\u2013 Bj\u00f6rn K\u00f6ppler (guitars, percussion, keyboards, piano, cello, organ, bass, drums, flute)
\u2013 D\u00e9h\u00e0 (keyboards, piano, cello, vocals)
\u2013 Alexander Wenz (vocals)
\u2013 Hauke Peters (saxophone)
\u2013 Alex Spalvieri (guitars)
\u2013 Wiebke EB (backing vocals)<\/p>\n

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