Malignus Youth

Legendary Arizona Hardcore Melodic band from Sierra Vista. Malignus Youth re-invented the Arizona music landscape, playing legendary shows at the Downtown Performance Center in Tuscon, AZ and having a loyal following, many driving miles and miles to hear them play. Word of mouth accounts of Malignus live shows and music garnered them fans worldwide, including Citizen Fish who video taped one of the last shows Malignus Youth played leaned over to me and said "these guys are great we are fans" Malignus Youth released two EP's (Malignus Youth and Crisis) on their own YOUTHINK. RECORDS as well as a full length (More To It) on the imprint as well. These were viynl releases, which are as of now sold-out and/or hard to find. Due to demand from fans YOUTHINK. RECORDS released two CD's of material (Viynl CD and Missa Brevis/Ephermal) The latter containing a five-part punk rock mass in Latin! As well as unreleased songs, Viynl CD contained all the viynl Youthink. had released over the years--- *note this page produced by a fan/friend* not a member of the band... MALIGNUS YOUTH played ultrafast yet totally catchy thrash with melodic vocals.

As one of the most legendary Arizona hardcore/punk outfits, it is safe to say that nearly anyone who caught Malignus Youth in their day was converted into lifelong fan. Their ultra-speedy approach mixed with harmonized high vocals were infectious and memorable. Fortunately for all those still in mourning over their breakup, guitarist James Martin has kindly compiled some old tracks along with the excellent Missa Breva EP onto CD. Throughout the course of the album (which was compiled chronologically), you can hear the development of the band from youthful enthusiasm (and blast beats galore) in their earlier years to a more focused unit. You can hear a lot of old school punk influences including the Minutemen or any number of hardcore acts. As the material progresses, things like off-beat guitar riffing and the improving singing of Octavio Olaje and Martin's harmonies shine (to see what I mean, check out "One Way" or "AK-47"). It's a great thrill to hear this band on CD and hopefully James will continue to make this great band's catalogue available to those who missed out the first time around. I would say it's a long time overdue, but finally the rest of the Malignus Youth material is out on CD. This particular CD culls together material from two early EPs as well as the band's exceptional More to It LP. Personally I am thrilled to death that this is finally out on CD because my vinyl copy of More To It had a pressing problem and made a really annoying hissing sound each and every revolution on side A. Needless to say, that problem has been solved here. For the uninitiated, Malignus Youth's music has been described as barbershop quartet meets warp speed punk. Singer Octavio Olaje's helium vocals and guitarist James Martin's backing harmonies are fairly high pitched. Often Octavio blurs through the lyrics so fast that he sounds like is spitting phonetics out randomly, especially on the older material. The band behind him, meanwhile, races through the tracks at breakneck speed. One thing that has stood out in the two reissue CDs is the skill level of bassist Tom Shelden and Mike Armenta's drumming. The bass in particular is nimble and commanding, while Armenta does a lot more than just keep a steady beat. As this CD progresses, you can also hear the band's progression from more basic aggression to an emphasis on song dynamics (particularly in the vocals). By the time you get to the More To It tracks, you'll hear a lot stronger material. The music is a lot more offbeat and stylized, especially on tracks like "Carousel", "Crazy" or "States". I do admit that I miss the little girl singing "Little Bo Peep" at the beginning of the LP. Maybe she demanded higher royalties. Damn kid stars these days. Regardless, Vinyl is a hugely welcomed disc in my collection. It's very good to hear all these songs again.