Malconstruct became a band in late 2012 after three members of a Lewisville-based metal band called Leviathan’s Grace decided to take matters into their own hands; they weren’t satisfied with the progress of their former band, and so they decided to start their own and do it their way. Garret Webb, Aidan Oldnettle, and Cris Araya (3/4 of Leviathan’s Grace) reached out to Mark Spinks, wanting to start a metal band that would accomplish many things and that would have longevity. Garret and Mark had known each other since middle school. They met Aidan and Cris in high school. The thread that tied all their friendships together was a love of metal music and of playing music together in general. Garret and Mark started learning guitar right around the same time in middle school, and they always dreamed of playing in a metal band together. Mark and Aidan had their first jam session to “Set to Fail” by Lamb of God, solidifying their chemistry as players. Garret, Aidan, and Cris found that they worked really well together as well, which led to them reaching out to Mark to form Malconstruct. Within a year of being together, the four metal amigos wrote and recorded a full-length album, their self-titled “Malconstruct” that released in 2013. Since then, the band has strived to continually improve and to create the metal music they love and want to see in the music industry.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
The origin of Malconstruct as a band name stems from a desire to be a singular metal experience. Many different ideas were tossed around before this name was chosen, but when this option was provided by Garret over the band’s group text, everyone in the group knew that it was the right fit. It seemed to characterize the sometimes dissonant-yet-honed qualities of the music the band prefers to write; it represents the notion that a metal-head him or herself is a sort of Malconstruction, something that exists to make you question normality. Not to mention, there’s really only one thing that comes up in a Google search when you type in “Malconstruct.”
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
All of the members of the band met and became friends in the city of Dallas, Texas. Shortly into the band’s career, guitarist Mark Spinks moved to Austin, Texas, but that never stopped the band from keeping the ball rolling. Split between two cities All of the band’s shows and activities thus far take place in either Dallas or Denton, both home to flourishing metal and hardcore scenes. The members of Malconstruct are great friends with stoner-metal group Anwar, based out of Denton. The two bands have played numerous shows together and contrast each other well in atmosphere and sound.
4. How would you describe your style?
Malconstruct’s style can be described as progressive death metal, though the band’s sound often fluctuates and takes on many different characters. The most recent release, 2017’s “Nycthemeron”, brings out a more theatrical side to the band’s sound, taking inspiration from the grandiose styles of bands like Opeth and the heaviness of bands like The Faceless. Percussive yet flowing guitar riffs sit atop technical and nuanced drum parts, all headed by a guttural and gravelly vocal style delivered powerfully by Garret Webb. Whether the band is building up to a climactic and dramatic end or simply setting up a dark tale with ominous instrumental preludes, the music always delivers a unique listening experience. Technical proficiency that challenges you as a listener is balanced with catchy riffs that won’t leave your head. The band takes influence from many of their favorite metal groups while growing up such as Lamb of God, The Black Dahlia Murder, Gojira, Mastodon, and even bands like The Mars Volta or Bad Acid Trip.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
So far, Malconstruct has released two full-length albums and a single, which was the segue into the band’s latest release. “Malconstruct”, the band’s first and self-titled album, debuted in 2013; in 2015 the band released “Nycthemeron – Single”, featuring two tracks from the band’s second full-length album, “Nycthemeron”, which was released in April of 2018. A listener of Malconstruct can expect a musical journey spanning from the beginning of the first album to the end of the most recent album. On the first album, the metal group featured the songs in the chronological order in which they were written. In doing so, a listener can hear the progression and evolution over the course of the album’s inception and recording. With Nycthemeron, the band reached new peaks and made bold sonic decisions, featuring songs with operatic vocals and more challenging music than ever before. A listener can expect to be stimulated by this music, but he or she certainly won’t be over-stimulated to the point that the music is inaccessible. Metalheads and non-metalheads alike can all find something to enjoy in Malconstruct’s varied music.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Currently, Malconstruct has plans to release a double-EP, featuring new songs that act as an afterthought to the ponderings of Nycthemeron. The band is always writing and evolving, whether individually or as an ensemble, so new music is always on the horizon.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Currently no tours
are planned, and the band does not have any shows booked in the
upcoming months. As Nycthemeron gains traction, the possibilities
begin to unfold for Malconstruct to take its music to new places, and
the band is always excited to play their music for more people.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Malconstruct is a project of passion for its four members. Each member loves playing music, and each member loves the music that they play in Malconstruct. The plans for the future are to simply keep writing great metal music and to improve as musicians along the way. Because everyone in the band loves playing metal so much, there is no lack of patience for moving forward and for constantly evolving. Malconstruct plans to release more music, to play in new locations, and to hopefully inspire many others to follow their own passions of making the music they know and love.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
All of Malconstruct’s music can be found on various music streaming services such as Google Play, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and BandCamp. Merchandise and music both can be purchased on the group’s BandCamp page (malconstruct.bandcamp.com).
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
For a first-time listener, everyone in Malconstruct would want that listener to know that we simply make the music we love and want to hear, and we have a hell of a lot of fun making and playing it. We want the passion for our music to be heard and felt by each and every listener, and we want that passion to stick with the listener; as a band, we want a first-time listener to remember how much fun the music can be, no matter how heavy it may get.
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