Monday, February 6, 2017

Band Spotlight - MAL INTENT




When I think of current Chicago hardcore bands, the first to come to mind is MAL INTENT.  They recently dropped a record called "Cycles of Terror" and it absolutely SSSSMMMAAAAASSSSHHHHHHEEEESSSSS.  This band has been putting in some serious work and have recently played shows with the likes of Expire, Bracewar, Weekend Nachos, and more.  They are one of the best newer bands I've listened to and the attention they have garnered so far is extremely well deserved.  With that in mind, I reached out to their vocalist Jon Ortiz and he kindly answered some questions for Culture Thrash.  Check it out:





When did the idea for Mal Intent come about?  

I had been out of a band for a few months after leaving Warhound and I was starting to lose my mind haha I really missed playing and making music. I knew what I wanted to do with this band and it was solely to just play with friends and all in all just have fun with it. 



When did Mal Intent form and who is in the lineup? 

Mal Intent formed back in mid 2013. Its myself on the mic, Pedro on drums, Kyle on guitar, Serg on guitar and Anchit on Bass. 


How long did it take for you guys to starting playing shows? 

Honestly not long at all haha we only had 3 songs written and my good friend G from Bodybag hit us up to play with Nasty. I texted the guys and was like you dudes want to do this show? and everyone was down right away. Crazy ass first show lol the lineup was Nasty, CDC, No Zodiac (That Population Control shit!), I.E.D and Silverhammer. 



When I first heard Mal Intent, I thought you guys sounded like a mix of Weekend Nachos, Stout, and Taste The Steel. After more listens I feel like that description might be a bit limiting. You guys have much more going on musically. What are some of the musical and lyrical influences for Mal Intent? 

I love all those bands so to hear that is fucking sick! Musically were all over the place honestly and thats why I think the band sounds the way it does. Musically we all listen to different shit from Migos to Built Upon Frustration to Pig Destroyer to Sabbath. Lyrically for me i always loved the rawness from Product of Waste (RIP T) he had it all in my opinion, that band was perfect. Taste The Steel def influenced the lyical content and delivery on Cycles Of Terror. I've been listening to Taste The Steel for the last 6 maybe 7 years and I feel they're completely underrated. They really make you think and question what's going on in the world and not be afraid to let people know what you think about the government. Seeing them 3 times last year made me appreciate that band more and more.  Outside of music just everyday shit, working at a job that you know is a dead end, scraping by every step of the way just to make ends meet, shitty people we see and know exist, the government and the world. I don't believe you should write about shit you haven't experienced or aren't passionate about. 



Some of you guys have had other bands. Does the experience in those other bands play a role in how you approach Mal Intent? 

 Absolutely, we don't intend to take this band on the road to much. Were just 5 close friends who want to make music. If people like what were doing and we can make it out to different places once in a while, were all for that. 



Does being from Chicago affect your band? How so? 

 I think so. Theres alot of history in the city of Chicago with not only the Hardcore scene but on a more different scale. Chicago is beautiful but its also fucked up in terms of violence. Innocent people are murdered it seems like almost everyday and the way the media feeds it to the people is making it more into a desensitizing factor for people not directly involved or not from the city. I'm not a hard dude and I don't present myself that way, I acknowledge whats going on in this city and that shit isnt cool. Some days you dont even know if youre going to make it home from your job or school because shit can happen at any moment. All of that goes into our songs. 


What does the future hold for Mal Intent? Any specific plans? 

 We got a little 4 day tiny mini tour to NY and back at toward the end of Feb. We plan on recording 2-3 new songs for a split in April and plan on realeasing another full length sometime this year. 



What are some other bands people should check out?  

Ok, first and fucking foremost The Killer (if you do not know this band, you're fucking up hard), Bitter Thoughts, Bodybag, Detain, Inferno, Breaking Wheel, Purgatory, No Victory, Penitentiary, Blood In Blood Out, Infamy,  Numb, Silverhammer, Queensway, Invoke, Vatican, Judiciary, Human Garbage, Upright, Kharma, Absent Mind, Counterweight, Sarin, Laid 2 Rest, Shame, Division of Mind, Trail Of Lies, Of Feather and Bone, Easy Money, Seperated, Life After Death, No Reason To Live, Vein, Lifeless, Time Walk, Enemy Mind, Inferno, Creepout, Detriment, Heavens Die and THREE KNEE FUCKING DEEP. Also want to add one of the heaviest bands of all time, Primitive Man! I have to end it there because I will seriously keep listing bands haha 



Is there anything else you would like to plug? 

When it comes to your scene, the people in your life, your beliefs... stick close to them. Do whatever you can to make positive impacts where ever you go because you only have one life and a very limited time here so do the most.  

Thank you to you and Culture Thrash for asking me to be apart of this!

AND shout out to CHICAGO, INDIANA and MILWAUKEE HARDCORE. 







Here's some rad live footage:




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