Last year, DiS rightly praised Malkovich for their brilliant debut ‘The Foundation Rocks’, singling out their innovation, commitment and way with a tune. Back then, this writer would’ve forced that record onto you until you were on your hands and knees, begging me to burn you a copy!

Pure ace on a stick that album, so it therefore makes it harder to pour scorn on Malkovich’s new album ‘A Criminal Record’. Gone is the Snapcase *drive and block-rockin’ syncopations of _‘The Foundation Rocks’_, instead it jigs and jerks with the temperamentality of Norway’s *JR Ewing, refusing to slot quite so comfortably back into the pigeonhole DiS mistakenly slid them in last time. It’s quirky sure, and it still rages with the tumultuous force of their more straightforward-sounding labelmates but blatantly not enough time has been spent on developing their mood swing intricacies. The overall effect is one of deflation, sinking back into one’s chair at the dynamically-challenged din.

_‘024’ _(yes, just like their previous release all these song titles, quite pointlessly, are numbers) has potential, like most of the tracks but it seems the Malkovich palette has faded, shed of it’s vibrant colours in favour of more middle-of-the-road pastel shades. This may go down well with their European hardcore brethren but DiS expected more, especially as this could have been the hardcore album of last year!