Malesus, the New Sensation of the Southeast
Katie Gordon, Community Life Editor
February 6, 2012
Filed under Community Life
“They’re one of the more unique bands I’ve heard in a while; their sound is authentic and unique in every way.” Conlee Benson, a junior at South Side High School commented on the band, Malesus at their concert in Iuka, Mississippi. Malesus, a rising band from South Jackson has come a long way from where they started a year and a half ago. With Chad Blackwell and Tyler Youmans on the guitars, Spencer Deaton strumming the bass, Michael Thornhill and Wesley Frix as the vocalists, and Keith Yapp on the drums, Malesus is sure to be an upcoming favorite in the Buck-Core industry.
Starting as a group of friends with a love of music, Malesus has morphed into an overnight sensation in Jackson, playing shows throughout the Southeast. They accredit their favorite bands as being “White Chapel, Underoath, Parkway Drive, Of Mice and Men, and Bring Me the Horizon.” “Parkway drive has always been a favorite band of mine,” stated Michael Thornhill “Michael Crafter’s vocals harmonize with the rest of the band to make a perfect fusion; too many vocalists try to overpower the rest of the band, instead of blending with the music.”
The hardest obstacle for Malesus as a band is procreating funds to record. “We get booked for a lot of shows by word of mouth from fans, they’ve been our biggest promoter, funds for recording are low, so we’re thankful that our fans give us so much support,” said drummer, Keith Yapp.
Malesus’s stage presence is unmatched, from the quality of their music to the excitement they arouse from the crowd. They entice fans with their unique shows and bring them back every time. A unique experience for the band was when Wesley Frix accidentally grabbed Chad Blackwell’s guitar during a show and began to seize up, this creates a closed circuit electrocuting the singer. “It was one of the scariest things, we had to pry his hands off the guitar, it definitely was an experience I don’t want to relive,” Blackwell said. Even after their craziest nights, after their shows, it has become a tradition for the band to grab a burger and discuss the night’s events.
As far as the future, the band has big ambitions. “I think we could define our ultimate success as making a job out of playing our music, and still loving what we do. So many people in the industry lose their passion for music, and when you love what you do, I don’t think you can really define it as a job,” said Tyler Youmans, one of the band’s guitarists. As far as the music industry itself today, Malesus feels it has really fallen from what it used to be. They commented, “Illegally downloading music has killed the industry, artists don’t make as much money, and those who aren’t as famous can barely make enough to break even and still record.”
To find out more about Maleus, you can visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/Malesus.
Upcoming shows:
February 11 Medon, TN
February 18 Iuka, MS
March 10 Jackson TN Taboo
