Description
Mallavora are a blazing force in alt-metal, fusing ferocious riffs with elements of R&B, soul, and the rich cultural heritage of vocalist Jessica Douek's Jewish-Middle Eastern roots. Since emerging in 2020, the band has carved out a reputation as one of the most exciting rising acts in heavy music, with support from BBC Radio 1, Kerrang! Radio and acclaimed rock and metal press such as Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Alt Press.
2024 saw the band make their Download Festival debut, undertake their first UK headline tour, and secure huge support slots with powerhouse bands such as Skindred. Following the release of their EP "Echoes", the band has enjoyed a busy schedule in 2025 - with appearances at 2000trees (main stage) and Alyx Holcombe's MANTRA showcase.
In recent months, Mallavora have been popping up everywhere, from the stages of Boomtown and Burn It Down Festivals, to the catwalk at London Fashion Week where they provided the soundtrack to Unhidden's latest clothing range. Most recently, you may have heard vocalist Jessica's incredible vocal abilities in an episode of BBC 1's The Celebrity Traitors, a star-studded game show that features household names such as Stephen Fry, Alan Carr and Claudia Winkleman. Jess was called upon by the producers of the show to produce 'banshee-like' wails, demonstrating her vocal range which stretches from beautiful high octave singing to the extremes of fry screaming.
All of Mallavora's achievements have been leading to this moment: the announcement of their debut album 'What If Better Never Comes?'. Set for release on March 27th 2026 via Church Road Records, this record showcases the band's growth as songwriters and highlights their constant hunger to push the envelope.
"We are so proud to announce the release of our debut album, 'What If Better Never Comes?'. This record is a conceptual exploration of sickness - personal and societal - and it's given us the space to express our experiences of difference in new and expansive ways. We hope its vulnerability, and the message it carries, brings comfort and catharsis to anyone who's ever lived inside emotions too complex to name."
The album campaign is ignited by their latest single 'Waste', which will be released in tandem with the album's announcement on November 5th.
"We had fun with 'Waste' and experimenting with its contrasting tones. The track confronts misogyny and the impossible expectations placed on women. It's scathing, sharp, and almost gleeful in its indictment of this pervasive societal sickness."
For Mallavora, the music comes first and foremost, but behind their powerful music also lies equally powerful personal stories - a fierce honesty rooted in lived experience. Guitarist Larry Sobieraj channels his own experiences of chronic illness into the band's instrumentals.
"It's almost like a therapy tool to process these complicated and difficult things that a lot of people don't understand, things that are hard to put into words," he says. "I want to be able to sit there and listen to the music and feel how I felt while writing it."
He passes his instrumentals to vocalist Jessica Douek, who uses her emotional response to the music to craft vocals. In essence, it's a creative dialogue. "It makes it quite powerful in the sense that I can feel what he has written, and then I put that into words, associated with grief of becoming ill or losing a healthier version of yourself," says Jessica, who is Disabled and lives with fibromyalgia. "There's a lot of rage about societal barriers and being treated differently."
Completed by thunderous bassist Ellis James and powerhouse drummer Sam Brownlow, Mallavora have become some of alternative music's fierce
