Symphonic black metal is one of those genres that are really hard to do well. There are a lot of bands out there that try their hand at writing material with sweeping instrumentation and orchestral elements, but the end results can fall somewhere between overly cheesy synth driven black metal or stunning grandiose black metal that has a larger than life feel. France’s Malevolentia is one of those groups capable of the latter and they’re making a statement with their new full length ‘République’, their first release in over five years.