MALHAVOC will release The Masquerade’s Death on November 13, 2026 through Cursed Blessings Records. Conceived, recorded and mixed by Jimi LaMort, the Toronto industrial/thrash metal band’s full-length draws on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque Of The Red Death and brings contributions from current members, original members and guests.
The announcement connects Poe’s story of privileged people unable to escape a pandemic with the album’s themes of loss, drudgery and anxiety about the future. It describes a return to MALHAVOC’s thrash foundations, incorporating industrial soundscapes, horror-film atmospheres and operatic elements.
Original members Dave C., John C. and Jimi C. (LaMort) reunited to re-record the last song they wrote together in 1985, according to the press announcement. Current members Steve Jelliman, Lee “Sik Dogg” McCormack and LaMort contribute as multi-instrumentalists. Guests include Connor Lex Grant of Trick Casket, Ian Mumble of Overthrow and founding member Nigel Williams.
The six-track running order is “The Masque Of The Red Death,” “Respectfully Decline,” “The Fact,” “The Harrow,” “Through The Cruel Light” and “Distant Noize.” The album will be available on LP, CD and digital platforms, with preorders offered through the Cursed Blessings webshop.
MALHAVOC’s history reaches back to the mid-1980s. The supplied biography traces the band’s early thrash work through Age Of The Dark Renaissance (1985) and Shrine (1986), followed by the industrial metal releases The Release (1990), Punishments (1991) and Premeditated Murder (1992). Industrial music and samples became part of the band’s approach beginning in 1985.
Electronic influences became more prominent on Get Down (1994) and The Lazarus Complex (1996), both produced by Dave Rave Ogilvie. After Get Down, LaMort and Ogilvie produced remixes for Mötley Crüe, Tool, NIN and Monster Magnet. LaMort also contributed production work to Voivod’s Phobos.
The biography also documents LaMort’s physical approach to live performance, including climbing stage equipment and moving through the audience. Alongside periodic MALHAVOC shows, his work as DJ Jimi LaMort has included appearances in goth clubs and fetish settings.
Beyond The Masquerade’s Death, MALHAVOC reports two further releases in production. One is Anthems For The New Flesh, a David Cronenberg tribute made up entirely of cover songs. The announcement supplies no release date for that project.
