Malignus Youth was a hardcore punk band from Sierra Vista, Arizona that was active from 1987-1994 and again from 1999-2001. Band members included: James Martin (guitars/vocals) Octavio Olaje (vocals) Tom Shelden (bass/vocals) Mike Armenta (drums/vocals) As was typical of traditional hardcore punk, early Malignus Youth songs featured fast tempos, 4/4 time, slow introductions followed by fast verse-chorus-verse, and lyrics with social relevance. However, as they developed their musical style, song tempos became even faster while maintaining impressive tightness and control. Shouted vocals (as per the punk tradition) developed into an elegant singing of unified harmonized melody. The traditional verse-chorus-verse structure was scrutinized and altered into even patterns, each with its own structure. Bass lines became more melodic and experimental. Guitar lines served to counterpoint the melodic basslines creating a musical point-counterpoint, perhaps at this point, unheard of in punk rock. One feature that characterized later Malignus Youth was a rush of lyrics from Martin as Olaje sang in the background, which would be seamlessly "switched" so that Olaje sang in the foreground as Martin sang in the background. By taking turns on the lead lyrics, the impression would be created that a single singer was belting out ultra-fast lyrics without interruption. Despite its relatively short existence, Malignus Youth is also noted by its unusually devoted fan base, even many years after their breakup.