MALPRACTICE „Triangular”

Music: Progressive Metal
Website: http://www.malpracticeband.com
Country: Finland
Cool songs: Maze of Inequity, Triangular, Fragments

The history of MALPRACTICE begins in 1994 when the musicians formed a band and started performing thrash-like material. After some time they decided to change it a bit, so they got rid of the thrashy-sound and substituted it with a progressive tune. Their music became more melodic and caught the attention of the Finlands great Spinefarm Records (2004). Triangular is their third full-length album, where musicians make short journeys to their past filled with thrash.

Although it seems that a progressive power play is quite popular nowadays, as more and more groups put a few progressive elements to their music. In case of MALPRACTICE the situation is the other way round: they support a progressive pulp with a few constant metal elements. The opening Maze of Inequity expresses all the energy enclosed in progressive metal. Great dynamics and impressing mixture of ideas characterize not only the song but also the entire album. The music can be fast and furious, melodic and poetic, harsh and aggressive or just extremely complicated. The melodies cannot be summarized by saying a few words about their sound and used riffs which were put together. No, the point is that each time Koto and Vanhala strum their guitars, different riffs though ideas come out. It all creates an interesting and quite original fresh breeze which not only sounds catchy but also delivers a lot of pleasure. The rhythmic and melodic sections are extremely developed. Of course there are a few simple compositions like Symmetry (with quite pop-like chorus) or Deception, but the majority is complex, it is built upon a rain of a thousand sounds.

Mainly till the middle of the CD the material is good, the music is interesting and smoothly goes through the hearing system. But what happens from Triangular is just amazing. The smiting instrumental title track pulverizes with its raw progressiveness. It is a perfect mastodon, crushing everything on its way. The rainbow of sounds and ideas used in this composition blows away. And from this moment the sound becomes more progressive, the musicians draw thousands of new and exciting ideas straight from their hats, sleeves and whatever they have. The great instrumental Triangular and a real progressive leviathan – Fragments – are divided by a very poetic and calm ballad, nicely allowing the listeners to take a deeper breath, so that they could dive into the ocean of metal madness. Everything performed in a fantastic way, with great attention to technical details. What can sometimes annoy is the length of the compositions, but on the other hand the musicians would not be able to squeeze so many ideas there.

The musicians say, that their music is a kind of a crossover of MEGADETH and DREAM THEATER, and it is quite true. It is an interesting album, full of intelligent and mature concepts. The great progressive tunes mixed with thrash elements create interesting material. It is a kind of a stream of consciousness – a musical stream, where the musicians perform immediately everything what they have in mind.

note: 10/10

Tracklist

1. Maze of Inequity
2. Symmetry
3. Deception
4. Deadline
5. Platform
6. Triangular
7. Waves
8. Fragments

Total playing time 50:11

Line-up

Aleksi Parviainen – vocals
Joonas Koto – guitar
Markus Vanhala – guitar
Jonas Mäki – bass
Toni Paananen – drums