Album Review: Malpractice - "Turning Tides"
I guess it's not unusual to find that one's taste in music changes as you get older. Certainly experience and maturity have something to do with it. Personally, I find that I enjoy seeking out music from artists I've not heard before, regardless of the age or genre of the material. Specifically, I find that I have a much greater appreciation for what some call "progressive" music.
Don't get me wrong, I can still get behind some old-school, four chord punk or something similar. The Misfits will always be favorites of mine. But there's something about the challenge that comes with listening to progressive bands that really gets me going these days.
I'm sure it has something to do with my increased knowledge of how difficult it is to play in a time signature other than 4/4. If you don't play an instrument, let me assure you... it's really hard.
Some people are turned off by the idea of progressive music but there are elements of it in a lot of bands you wouldn't normally think of. The obvious examples are King Crimson, Rush, Dream Theater and newer bands like Bigelf but even a band like Metallica has some pretty progressive parts in many of their songs. Yes, thrash can be, and often times is, progressive.
A nice example of the blend between thrash and progressive metal can be found on "Turning Tides", the fourth and latest record from Finnish band Malpractice. It's an ambitious endevour, a concept album of sorts, filled with spectacular guitar playing, bass work, percussion and vocals.
According to the band, "The lyrical theme of the album is about a guy who is very well educated. In fact so educated and talented that he can't land a job for himself due to over education... His life and sanity starts to fall apart due to his frustration and depression. He tries to fight the system but always ends up deeper and deeper in apathy. The story can be somewhat related to Malpractice's struggle to make it for two decades already".
"Turning Tides" begins with the straight forward thrash song, "Best Kept Secret" before plunging headlong into much more progressive songs with some very interesting time changes as well as outstanding musicianship provided by guitarists Markus Vanhala and Joonas Koto, Jonas Maki on bass and drummer Toni Paananen.
Not to be outdone, vocalist Aleksi Paraviainen brings his own clean, powerful instrument to the mix. While his style is uniquely his own, I found myself drawing comparisons to Corey Glover of Living Colour on occasion.
Paraviainen shines throughout "Turning Tides" but the track "State Within A State" stands out, containing some incredible vocal harmonies alongside more aggressive vocal moments, helping to illustrate the frustration felt by the protagonist of the album.
The highlight of the record is the 15 minute epic, "Turning Tides". This is the track that showcases everything Malpractice has to offer. The music is intricate, the melodies are contagious and, unlike a lot of your 15 minute songs, "Turning Tides" remains interesting the whole way through.
I would be doing you a great disservice if I failed to mention the song "Symphony Of Urban Discomfort", a mind-blowing instrumental near the end of the album. If you're in search of a song that truly creates a mood (albeit a frenetic one) then this one is for you. It contains some amazing changes. It's melodic and chaotic at the same time. Musicians, be prepared to be blown away.
Progressive metal is not for everybody. Some folks just don't "get it". But I think Malpractice has created a very accessible album with "Turning Tides". It's not so complex that average fans of metal won't find something to like but it has enough complexity to make folks who play an instrument feel compelled to go and practice their scales just a little while longer.
