Malpractice - Turning Tides

And to top it all off, this progressive thrash group from Finland made a concept album about modern urban ennui. Nice.Finnish band Malpractice started out as more of a straight up thrash act way back in 1994, but has slowly and steadily incorporated more complexity and melodicism into their moshpit tunes making for one of the more exciting releases this year. Progressive thrash isn't a huge sub-genre, but it's one that ticks all the boxes for me. And like others in the field (e.g. Mekong Delta, Voivoid, et al), the primary emphasis is on crunchy, heavy riffage.

One of the more appealing aspects of Malpractice's sound is its vocal harmonies, courtesy of vocalist Aleksi Parviainen, who reminds me of Lemur Voice's Gregoor van der Loo; really great, melodic, and soulful - if not a bellowing powerhouse. The other defining element to their sound is the great guitarwork of Joonas Koto and Markus Vanhala. They help add to the deft blending of two normally disparate musical ideas; the heavy, high gain chug of thrash rhythyms and the clean, chorused arpeggiated interludes of progressive metal, all overlaid with soaring solos and catchy choruses. It's just magic when it all comes together as well as this. It's like Enchant meets classic Queensrÿche for lack of a better description. Trust me, it's good stuff.

The Bottom Line: This here's some stellar progressive thrash, replete with monster riffs, lush vocal harmonies, melodic hooks, and great, fluid solo work throughout. What the hell else do you need, amirite?

- Genghis was thrilled to find the obligatory instrumental (Symphony Of Urban Discomfort) on here...