Malpractice - Deviation from the Flow

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Malpractice - Deviation From The Flow

Artist:	Malpractice
Title:	Deviation From The Flow
Label:	Spinefarm Records SP1239CD
Length(s):	50 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2005
Month of review:	[03/2006]

Line up

Joonas Koto - guitar
Jonas Maki - bass
Toni Paananen - drums
Mika Uronen - vocals

Tracks

1)	Assembly Line	5.48
2)	Colours In Between	4.50
3)	The Industry	4.25 MP3
4)	The Long Run	7.19
5)	Divided	5.51
6)	Expedition	5.57
7)	Circles In The Sand	6.15
8)	Fragile Pages	9.36

Summary

The music

Malpractice is a Finnish prog metal outfit, musically most akin to Enchant. Sure, the fact that vocalist Uronen's timbre comes close to Enchant's vocalist helps in creating this effect, but the song structure, the use of bass and rhythm guitar, the multiple vocals are all so close stylistically to Enchant that the likeness can not be ignored. The main difference is that Malpractice includes Yngwie Malmsteen type solos, which help the tracks, considering the fact that the Malmsteen attitude is not included. The bio calls the band successors of prog metal dino's such as Dream Theater. Odd perspective, both musically and historically.

Divided is the first track that does some real melodic development in the intro. Unfortunately this melody is drowned out as soon as the vocals start, dragging the track back in line. Fragile Pages has an acoustic intro suggesting a degree of subtlety, but once again the vocals wash this away easily.

Although I would say Malpractice manage just a tad more variety in their material than Enchant does in theirs, the majority of critical points for Enchant hold for Malpractice as well. Songs are to similar to eachother, difference lay in details. The drums can be on the straight side, smacking away in the just-not-far-enough-back for what they have to say. I guess these compositions are just a little less intricate than those with Enchant, which doesn't help considering the lack of variation.

Conclusion

This is not bad, but it's not original and it would have been nice if the songs had just a bit more prog and a bit less metal. All this adds up to an album that lacks the identity to raise itself from the morass of anonimity. Maybe better next time.