Band:	Malpractice
Album:	Turning Tides
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	September 16, 2014
A review by:	Mattybu

01. Best Kept Secret
02. Weight Of The World
03. Irony Tower
04. State Within A State
05. Turning Tides
06. Symphony Of Urban Discomfort
07. Out

To me, Finland has always been a great country for metal. Between groups like Amorphis, Ensiferum, and the almighty Kalmah, there has always been a wealth of great Finnish metal out there. Turning Tides was my first exposure to Malpractice, a progressive metal group from the same Nordic land. Not surprisingly, the album is very good.

Turning Tides is one of those albums that just seems to get things right. The album has a great consistency about it; the songs flow nicely into each other, don't drag on until they get boring, and each offers enough to keep things interesting. As is to be expected from a progressive metal album, there are lots of catchy riffs, intricate rhythms, and some tasteful and melodic guitar solos. A little more variation in terms of tempo and atmosphere might have helped, but nevertheless the album is very cohesive and enjoyable, especially the huge title track. On top of all that, an interesting lyrical theme ties it together; Turning Tides tells the story of a highly intelligent man struggling to find a place in society. The album really is a journey of sorts.

Here's the thing though. Every now and then a progressive metal album comes along that really pushes things to the limit. I'm talking about the ingenious storytelling and masterful musicianship of an album like Scenes From A Memory, or the gripping, haunting atmosphere of an album like Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness. I'm not saying every album should be expected to have those exact elements (or even be that good), but to me those are the kinds of albums that have something really special about them, something you won't forget. As good as Turning Tides is, it doesn't have that particular moment or factor that just leaves your jaw dropped.

So, once again the Finnish have proven their value in the world of metal. This time it's Malpractice who impressed me. Turning Tides came up a bit short of being one of those monumental and groundbreaking albums, but there really isn't a whole lot wrong with it either. It's a very good album and in all likelihood the most enjoyable of any album I've heard in 2014.