Band:	Maladomini
Album:	Malpractice
Style:	Avantgarde metal, Synth black metal
Release date:	June 2024

01. Linnunkoto [instrumental]
02. 911229
03. Malpractice
04. Dödsdans [instrumental]
05. The Observer Effect
06. A Cog

By this point in time, the idea of adding keyboards and synths to blackened metal is one that has been thoroughly explored across multiple decades; despite this, there’s something about Maladomini’s self-described blackened synth metal that feels quite original.

Malpractice is the debut recording from Swedish solo project Maladomini. The musician behind Maladomini, Netzach (yes, this Netzach), has appeared on Metal Storm before back in 2021, in the role of keyboardist for the alternative rock band Chaliced in our non-metal article series. Aside from the shared membership, there is very little in common between the two projects; Maladomini is angry, raw, and disorienting.

One thing that needs acknowledging from the top when discussing Malpractice is that it is almost entirely a one-man effort (save for the guitars tracked by Ophiuchi, an adventurous solo music creator in their own right), and that carries over to the production, which is described on Bandcamp thusly: ‘Recorded with shitty software in a non-existent studio on gear old enough to remember 9/11’. While the style and tone of the album is predisposed to arguably benefit from a degree of rawness, it’s fair to recognize that it may be a barrier for some listeners. So might the prevailing keyboard sound across Malpractice, a brash, high-pitched tone that won’t work for everyone.

Looking past the production side of things, though, and what listeners are greeted with is a set of off-kilter compositions that are bold enough to challenge listeners. I mentioned the description ‘blackened synth metal’ above; in truth, the blackened elements on Malpractice mostly extend to the raw sound and the harshly distorted shrieked vocals (which are impressively intense and harrowing). The guitars and programmed drums generally opt not for sharp tremolo riffs or belligerent blast beats, but rather for polyrhythms and syncopation. The guitars mostly serve more of a textural or percussive role; instead it is the keyboards that dominate the songs’ soundscapes in terms of recognizable motifs.

Said keyboards, as already mentioned, have a primary style that is bright-sounding and exuberant, but there are also other tones in play here, particularly that of a piano. There are also times when the programmed rhythms eschew drum sounds in favor of beats more commonly found in electronic music; this is the case for the opening instrumental “Linnunkoto”, a relatively melodic track compared with the rest of the record, and one that gradually builds in volume and texture across its runtime. It sets an ominous tone for the upcoming album, although it may not quite leave listeners fully prepared for the madness to follow.

“911229” is the shortest song on Malpractice at just under 3 minutes, and this compact length arguably serves it well in preventing its cacophonic assault on the senses from becoming overwhelming. An opening piano motif is soon taken over by the aforementioned brash synths, and this dramatic, rhythmically contorted pattern is underpinned by a frantic, disorienting rhythm section; while the synth parts do undergo some minor morphing over the track’s runtime, this initial vibe persists pretty much throughout, albeit at times turned even more demented by harrowing, heavily distorted shrieks. While not clearly representing any one phase of their career, the almost avant-garde mix of intense synths, rhythmic anarchy and sinister harshness does take my mind towards Sigh to a degree. Being critical, when listening to this song, I do at times feel that perhaps there is a slight lack of synchrony between the different instruments that does occasionally become distracting, but I do still find myself respecting the boldness of its approach.

While I appreciated the benefits of “911229”’s abbreviated length in the previous paragraph, at the same time I find myself most drawn towards the following title track as arguably my highlight of Malpractice, despite the fact that it bears stylistic and rhythmic similarities with “911229” while also being the album’s longest song. The sheer chaos of the preceding track is dialled down slightly on “Malpractice”, and that allows the relentless, immediate intensity of the song to not become grating as it gradually shifts between motifs and riffs, building the anger and darkness conveyed by the vicious vocals and frenzied lyrics to a potent climax. Subsequent song “Dödsdans”, in contrast, is an instrumental like the album opener, and with the absence of lyrics, it instead delves into greater tonal variety (with some calmer, more understated passages), and a more prominent role for the guitars.

At just over 30 minutes, Malpractice doesn’t stick around long enough to outstay its welcome for anyone willing to get on board with its fundamental musical concept, and there is some variation in approach in the final couple of songs, between the almost faintly playful feel to rhythms heard in “The Observer Effect” and the different tones introduced in “A Cog” (including pipe-like keys in the background that take my mind to “Wait” by Pain Of Salvation, and a temporary move away from blackened shrieks towards a semi-spoken/semi-shouted vocal approach). The latter track is up with “Malpractice” for me as one of the stronger cuts on the album; the calmer rhythm section and crunchier guitar work well alongside the synths in building a dark, dramatic atmosphere, one that is easier to dwell and brood in than the cacophony of a song like “911229”.

Between the limitations in production, potentially divisive synth tone, and occasional looseness between instruments, not to mention the overall avant-garde and hectic songwriting approach, Maladomini’s debut is an album perhaps destined for a more niche audience. Having said that, listeners with a craving for bold, experimental takes on metal, along with a taste for both emotional and musical harshness, may well find Malpractice to be a rewarding experience.