We were quite fond of Finnish prog act Malady and their self-titled Svart Records debut back in 2015, and they are finally back with the follow-up, this one called Toinen toista. Once again firmly rooting their sound on the glorious early '70s progressive rock scene, Malady have created another winner here that also dips into Scandinavian folk, jazz, & chamber rock for an appealing blend of styles that's sure to drag in plenty of new listeners. As with the first album, much of the material here is instrumental in nature, but the vocal segments are sung in their native tongue by Babak Issabeigloo, who has a nice voice so the Finnish lyrics aren't a distraction at all and enhance the beauty of the arrangements. Ville Rohiola lends some spectacular Hammond organ, Mellotron, electric piano, and other assorted keyboards, which you can hear to full effect on the title track and the lush "Etsijän elinehto", but it's the monstrous 23-minute "Nurja puoli" that of course lets he and the rest of the band pull out all the stops, chock full of weaving, sinewy guitar lines from Issabeigloo & Tony Björkman, melodic bass courtesy of Jonni Tanskanen, the steady drum fills of Jylhänlehto, and more of those tasty Hammond tones from Rohiola. It's an epic journey that sees many extended musical passages and really allows everyone to shine.
With less elements of hard rock than on their debut, Toinen toista shows Malady fully embracing their Scandinavian roots and even showing a healthy amount of influence from the classic Italian prog scene of the early '70s. Nice to see Svart continue to keep listeners on their toes with very solid bands that cross practically every musical genre out there. Another winner right here folks!
Track Listing
01_Toinen toista 6:56
02_Laulu sisaruksille 1:34
03_Tiedon kehtolaulu 3:47
04_Etsijän elinehto 5:35
05_Nurja puoli 22:58
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