The new Machine Head album is finally out. After the successful 2003’s “Through the Ashes of Empires” and its return to roots, Machine Head acquired back a lot of fans that they lost after the unsuccessful experiments of 1999’s “The Burning Red” and 2001’s “Supercharger”. It seems that they will continue their upward course, as the new album contributes the maximum in this path.
When the first song “Clenching the Fists of Dissent” starts to play, a Middle-East chant opens the track and an amazing acoustic theme follows. Rob Flynn says that they tried to write the saddest acoustic verse they could write. After this, a bulldozer riff explodes and from that point the listener can easily understand that some brutal staff will succeed it. The epic continues on this 10mins long song with rotation of riffs, lead and melodic parts, pick slides, breaks and groovy parts. After the sixth minute and an UNBELIEVABLE solo, a choir starts to shout “Fight, fight, fight!!!” with a backing riff that contributes the whole thing to remind a little bit the respective famous break of Metallica’s “Creeping Death”. The 2nd track, “Beautiful Mourning” is a typical groovy Machine Head track with many harmonics and many melodic vocals. “Aesthetics of Hate”, the 3rd track, is another great song and it is the most thrashy of the album. This will be a killer live one. I can already imagine the mosh pits and the rolling heads at band’s live shows. It was not coincidental that before the album's release, the band used to play this single one song at live shows, as an album preview. Razor-like riffs, killer lead parts, brutal vocals, on the solo the two guitars have a beautiful “conversation” and not to forget the amazing drumming. You CAN’T simply ask for more. “Now I Lay Thee Down” is another beautiful song with many modern metal riffs. “Slanderous” is the 5th track and it starts with a monster pick slide. In it’s flow and after some heavy staff, turns to a groovy mood and… are they Hammet/Hetfield that play the solo here? “Halo” is the next one and a more than classic Machine Head track, with many groovy, lead/melodic parts and great solo. Number 7 on the album is “Wolves”. Another lengthy song, as it counts 9 minutes. An almost progressive song, as it has innumerable riffs and demands to be listened many times to find out what is going on here. It’s a great song. Rob Flynn said that it was a big challenge for him to write some complicated and also lengthy songs, keeping in parallel the listener’s interest unimpaired. The album’s last song “A Farewell to Arms” follows the same pattern with “Wolves”, as it counts 10 minutes and has also complex structure. No need to say that it is another great song.
In conclusion, Machine Head created a killer album with qualitative guitar work, great ideas, a very strong rhythm section, fantastic drumming and also strong and steady sound, which helps at maximum the listener to distinguish what each instrument, plays exactly. It is the best album they have released since their debut, and I dare to say that it can stand equally next to 1994’s “Burn My Eyes”. An album that offers great moments to listener and deserves a seat at every serious metal compilation.
P.S.: If somebody decides to buy it, prefer the Limited Edition which contains a Metallica cover to “Battery” and also a bonus DVD with the making of “The Blackening” and a 2006 tour documentary.
MACHINE HEAD discography:
[1994] Burn My Eyes
[1997] The More Thing Changes…
[1999] The Burning Red
[2001] Supercharger
[2003] Hellalive (live)
[2004] Through The Ashes Of Empires
[2005] Elegies (dvd)
[2007] The Blackening
1 comment:
Hell yeah you have right mate!! This album is a kiss ass one. Horns Up!!
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