Machine Head - The Blackening

[Liu]

Machine Head - The Blackening
Roadrunner

It has been a long, twisting road for California's Machine Head. Starting out as a very promising metal band in the early 90's, the band quickly gained a following with their debut album Burn My Eyes. Blending their thrash roots with the aggro-sound that bands like Pantera and Fear Factory were perfecting at the time, the album garnered praise from critics and fans alike. Unfortunately, the band was soon swallowed up by the nu-metal wave that enveloped the scene, resulting in two very lackluster albums in the form of The Burning Red and Supercharger. After the poor reception that those albums got, the band re-focused their energies into Through The Ashes Of Empires, a stunningly potent return-to-form. Using the momentum gained with said album, the band has now delivered perhaps their best album to date in The Blackening.

Clenching The Fists Of Dissent gets everything in gear, a 10 minute juggernaut that will no doubt act as a fist into the face of all their detractors. Vocalist/Guitarist Robb Flynn puts all the cards on the line, crafting a masterwork of fierce riffs and angry gruff vocals. The trade-off solo between Flynn and second guitarist Phil Demmel is guarenteed to cause whiplash in all who attempt to headbang to it. Along with this opening track, there are 3 other songs on The Blackening that break at least the 9 minute mark. Make no mistake about it, Machine Head is more than capable of writing and weaving together killer riffs with monsterous chords for long stretches of time. Of these, only A Farewell To Arms could have benefitted from being scaled down a minute or three. The other two, Halo and Wolves, are pretty much perfect as they're presented. The remaining shorter songs don't slack around either. They offer the same ass kicking as their longer compatriots but in a smaller package.

The duo of Flynn and Demmel is one of the reasons why these songs continually demolish everything in their collective paths. For every lick, chord and riff Flynn throws out, Demmel is right there to supply one even better. Its a constant game of "can you top this?" played over guitars. Every single solo this pair dishes out rips and shreds with thrashtastic delight. In fact, short of Flynn's occasional clean vocals, the nu-elements have been exorcised from their sound. Not to be forgetten, however, is the rythmn section backing up the guitarists. Dave McClain is well suited behind the drumkit, driving the hectic pace forward while Adam Duce keeps the low-end flowing along.

All said, Machine Head has delivered an album that belongs right up there with Burn My Eyes. If you wrote this band off when they jumped onto the nu-bandwagon, its finally time to re-think that decision.


01. Clenching The Fists Of Dissent
02. Beautiful Mourning
03. Aesthetics Of Hate
04. Now I Lay Thee Down
05. Slanderous
06. Halo
07. Wolves
08. A Farewell To Arms

Score: 8/10

[Project Undead Vish]

very good review... i would give the album a 10/10. one of the best metal albums i have ever heard.

[Liu]

After recently reacquainting myself with Burn My Eyes after few years of not hearing it, The Blackening has clobbered it like a whack-a-mole and has left it for dead at the side of the road. Their best album to date.

[Project Undead Vish]

Originally Posted by Liu

After recently reacquainting myself with Burn My Eyes after few years of not hearing it, The Blackening has clobbered it like a whack-a-mole and has left it for dead at the side of the road. Their best album to date.

that's what im sayin... and "burn my eyes" was brilliant. "the more things change" is an underrated album that nobody recognizes.

[Liu]

The More Things Change was the one Machine Head album I had never heard til a few months ago. Its pretty good, in some ways better than Burn My Eyes.

[Project Undead Vish]

Originally Posted by Liu

The More Things Change was the one Machine Head album I had never heard til a few months ago. Its pretty good, in some ways better than Burn My Eyes.

agreed. intensity-wise and production-wise for sure. the blackening absolutely destroys everything and anything they have ever done in the past, though.

[Clark Chaos]

This is the first Machine Head release that I actually felt the need to own.

Must be that Rob left the cornrows behind and rediscovered the thrash within.