Post by Jimmy III Tears on Sept 29, 2011 4:20:08 GMT -5
Machine Head
"Unto The Locust"
Produced by Robb Flynn
Released September 2011
Where to start with this album, the 7th by Bay-area masters Machine Head? It's been 4 years since their last release, 2007's The Blackening, and people were wondering if the band could follow up the critically-acclaimed album with another one.
The first track, I Am Hell [Sonata In C#] starts off with the band chanting, almost tribal-like, the words "sangre sani" - which translates to "blood saint". That continues until the 2nd portion of the song starts with the marching drums of Dave McClain, and the riffs of lead guitarist Adam Duce. Then the music kicks in, and Dave goes crazy on the drum kit. Robb Flynn's vocals are the trademark growling vocals that he has come to be known for, especially over the last [now] 3 Machine Head albums. The chorus features fast picked melodic guitar parts, alternating between higher and lower notes. The solo comes on, and the famous Machine Head sound is there. Back and forth on a scale, then the same notes on a slightly higher scale, and a 3rd time on an even higher scale. This continues until a lull in the music comes, where it becomes just acoustic picking for about 30 seconds, then the full band comes back in to assault the listener's ears.
Be Still And Know is the 2nd song on the album. It seems to me to be a song of hope, with chorus saying "And the sun will rise. Dawn will break through blackest night. Distant in it's glow. This shall pass, be still and know." It really picks up where the first track left off. It starts with Adam Duce leading off with a back and forth riff, and Dave McClain joins with quad drum beats shortly after. This song features the Machine Head sound, Flynn's growling vocals, melodic, yet heavy guitars, and pounding drums that don't let up. It ends on just about the same back and forth riff that it starts with.
The album's lead single - Locust - follows at track 3, and to the point, is probably the most melodic track on the album. It's a song about people being compared to locusts. People who come into your life under a veil of false pretense, and wreak havoc on your life, and then leave you to suffer the consequences of their actions, much like a horde of locusts. The solo of this song is really heavy and melodic, with a crunching rhythm provided by Robb Flynn, backing up the melodic part by Adam Duce, and complimenting it very nicely.
Track 4 is This Is The End, and takes over as the most melodic to the point. It starts with a very slow picked intro, with a small part by Flynn backing that. Dave McClain just rolls off on the drums, and kicks the song into gear. It has the melodic back and forth guitar fast picked part when it gets fast. Robb's vocals come in, as his trademark growling. A melodic chorus compliments the song well, with McClain's beat in the back keeping the pace of the song as in your face as it can get.
Slow intro on Darkness Within - a song about sin and the depression that people feel, and the need to get over that feeling. It starts with just guitar and Robb singing, somewhat rare for a Machine Head track. The rest of the band comes in, and it's the same riff as the intro. The solo turns into classic Machine Head, with Dave pounding the drums, backing up a dual solo by Duce and Flynn.
Pearls Before The Swine is next, and I hear this as a song about giving things to people who don't appreciate them, which seems to be the norm with the world in my eyes. People are given everything, and yet they want more, more, more. And they never value what's given to them until they get more. The drums kind of dominate this track to me, as I find myself paying attention to the work that McClain has brought to this song more than the other music. The crunching guitars and steady backing bass of Phil Demmel are prevalent throughout, but the drums take the spotlight here.
To close the album out, the 7th and final track - Who We Are starts out with a child-led chorus before the band comes in, led by Flynn, repeating the same chorus. The vocals take spotlight for me on this one. It seems like a anthem of those left behind, or an anthem for the future generations, and - not to get all religious or "environmental" on the listener - this is the only planet that we have to live on, and it's being destroyed by its inhabitants with no care for the future. Solo is very well done by Duce on this song as well, and backed up - again, very well - by Flynn.
Overall, the 7th album by Machine Head is going to go down as one of their best. Without being direct and outright brunt about it, this album has some religious undertones to it. Intentional or not, I don't know, but that certainly does not bring the album down at all.
10/10 - I cannot find a bad song on this record, and considering this is only the 2nd year of the decade, this could be in the running for one of the best already, much like The Blackening was considered by many to be the best metal album of the last. The album is also available in a special CD/DVD edition, which has 3 bonus tracks - a cover of Judas Priest's "The Sentinel", Rush's "Witch Hunt" and an acoustic version of "Darkness Within" - which I believe is the first acoustic song to make a Machine Head album, and be credited as the band. I know Robb has done some acoustic songs on his own, but never under the MH banner.
"Unto The Locust"
Produced by Robb Flynn
Released September 2011
Where to start with this album, the 7th by Bay-area masters Machine Head? It's been 4 years since their last release, 2007's The Blackening, and people were wondering if the band could follow up the critically-acclaimed album with another one.
The first track, I Am Hell [Sonata In C#] starts off with the band chanting, almost tribal-like, the words "sangre sani" - which translates to "blood saint". That continues until the 2nd portion of the song starts with the marching drums of Dave McClain, and the riffs of lead guitarist Adam Duce. Then the music kicks in, and Dave goes crazy on the drum kit. Robb Flynn's vocals are the trademark growling vocals that he has come to be known for, especially over the last [now] 3 Machine Head albums. The chorus features fast picked melodic guitar parts, alternating between higher and lower notes. The solo comes on, and the famous Machine Head sound is there. Back and forth on a scale, then the same notes on a slightly higher scale, and a 3rd time on an even higher scale. This continues until a lull in the music comes, where it becomes just acoustic picking for about 30 seconds, then the full band comes back in to assault the listener's ears.
Be Still And Know is the 2nd song on the album. It seems to me to be a song of hope, with chorus saying "And the sun will rise. Dawn will break through blackest night. Distant in it's glow. This shall pass, be still and know." It really picks up where the first track left off. It starts with Adam Duce leading off with a back and forth riff, and Dave McClain joins with quad drum beats shortly after. This song features the Machine Head sound, Flynn's growling vocals, melodic, yet heavy guitars, and pounding drums that don't let up. It ends on just about the same back and forth riff that it starts with.
The album's lead single - Locust - follows at track 3, and to the point, is probably the most melodic track on the album. It's a song about people being compared to locusts. People who come into your life under a veil of false pretense, and wreak havoc on your life, and then leave you to suffer the consequences of their actions, much like a horde of locusts. The solo of this song is really heavy and melodic, with a crunching rhythm provided by Robb Flynn, backing up the melodic part by Adam Duce, and complimenting it very nicely.
Track 4 is This Is The End, and takes over as the most melodic to the point. It starts with a very slow picked intro, with a small part by Flynn backing that. Dave McClain just rolls off on the drums, and kicks the song into gear. It has the melodic back and forth guitar fast picked part when it gets fast. Robb's vocals come in, as his trademark growling. A melodic chorus compliments the song well, with McClain's beat in the back keeping the pace of the song as in your face as it can get.
Slow intro on Darkness Within - a song about sin and the depression that people feel, and the need to get over that feeling. It starts with just guitar and Robb singing, somewhat rare for a Machine Head track. The rest of the band comes in, and it's the same riff as the intro. The solo turns into classic Machine Head, with Dave pounding the drums, backing up a dual solo by Duce and Flynn.
Pearls Before The Swine is next, and I hear this as a song about giving things to people who don't appreciate them, which seems to be the norm with the world in my eyes. People are given everything, and yet they want more, more, more. And they never value what's given to them until they get more. The drums kind of dominate this track to me, as I find myself paying attention to the work that McClain has brought to this song more than the other music. The crunching guitars and steady backing bass of Phil Demmel are prevalent throughout, but the drums take the spotlight here.
To close the album out, the 7th and final track - Who We Are starts out with a child-led chorus before the band comes in, led by Flynn, repeating the same chorus. The vocals take spotlight for me on this one. It seems like a anthem of those left behind, or an anthem for the future generations, and - not to get all religious or "environmental" on the listener - this is the only planet that we have to live on, and it's being destroyed by its inhabitants with no care for the future. Solo is very well done by Duce on this song as well, and backed up - again, very well - by Flynn.
Overall, the 7th album by Machine Head is going to go down as one of their best. Without being direct and outright brunt about it, this album has some religious undertones to it. Intentional or not, I don't know, but that certainly does not bring the album down at all.
10/10 - I cannot find a bad song on this record, and considering this is only the 2nd year of the decade, this could be in the running for one of the best already, much like The Blackening was considered by many to be the best metal album of the last. The album is also available in a special CD/DVD edition, which has 3 bonus tracks - a cover of Judas Priest's "The Sentinel", Rush's "Witch Hunt" and an acoustic version of "Darkness Within" - which I believe is the first acoustic song to make a Machine Head album, and be credited as the band. I know Robb has done some acoustic songs on his own, but never under the MH banner.