Machine Head Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Machine Head's The Blackening is an over-the-top rage and pummelfest with all the qualities that earned the group its enormous fan base by touring and recording. The record starts out unlikely enough, and gladly enough, with a left-of-center call to arms to the youth of this nation to not accept blindly the words (and threats) of "patriotic brutes." It calls for rage with triple-timed slamming beats and blistering lead guitar breaks, as the piece alternates between death metal, industrial metal, thrash and prog. It blends seamlessly. At ten-and-half minutes for an opening cut, one can tell this is no original heavy metal record. "Beautiful Mourning" is anything but gothic heavy metal; it begins with a taut, explosive riff matched by the drum kit, and then Robb Flynn is off and running, celebrating being "taken under" by her, and the seductive power of both women and death. The thrash element here rivals Slayer at their very best, and breaks new ground within the realm of composition for aggressive music. The intense dual arpeggios between both guitarists -- Flynn and Phil Demmel on "Aesthetics of Hate" (as just one example) are among the tightest ever. The drama produced by Dave McClain's blastbeats and the steady guidance of Adam Duce's basslines comprise a deeply intuitive rhythm section for the six-stringers to fly from. They don't so much fly as fight, though. Other standouts include "Halo," and "Now I Lay Thee Down." Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Through the Ashes of Empires'
Release Date 10/13/2003
Tracks 10
Label Roadrunner
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
When they first emerged in 1994, San Francisco metalheads Machine Head appeared poised (along with the then-unstoppable Pantera) to lead the cause of American metal, proudly and purposefully, through the second half of that grim, grim, alternative rock-dominated decade. But, much to their fans' dismay, the band's masterful debut would soon give way to undercooked repetition on their sophomore effort and then, horror of horrors, a grueling descent into nu-metal sellout with their third, before finally crash landing to an uninspired nadir with their fourth. Within the span of seven short years, Machine Head's proverbial cup had gone from brimming to empty, their few remaining believers understandably holding out little hope for any sort of redemption. But against all odds, just when the jig seemed to be most certainly up, all of these missteps were summarily erased by the group's stunning fifth album, Through the Ashes of Empires, which saw them rediscovering their roots while reuniting bandleader Robb Flynn with his original Vio-Lence six-string partner in crime, Phil Demmel. Coincidentally or not, the results marked a return to form in no uncertain terms, with colossal first track "Imperium" single-handedly eclipsing the previous two and a half albums, while simultaneously recapturing the dark majesty and crushing authority of early Machine Head triumphs like "Davidian" and "Ten Ton Hammer." The same was true, to a slightly lesser extent, about ensuing headbangers "Bite the Bullet," "Left Unfinished," and the epic "In the Presence of My Enemies," which collectively showed what could happen when a great band actually follows its instincts instead of half-heartedly following trends. Not that Machine Head came back from their "lost weekend" completely empty-handed, as incrementally melodic and emotive material such as "Elegy" and "Days Turn Blue to Gray" successfully reenvisioned (and authenticated) a few elements of those failed experiments through the prism of the band's own sensibilities -- not Korn's or Limp Bizkit's. (In fact, only the rhythmically chugging "All Falls Down" was guilty of a complete and sorry relapse into nu-metal's intolerable whining.) And with the rousing final number, "Descend the Shades of Night," Machine Head delivered yet another monolithic highlight, as steeped in their glorious past as it was promising of the future. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As live albums go, Hellalive is solid: a nice cross section of songs from Machine Head's four albums, a dense, guitar-centric mix (courtesy of famed metal producer Colin Richardson), and tight, energetic performances. This live set, recorded primarily at London's Brixton Academy in 2001, is adequately muscular, Robb Flynn unleashing his demons on venom-spewers "Take My Scars," "Ten Ton Hammer," and "The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears," with Dave McClain's thunder drums providing an unshakable foundation for the band's post-thrash power-groove riffs. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The diehards who saw Machine Head as metallic saviors when the group's Burn My Eyes debut filled an overlooked niche of heavy music didn't appreciate the experimentation on Burning Red. Some of the criticism that the band took from the faithful was almost laughable -- Rob Flynn tones down the screams, learns to sing a bit, and he's crucified for it? However, even sans cliquishness, the preceding disc was the weakest of the band's career at that point. The band reacted to the backlash by compromising, it seems. Supercharger has some ham-fisted moments straight from the early thrash days (as if to make a point, the riff that drives lead track "Bulldozer" does exactly that), but it never gets stuck there. Look no further than "American High," a song with the cadence of "Ballroom Blitz" and a similarly insipid lexis that's catchy in spite of itself. The dilemma is not so much the sonic scope of the record, which -- truth be told -- is the most well-rounded effort the band has managed to date, but the quantity: way too many tracks blur by without demanding attention, relegating the few standout songs as too little, too late. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
'Year of the Dragon: Japan Tour Diary'
Release Date 9/5/2000
Tracks 9
Label Roadrunner International
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Machine Head's third album finds them sounding a bit looser and less constricted musically than they have in the past, but their aggro-metal with funk overtones is still plenty dense and emotionally claustrophobic. Aided by modern metal producer extraordinaire Ross Robinson (who has also helped Korn and Limp Bizkit get in touch with their inner Lemmy), Machine Head continues to explore themes of alienation, loss, and abuse, but singer/guitarist Robert Flynn is singing a bit more this time out; on "Silver" he almost croons. Unfortunately, while his up-tempo bellow is pleasantly generic, his singing voice and delivery both sound like they were lifted directly from middle-period Eddie Vedder. Flynn and the rest of the band are actually at their best in funky, hip-hop mode, as on "Enter the Phoenix" and the early section of "From This Day." Amazingly, they also deliver a respectful cover of the Police's "Message in a Bottle," one which, disappointingly, adds little more than crunchy guitars to the mix. Overall, though, this is a pretty satisfying aggro-rock affair. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'The More Things Change'
Release Date 1/1/1997
Tracks 10
Label Roadrunner
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The title isn't really a joke, actually. Machine Head do take some chances on their second album, The More Things Change..., expanding their brutal attack with gothic flourishes and prog rock pretensions without ever abandoning their blistering thrash metal roots. And that's good -- few bands have the appealing, gut-level visceral attack of Machine Head and The More Things Change... proves they are among the more vital metal bands of the latter half of the '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Released to massive European acclaim, Machine Head's full-length debut, Burn My Eyes, successfully bridges the gap between second-generation Bay Area thrash (Testament, Death Angel, etc.) and the modern-day Pantera school of hard knocks. Produced by underground stalwart Colin Richardson, Burn My Eyes is a bone-shattering exercise in brutality that gives Pantera's classic, Vulgar Display of Power, a good run for its money. A veteran of the Bay Area thrash scene, guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn emerges as Machine Head's anchor. As guitar player of the riff-heavy yet vocally challenged band Vio-Lence, Flynn had already distinguished himself as a riff-making machine on tracks like "Serial Killer" and "Kill on Command." Interestingly, with the release of Burn My Eyes, every effort was made to cover up Flynn's involvement with his ex-bandmates. Looking back at it, it's easy to understand why. Because of the quick word of mouth in the underground metal community, comparisons to his ex-bandmates would have limited the impact of the record, possibly thwarting its merits. If Vio-Lence held promise, Machine Head was a different proposition all together. Anthems like "Davidian" and "Take My Scars" are monstrous slabs of metal that, by far, eclipse anything Flynn had previously done. Nevertheless, Burn My Eyes is a classic debut and one that helped launch a huge European groundswell for the band that would result in a tour as Slayer's support act. A few months later, the Head would return and headline the very same venues in which they'd opened for Slayer. ~ John Franck, All Music Guide
