Machine Head - The Blackening Review
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 04.02.2007
Is Machine Head's latest album an enlightening listen?
The Band
Robert Flynn- Lead Vocals, Guitar
Phil Demmel- Guitar
Adam Duce- Bass, Backing Vocals
Dave McClain- Drums
The Review
Machine Head’s last album, Through the Ashes of Empires, was a reawakening for the Oakland, California band. Their past album, Supercharger, left a sour taste in the mouths of their fans. The biggest criticism was the change in sound from thrash/groove to a more “nu-metal” sound. Limited solos, melodic vocals, and even rapping in a few sections turned fans away. Machine Head decided to return to their roots and go back to their thrash sound with Through the Ashes of Empires. The big question on the mind of the metal community was if Machine Head could continue their revival with another solid album. With all of the hype that has been put on this album, including Robert Flynn calling The Blackening their “Master of Puppets,” is the album a masterpiece or just plain old average?
It takes a lot of guts for Machine Head, hell for any band, to start off the album with a song over 10 minutes long. “Clenching The Fist of Dissent” is a wake up call to all the critics of the band. Starting with acoustic guitars, the track then becomes a headbanger without any warning. All of a sudden, two solos come blaring out of nowhere and the riffs just keep on coming. The track goes through fast and slow moments, the highlight being a minute guitar solo tradeoff between Flynn and Demmel. As the track fades out with the band still playing, the impression is that they could have gone on for another 5 minutes. “Beautiful Morning” keeps the album moving at a fast pace. Instead of taking 10 minutes, the band condenses all of the elements of the last track, including melodic movements and crazy solos, into fewer than five minutes.
“It’s like a spit in the eye of a dead man’s face,” Robert Flynn growls out as “Aesthetics of Hate” comes out of the gate like a bat out of hell. Nothing is left standing as the double bass drums fly and Flynn and Demmel trade off solo after solo like it was the old days in Vio-lence, their former band in the 1980’s. The track ends with feedback as the listener is left speechless.
After over twenty minutes of fast riffs, Machine Head slows the album slightly with “Now I Lay Thee Down.” Clean vocals and a slow groovy riff is the name of the game until about three minutes in with a heaviness brought on the track with a continuing solo coming in and out before the track ends with duel soloing and a return to the chorus. “Slanderous” is the last song on the album that is considered “short” at about five minutes. Bringing back the intensity, Machine Head continues to impress as “Slanderous” is not only fast, but also upbeat, at least as upbeat as a metal band can get.
The last three songs of the albums are over nine minutes each. “Halo” starts off with just a steady bass line, followed by a constant drum beat, then the guitars comes in from the background and the song begins. The song starts off slow, but picks up in the middle with a two minute solo section before the whole band coming in for the finish. “Wolves” takes no time to start as the band kicks it into full gear with a great solo. The track continues with Flynn growling out lyrics while the band plays like their lives depended on it. A surprisingly melodic solo leads into the fastest part on the album since the third song, “Aesthetics of Hate.”
As the last track, “A Farewell to Arms,” begins, the listener hears a lonely guitar playing as cymbals are heard in the background. The sense of atmosphere is dark and foreboding. As Flynn sings about who has won and who has lost, the listener feels his pain at the question. About three minutes in, the band all comes in. The song really picks up six minutes in as the listener can only head bang to the pounding drums and guitars. As the song finishes up, the band slowly stops playing and all that can be heard is a fading guitar in the background as the listener can do nothing but catch their breath.
Vocally, Robert Flynn has never sounded better. He growls through most of the album, but uses a great singing voice and some distortion in his singing. The backing vocals, done by bassist Adam Duce, come in at the perfect time and are usually clean with some growling here and there.
The band, instrumentally, are at the top of their game. Guitarists Robert Flynn and Phil Demmel keep the solos coming as most songs have between two and six solos. The riffing is also fast and reminds the listener of older Machine Head albums. The bass work, done by Adam Duce, is very hearable in the mix and well done. He really shines in “Now I Lay Thee Down,” which includes an excellent bass interlude. Drummer Dave McClain keeps the beat going with not only pounding double bass, but also fast hands. McClain is also able to slow down the song perfectly with the longer songs that have melodic sections.
At eight songs and 61 minutes, this album is not one that can be listened to while on a drive home. The Blackening is an album that may take more than one listen to really comprehend. After a few listens, it becomes apparent that this album is Machine Head’s best since Burn My Eyes, their debut in 1994. The Blackening deserves to be listened by any metal fan. It’s a breath of fresh air in the metal community, which has been full of bands with emo lyrics, lack of solos and lack of songwriting abilities.
The 411: Machine Head's newest album is their best since Burn My Eyes. With strong songwriting, great guitar work, and a meaty production by Robert Flynn, Machine Head has proven that they are one of the best American heavy metal band out there today.
