Machine Head "The Blackening" (Roadrunner)
By Tim Den
Monday. Apr 30, 12:06 PM
Their most ambitious, all-encompassing, true-to-self record yet.

(read an interview with guitarist Phil Demmel here)

To say that the metal world has been hotly anticipating The Blackening would be an understatement. After the Hollywood-worthy resurrection of Through the Ashes of Empires, there wasn’t one headbanger who wasn’t waiting for the next chapter in the Machine Head story to unveil. After starting out of the gate as one of the genre’s brightest, only to descend into darkness and then miraculously reclaim the throne a decade later, who wasn’t cheering for these guys to succeed?

And so it is with such a colorful background that The Blackening is delivered… and all hopes realized. As the band have stated since writing began a year ago, it is Machine Head’s most ambitious, all-encompassing, true-to-self record yet. With eight songs totaling at over an hour, The Blackening echoes …And Justice For All’s scope and epicness (as well as a few other traits: more on that later), packing as much substance as it can into every small crack. But if you loved Through the Ashes of Empires, you’ll remember that Machine Head are veterans who can cram without becoming claustrophobic. Though everything from metalcore, classic thrash, NWOBHM, and nü metal show up on this platter, it is presented cohesively and as an absolutely riveting masterpiece.

Opener “Clenching the Fists of Dissent” is a perfect example of what The Blackening has in store for you. Starting with a Baroque-esque acoustic intro (the chord progression of which – and marching snare – again recalls …And Justice For All), it erupts into a thrashy, pull-offs heavy riff that contains tasty harmonics and hammering power chords, transitioning smoothly into a pummeling breakdown chorus that’s eventually broken down even more into a behemoth bridge. Chase that with a fast melodic riff paired with dueling solos, a massive war chant of “FIGHT!”, and a reprise of the intro with harmony vocals, and you’ve got a 10-minute trip that’s got everything and the kitchen sink. Whew! And just wait till you hear it for yourself: the song never trips or fumbles, it simply glides in and out of each of its stages like a rollercoaster doing flips. You can barely hang on to the railings.

The rest of the album is just as intense, with almost every song living up to the standards set by “Clenching the Fists of Dissent.” “Beautiful Mourning” starts with a power drill riff that turns into piston-pumping verses (drummer Dave McClain’s ride work a standout here), “Now I Lay Thee Down” opens with Tool-like hypnotism before a progressive chorus hits you with impressive bass runs, and “Aesthetics of Hate” puts a fast beat to a slow intro (clever!) before turning the intro into a fast riff (even more clever!) and following it up with a octave-sliding chorus that could’ve been The Haunted’s. It’s clear that Machine Head played with every song’s compositional possibilities to make sure each decision would entice and surprise the listener, not to mention leave them breathless.

For me, the two highlights of the album are the harmony guitar hooks and guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn’s melodic passages. The former appears on just about every song, with “Aesthetics of Hate”’s grinding breakdown-into-dueling precision riffing (octave apart at first, harmonized the second time: brilliant!) being the standout. The latter also appears on almost every song, and despite the fact that Flynn’s not the best of crooners, he makes his emotions felt through the likes of “Beautiful Mourning”’s gorgeous bridge (though the background screaming is a bit too emocore), “Now I Lay Thee Down”’s chorus, and especially “Halo.” In fact, I’d say that “Halo”’s chorus is fast becoming the fans’ favorite part of the album, as Flynn’s harmonized vocal hook rides across the universe on the wings of the bending dueling guitars. If you thought power metal was supposed to be majestic, wait till you hear this shit. I can already see kids falling to their knees and crying when witnessing this live.

I’m not saying The Blackening is flawless – “Aesthetics of Hate” has an unnecessarily dragged out ending breakdown, and “Wolves” is patchy and awkwardly constructed – but if my ranting so far hasn’t at least piqued your interest, then you obviously don’t love metal’s ability to be acrobatic. Machine Head have managed to reference their past and harness modernity while bringing in large doses of melody: what else can you want from a metal album? Not even Through the Ashes of Empires dared as much. Hell, I’d even go as far as to say the band’s landmark debut Burn My Eyes sounds one-dimensional and safe in comparison. Yup, you heard me right. Now it’s time for you to listen for yourself… and if you don’t come to the same conclusion, I suggest you get the fuck out of this genre and pick up emo instead.
www.machinehead1.com
www.roadrunnerrecords.com

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Tim Den

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