Machine Head started their career with 1994's Burn My Eyes, which went on to become one of the seminal metal albums of the decade. That success proved hard to live up to. The band caught criticism from metal fans on their next three discs for a shift to a more radio-friendly, hard rock sound.
The band's fifth studio release, Through the Ashes of Empires, marked a drastic return to their roots, and earned the band placement among metal's elite for a second time. Using Through the Ashes of Empires as a springboard, Machine Head leap to a new level of quality with The Blackening—a quality, perhaps, to rival that of their excellent debut.
The songs are complex, and the depth of the music is undeniable. The average song length is almost eight minutes, and each song is not only ambitious in length, but also layered in content. Like symphonies, the songs have movements, giving the album a dynamic feel and proving Machine Head are not a one-trick pony.
Guitarist Phil Demmel said they were not pandering to the interests of record companies, fans or anyone at all when writing The Blackening.
""Screw radio, screw everybody else except for us,"" Demmel said. ""The band started out writing music just for themselves and people liked it. If we want to write a 10-minute song, that's what it's going to be. If it needs a two-minute solo here, that's what it's going to get. If it's 90 seconds of Robb [Flynn, vocals] and Adam [Duce, bass] harmonizing, then that's what it's going to get.""
The end result is a modern sound that is progressive unlike any other metal on the market. This is not surprising, considering the band's self-professed Rush influence during recording.
""I think as a whole, the band kind of got on a Rush kick,"" Demmel said. ""We listened to the A Farewell to Kings album in particular. I think Rush has been a big influence on the band, and it shows in a lot of the hooky choruses that we have right now.""
That said, it is important to note the album is crushingly heavy. Dave McClain (ex-Sacred Reich) pummels his drum kit, laying a steel base for the other, equally impressive instrumentation. Demmel's guitars respond in turn, as likely to lay down a deep, slow groove as they are to rip a sky-high solo or a rapid-fire breakdown. That variety combined with Flynn's ability to both roar and sing give the album a personality that keeps the listener both surprised and interested.
The song ""Halo"" reflects The Blackening's personality well, beginning with a serene bass line and tranquil guitar strumming. It quickly transforms with a chugging breakdown and a double bass drum assault, then crescendos with an awe-inspiring technical solo spanning more than a full minute.
On the album opener, ""Clenching the Fists of Dissent,"" the band calls on their fans for a unique contribution. Through their website, they arranged to have fans come to the recording studio and sing background vocals.
""We got together with about 20 kids and friends and we got a big old bottle of Grey Goose and got all liquored up and had at it,"" Demmel said. ""We had them sing in a section where there's some chanting going on, and they sing the ‘fight' chants.""
The song ""Aesthetics of Hate"" is a response to an article harshly criticizing the metal community in the wake of ""Dimebag"" Darrell Abbott's (ex-Pantera, Damageplan) brutal onstage murder.
""It's something that has been sticking with Robb for a while,"" Demmel said. ""We don't want to be capitalizing on Dime's murder. We just thought that the community needed somebody to stick up for it and say, ‘You know what? Fuck you.'""
In total, the album is an almost unexpected nugget of gold coming in early 2007 and without too much fanfare. Hopefully critics will remember this album when it comes time to reward the best releases of the year. Since the disc does not come out until March 27, the first outlet for Wisconsin fans will be Machine Head's upcoming concert at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee Wednesday with Lamb of God, Trivium and Gojira.
