Machine Head’s Comeback-o-rama

Machine Head have always been a love or hate thing for me. Anyone who knows anything about 90’s metal realises that Machine Head’s debut release “Burn My Eyes” is metal masterpiece, helping to establish America as a breeding ground for refreshing metal originality. However, what did they do? Threw it all away just to cash in on the nu metal fad. Since their first phenomenal release Machine Head have become in increasingly worse, and despite the fact that Machine Head albums were still selling well in 2002, they decided to split, disillusioned with their musical direction and integrity. Cause they were shit. Then they realised that playing music would be heaps easier than working. So they reformed and remembered how metal is supposed to go. “Through The Ashes Of Empires” was one of my personal favourite metal albums of 2003 and totally from left field because like nearly everyone else I thought they were stuck in mediocre land. However the ripped out a kickass album and are about to release one that could be even better. “The Blackening” (which I have heard due to it being leaked about 2 weeks ago) is even more interesting than TTAOE as it sees Machine Head exploring the type of hyper technical extreme metyal they should have pursued from the start. Well done Machine Head you’ve one me back. I will buy this album.

Machine Head - The Blackening

Click Here For Your Free "Aesthetics Of Hate" MP3 from "The Blackening".

Machine Head - Silver (The Crap phase)

Machine Head - Days Turn Blue To Gray (Kick Ass Comeback Phase)

Misery Signals: Be A Fan

Rarely do I find a band that I both appreciate for pure visceral release and ethereal beauty at the same time, but that is the reason why I am writing this article, to let people know what a great band Misery Signals are. They stand along with Dillinger Escape Plan, Fear Before the March of Flames (their new album I mean), Protest the Hero and The Red Chord as being the only bands in the mathcore/metalcore subgenres trying to take some artistic or adventurous leaps for the benefit of the listeners. Nearly everyone else has taken to the “more of the same” money grabbing techniques ive come to despise. Fans say they want more of the same, but they don’t. They don’t know what they want. Only black metal fans generally want more of the same. Everyone else who is sane, they want at least an exploration of the musical genre. Enter Misery Signals, first with the interesting s/t debut EP, the seminal debut effort “Of Malice And Magnum Heart” and more recently with their brilliant sophomore album “Mirrors”. Still very much a ‘metalcore’ band, MS manage to inject an interesting mix of dillinger-like jazzy unpredictability, an incredible knack for a great melodic guitar line and still manage to maintain a brutality that rivals some of metalcore’s greats. Buy their albums, buy their t-shirts, buy their bobbly-headed dashboard dolls, have their children, just make sure you don’t miss out on these guys, I have a feeling they’ll be round for a while yet.

Listen to:
Five Years
The Year Summer Ended In June

Both tracks come from "Of Malice And Magnum Heart".