Review Summary: Trust me. It's really that good.
As bands go, Machine Head have had a hell of a rough ride. With a career arc containing more painful bumps than a country road and a discography ranging from the sublime to the criminal, it is difficult to definitively state whether they are modern classics or just another group to be swept unceremoniously under the carpet. Consistent they are not. Inspirational they are not. Genre-defining, as some claim them to be, they are not. Looking back, I find myself lost to adequately describe what they are. When I turn my gaze to 'Supercharger', the band's badly received 2001 effort, I only see a lacklustre outfit grasping at rather rag-tag nu metal straws. But when I look at 'Burn My Eyes', arguably a staple of the '90s metal movement and an incredible album in it's own right, I see so much potential, so much drive and so much raw talent oozing forth. So, torn I have become in my opinions towards Machine Head. And torn I would have remained, if they hadn't released 'Unto The Locust' in September and, in traditional Italian Job fashion, blown the bloody doors off.
Despite what the fans may say, 2007's 'The Blackening' was underwhelming and frustrating in it's own mediocrity. I found myself wondering just where the band would go from there, being marooned on a metaphorical island of musical tedium. Listening to it now just reminds me of how much creativity had been lost in the group's nineteen years. It pained me to think how much they had stagnated. And so it was that I had little hope for this album, an approach that was rather ill-founded. For where 'The Blackening' had been template and restrained, 'Unto The Locust' is exciting, original and daring to many extents. It is unbelievable to think that Machine Head have made such an evolution- it just goes to show that many bands can impress by trying new things. Take, for instance, the opening track 'I am Hell (Sonata in C)'. Although the introductory section lacks flair, it opens out into the heaviest riff that the band have ever produced. It was quite startling just how much I connected with this brutality- it sounded as if Machine Head cared again, that they were not seeking to reinvent 'The Blackening' but make something far superior instead. This newfound sense of engagement permeated throughout the album; everywhere I looked, there was always something intriguing to pull me back in, something that Machine Head had lacked on past recordings.
But originality, of course, can only get you so far. It was then I began to look at the quality of the music, the technical side of things. And again I was pleasantly surprised. Riffs on 'Unto The Locust' seem sharper, more refined, whilst Rob Flynn's lyrics are well-crafted and interestingly developed for a change. Every aspect of the band seems... tighter. More focused. More driven. There are very few areas in this field to fault, everything proves so powerfully done. The lack of a crisp, clean production attracted me as well, as this album shines without it- it sounds rawer and more realistic, as if the band have chosen real talent over their previous posturing and polished sound. Overall, the technical proficiency and writing standard is amazing. Not a note is out of place, not a section sounds forced or fake, and while there are a few weaker tracks ('Darkness Within' and 'Pearls Before The Swine' come to mind), the other efforts more than make up for them. The tracks seem to engage in a manner they never before have.
In comparison to other Machine Head recordings, I can safely say this is one of the strongest they have released to date. Not just because of the points above, but also because it shows that they can develop as a band beyond that which they laid down in 1992. It shows they are not willing to let themselves become just another metal band: rather, they want something more. They want to be unique after all these years of mainstream melancholy. They want to please not only the fans, but also a wider audience. They are, in short, expanding. And I like to see such exploration in a band, even if it doesn't always stun and amaze (as is the case on some tracks here, unfortunately). It shows they are not too far entrenched to try out new things, and that they are above becoming another comfort zone crew unwilling to experiment and evolve.
To round off, as I ever do, I want to summise what I have learned from listening to this album. I have discovered that it is never too late for an old band to try out new tricks, that old hates can become new loves and that just because you're mainstream doesn't mean it is too late to try and entice some fresh faces and eventual fans. Machine Head have written a stunning album in 'Unto The Locust'. That is all there really is to say. Get out there, buy this album, tune in, turn on and bang your head to oblivion. Trust me. It's really that good.
Thanks for being the kind of people the world should be filled with.
