Unto the Locust

In 2007, Machinehead released their 6th studio album "The Blackening" to widespread critical acclaim. They would not release another album for four years. Finally in 2011, they released their long awaited follow up album "Unto the Locust". It had quite an act to follow but was it worth the wait?

"The Blackening" was a landmark album in many ways. When Machinehead released "The Burning Red" and "Supercharger" there were many who wondered what had happened to the heavy old school feel that the band had demonstrated from their first album "Burn my Eyes". It wasn't until 2003 when "Through the ashes of Empires" was released that the band finally started going back to their roots and rediscovering what it was that made them so well respected. Guitar solos returned, song duration's lengthened, their structures became more complex and their guitar work started to embrace old school thrash influences with driving riffs, and two part guitar harmonies.

The logical extension of this direction reached it's zenith in "The Blackening". This album represented a band at the height of its creative abilities and represented a level of musical maturity that their many fans had longed for since "Burn my Eyes". "Unto the Locust" therefore had big shoes to fill. Fans of Machinehead's new direction will be pleased to find that many of the aspects of their sound can be found in "Unto the Locust". With a tracklist of seven songs (not including the three bonus tracks) many of whom lasting seven minutes and over, this album retains the progressive grandiosity that made "The Blackening" such essential listening. The guitar work is positively dizzying throughout the album with riffs spiraling effortlessly throughout a musical maelstrom that will leave any fans of metal salivating for more.

By far the standout performer on this piece is Rob Flynn. Since "The Burning Red", Flynn has perfected an identifiable vocal style in which he screams and sings in unison creating a gritty melodic roar that allows him to display raw power while following a discernible tune. It's interesting to see just how high pitched he can be on their cover version of Judas Priests "The Sentinel" available as a bonus track. Not that the rest of the band don't pull their weight either, Dave McClain pulls no punches on the drums while Adam Duce and Phil Demmel complete a lineup of tightness and intensity.

So what are the standouts on this album? Hard to say really due to the consistent high quality of what's on offer here. Certainly "I am Hell" is a worthy introduction, starting off slow and heavy it then breaks down into the speed-metal we've all come to expect from Machinehead. "Be Still and Know" features a dizzy array of guitar work while "Unto the Locust" provides the kind of catchy sing-a-long anthems which is sure to provide a favorite among live audiences. The "Darkness Within" would perhaps remind fans of the band around the time of "The Burning Red" and "Supercharger", slow and melodic, it builds to a climax and is undoubtedly the most commercially accessible track on the album, this track is available in acoustic form as a bonus track.

It all leads up to "Who we are". This song continues a theme familiar in Machinehead's previous work; defiance. Consider the first song on "The Blackening" "Clenching the fists of Dissent" with lyrics like "Rise up and take your stand, and curl the fingers of your hand", consider also the first song on "Through the ashes of Empires" entitled "Imperium" with lyrics like "Fuck these chains, no goddamn slave, I will be different". This lyrical theme crops up once again on this song, it's a generous "fuck you" served on a silver platter dedicated to all those wrong with society today.

So in summation, is this the best record Machinehead has ever done? No. Does it compare to "The Blackening"? No. But was it worth the wait? YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! It may not compare to the previous effort but it's a damn good attempt and it leaves me optimistic about the band's future and is an easy recommendation from me.

Anyway, that'll do it for this week. Next week I hope to have a review set up for the Italian Synth-Techical-Death-Metal aficionados FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE and their second album "Agony". Should be interesting to say the least!