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by Sebastian Kluth

Machine Head - Unto The Locust (2011) - An interlude for a brighter future? - 75% (28/09/11)

Machine Head - Unto The Locust (2011)

 

I don't know much about Machine Head apart of the fact that traditional thrash metal fans usually dislike the band's modern approaches and compare them to Trivium and even Bullet For My Valentine while younger people claim that Machine Head have their own unique and distinctive style and add a fresh breathe to the metal universe. I became curious and decided to check the next album this band would release out and it happens to be "Unto The Locust". I didn't have any prejudices and just gave it a try.

On the positive side, I see that Machine Head always excels when they try out something experimental and courageous. I like the dramatic, almost classical and really atmospheric introduction of the album that leads into the strong and addicting opener "I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)" which is a perfect way to open this album. "Be Still And Know" has a great acoustic introduction and leads into a groovier track that is quite different from the first track without sounding disconnected or alien to the coherence of the record. Another highlight is the strong and diversified album closer "Who We Are" that has a choir of children performing alongside some creepy male vocals which creates an amazing atmosphere. I was also positively surprised by the bonus tracks of the album. The acoustic version of "Darkness Within", one of the weaker tracks on the main version, is very fond and should have found its way on the regular record. This song already justifies the purchase of the special edition but the two cover versions of Judas Priest's "The Sentinel" and Rush's "The Sentinel" are surprisingly well done. They stick to the roots, to the essence of the originals but also have their own distinctive style and atmosphere. That's the way cover songs should always be done and Machine Head really impress me here even though I still prefer the original versions in the end.

There are many positive points that justify a purchase of this record but there are also some negative ones that keep me away from the purchase for the moment. I really have some problems with the more traditional sounds of Machine Head when they head for metal core patterns or groove metal sounds. Songs like the title track "Locust" just fail to create any kind of sensation in me and sound quite redundant to my ears and are way too long to really convince me.

In the end, I think that I might not be a fan of the band's traditional sounds but whenever they experiment and try out something new, the final result happens to work very well on me. For the moment, there are not yet enough experiments to convince me to purchase this good or even very good record. I know that I would skip too many songs and not give this album enough spins even though half of the songs sound already great to me. I will though definitely keep on following the band's development and hope for an even more progressive and experimental output in the future. As an advice to the old school metal fans that question the quality of this band, I really suggest you to check this record out because it has many great moments and maybe the band is about to reach the climax of their career in one or two records. There as many modern as traditional and progressive elements and this mixture should at least partially please to any open-minded metal maniac out there.

 

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