Review: Machine Head - Bloodstone & Diamonds
By Eric Perzanowski, Staff Writer
[Nuclear Blast; 2014]
Rating: 8/10
Key Tracks: “Sail Into The Black,” “Now We Die,” “Game Over”
Machine Head’s career has taken quite an interesting trajectory. Starting in the early/mid ‘90s, the band took on a rather successful groove metal sound, somewhat similar to what Pantera was doing at the time. During the late ‘90s and turn of the millennium, the band shifted to a more nü-metal sound, which seemed to alienate some of the fanbase.
Since the release of 2003’s Through the Ashes of Empires, Machine Head has been on an upward spiral, with the widely acclaimed The Blackening and my personal favorite, Unto The Locust. As it currently stands, Machine Head is deservedly one of the biggest names in the realm of metal and Bloodstone & Diamonds will only add to the band’s reputation.
Bloodstone & Diamonds takes a different approach from its two predecessors. While the material still has that distinct Machine Head sound, the band seems to opt for simpler song structures and not in the “radio-friendly sellout” way. The tracks are structured in manner that seems like a middle-ground between Through The Ashes of Empires and The Blackening.
“Now We Die” opens the album and picks up where Unto The Locust left off. The song begins with a string piece and moves into the trademark fast-paced thrashy Machine Head sound. The anthemic chorus shows the band’s ability to excel at making fantastic, memorable, mid-tempo choruses.
“Sail Into The Black” is the biggest highlight of this album. This powerful, epic and extraordinarily crafted track builds beautifully over its eight-and-a-half minute span. Much like “Darkness within,” the first half is a softer, acoustic build that transitions to a dark, heavy final half. The feelings conveyed in Robb Flynn’s voice struck me in an emotional way that I haven’t felt from a song in a long time. Despite the aforementioned similarity to “Darkness within,” this is truly unlike anything Machine Head has ever done before.
Flynn showcases his continual growth as a singer on this album. He has been a top-notch metal vocalist for a long time; as has been the case on the previous three releases, he has shown increased comfort and ability when it comes down to more cleanly delivered vocals. “Damage Inside” is a track that demonstrates this, as it’s a softer melancholic song that, for the first half, is entirely Flynn’s voice.
There are certainly some elements that stand out as being familiar, for an example being the main riff to “Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones” sounding somewhat reminiscent of “Be Still and Know” from Unto The Locust. That’s not an indication that it’s a bad song, or lazy by any means. In fact, it’s certainly one of the songs that stands out most on Bloodstone & Diamonds.
But despite whatever familiarity there is, the band counteracts this with some newer elements. “Game Over,” which appears to be a song about the fallout between Flynn and former bassist Adam Duce (who was fired in early 2013), is a fast-paced song that had has a very punk vibe to it.
Altogether, Machine Head is a band that’s passion and love for heavy metal has translated into an exemplary catalog that has allowed the group to become one of the biggest and best names in the metal genre. Bloodstone & Diamonds is another addition to the band’s recent string of consistent greatness.
