Machine Head - Unto The Locust

Published September 26 2011

*=Staff's pick	I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)* Be Still And Know Locust* This Is The End Darkness Within Pearls Before The Swine Who We Are*

Genre	Thrash Metal	Robb Flynn	Vocals
Tracks	7	Robb Flynn	Guitar
Running time	49 Min.	Phil Demmel	Guitar
Label	Roadrunner Records	Adam Duce	Bass
Release	28 September 2011	Dave McClain	Drums
Country	USA	-	Keyboard
Producer	Robb Flynn
Similar artists	---

After extensive touring to support their last album, the critically acclaimed The Blackening, Machine Head is back with a September 2011 release. Once again, four years later, vocalist, guitarist and main man Robb Flynn is producing this quartet's album.

Heavy riffs and McClain's blasting drumbeats. The Machine Head recipe is back. This album is the small natural next step with some black metal riffs, a more brutal sound and as usual an angry vocalist in Robb Flynn. The harmony guitar parts which was so evident on The Blackening are still there as well. The band has found a sound they are comfortable with and they know what their fans want and that's what we get. Also they have learned the lesson from the late nineties when they lost a lot of fans due to changes in their musical direction.

What about the songs? A couple of them sticks out. Starting with I Am Hell (Sonata In C#), which is a fast and brutal track that feels like being hit by a ton of bricks. With a somewhat catchy chorus and a furious guitar solo, this is Machine Head at their best. Another awesome song is Locust with its heaviness and striking guitar play. In Who We Are they explore new paths with a children's choir and much surprise they get away with it. This song is extremely catchy and a thrash metal party anthem to the fullest extent.

8,5 chalices is a very high rating and at the end of the year, I will probably look back at this release and rate it as one of the best albums of 2011.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
9	7	7	6	8

Summary
8,5 chalices of 10 - Tobbe