Album of the Week #41 - Machine Head - The Blackening

Karl Hungus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk_L1drrzJY

Malice

At last! I think I nominated this for Album of the Week back when it started first. I'm delighted it's finally made the list. I've just noticed that video has the swear words blanked out. Oh well. I guess it's not like you can't work out what he is singing anyway .

Aesthetics of Hate is easily my favourite track from the album. That lead part that starts around 2 minutes is awesome. I also really like Clenching the Fists of Dissent but since it's over 10 minutes long it can be difficult to listen to in one sitting.

Anyway, it's a great album and well worth a listen for any metal fan who doesn't have it or hasn't heard it.

Doctor J

150 riffs in search of a song. Some great riffs and moments, no doubt, but overall a very patchy album tbh.

Shryke

Every time I get in the mood for metal I always end up blitzing through my collection and ending up putting this on. Wolves, Halo, Clenching the Fists..., Beautiful Morning, all standouts.

Malice

Doctor J wrote: »

150 riffs in search of a song. Some great riffs and moments, no doubt, but overall a very patchy album tbh.

What parts of it didn't you like?

Doctor J

The songs. The songs are crap.

If you take 15 seconds snippets of tunes it sounds amazing. Big heavy riffs like they haven't done for years. When you play the whole thing... it's a mess. Long songs with parts that just don't work beside each other cobbled together for the sake of making long songs. It's like they tried to make a classic Metallica album but without the skill required to make long songs work. There's more to it than just adding another riff to the end of a tune until you get to 8 minutes. If they'd stuck to writing the best songs they could without trying to make a "classic" Metal album it probably would've been amazing. As it is, it's like a fat kid who ate too much cake wobbling towards the crapper, bloated and unnecessary.

Then there's the lyrics... "How can they sleep while our mothers weep"

Was that written by a 10 year old? :pac:

chin_grin

Doctor J wrote: »

The songs. The songs are crap.

If you take 15 seconds snippets of tunes it sounds amazing. Big heavy riffs like they haven't done for years. When you play the whole thing... it's a mess. Long songs with parts that just don't work beside each other cobbled together for the sake of making long songs. It's like they tried to make a classic Metallica album but without the skill required to make long songs work. There's more to it than just adding another riff to the end of a tune until you get to 8 minutes. If they'd stuck to writing the best songs they could without trying to make a "classic" Metal album it probably would've been amazing. As it is, it's like a fat kid who ate too much cake wobbling towards the crapper, bloated and unnecessary.

Then there's the lyrics... "How can they sleep while our mothers weep"

Was that written by a 10 year old? :pac:

I was gonna leave a ranty comment on how this album sucks.....but ^ what he said is more eloquent.

Otis Driftwood

It obviously has its detractors but Im not one of them.Awesome album.

gerocks

"Now I lay thee down" is a cracker.

senordingdong

Another triumph for Machine Head.
I for one couldn't imagine how they were going to top, Through The Ashes Of Empires, but holy **** they did.
Nevermind what you think of this band, this is a quality metal album and a champion of the genre.
If you own it then you already know, if you don't...get it, now!

Civilian_Target

This album is great live... in the sense that it's a whole lot of moshing... but to listen to standalone, hell no! It just makes me want to sleep.
It's predecessor, Through the Ashes of Empires, what an awesome album! Imperium, Vim, Days Turn Blue to Gray, Descend the Shades of Night are classics, but the rest of the tracks join them into a beautifully paced and varied album.

Necronomicon

I was actually a little disappointed with this album. Not nearly as good as Through the Ashes IMO.