Machine Head Appreciation Thread

DaveNoCheese

Seeing as MH are playing tonight in Dublin and I ain't there, said I would start an appreciation thread for the band.


First heard machine head about 2004/05 in a mates room, huddled around his computer in the dark (no homo ). We were listening to a bunch of random tracks from Lamb of God, Lacuna Coil, Godsmack and many others.

All of a sudden I hear these amazing drums... Imperium had started playing Was hooked straight away, listened to it day and night.

Saw them live in London when they opened for Slipknot recently. Was last minute thing so was stuck in the cheap seats up back but was still amazing!

Thing with the head is, you both love and hate them. Many a classic and then there are songs that you think to yourself "seriously, what the hell?!"

Will always be a fan though

TIMR007ROX

Saw MH at the Academy gig about two years ago. Didn't have standing tickets but everyone on the balcony just stood anyway Support acts were good and MH were awesome, but the sound in the academy was quite s**t tbh. Have been a fan since The Blackening

GKiraly

Been a fan of these guys since the late 90's and apart from The Burning Red, the rest of their stuff is brilliant. Through the Ashes of Empires is awesome.
On the downside however, seen as theyre playing in Dublin tonight, I've seen them twice and the sound was'nt great in either gig, in Belfast a few years ago where the echo was brutal and at the Olympia with Hatebreed (how good are they live?!) last time out where I came home deaf as a post, so no, wasnt in a hurry get tickets for tonights show!

Nailz

Savage show! I even saw our very own mod, Lord Lucan, lurking about in all his glory around the Olympia bar.*

*I love my boards anonymity.

lord lucan

Nailz wrote: »

Savage show! I even saw our very own mod, Lord Lucan, lurking about in all his glory around the Olympia bar.*

*I love my boards anonymity.

Feckin' stalker:pac:

lord lucan

Great show tonight. Hung around the back this time and my ears weren't assaulted like they have been at previous MH shows. They still need to sort out the vocals in the mix though,Rob is drowned out by the guitars.

Funny old crowd tonight,highlight was........... HALO,HALO,HALOOOOO OLE OLE OLE OLE,OLE,OLE!:pac: Only in Ireland!:pac:

entropi

Amazing gig tonight, definitely a highlight of my year! Those chants of Olé Olé Olé, were nothing short of awesome!

Lived in the pit for the entire gig, and with only a slight right-sided hearing loss, it was a lot of fun

TheStickyBandit

I both love and hate this band!

Malice

I got into Machine Head in 1994. Having already been completed blown away by Fear Factory's Demanufacture the same year, Burn My Eyes was another uncompromising dose of heavy yet melodic metal. They kind of lost their way a bit with The Burning Red and Supercharger although I have a soft spot for the cover of Message in a Bottle. Thankfully their recent albums (although now that I look at the release date I realise Through the Ashes of Empires isn't that recent any more ) have been much improved with each album containing at least one song that could fit easily on a "Best of" compilation.

perfectisthe

Like Malice, I got into them in 1994, although I must confess I haven't truly enjoyed any of their albums since TMTC. Good show last night, couldn't hear a word from Flynn though...

DaveNoCheese

Ah lads don't talk about the show, tis no fair

Seth Brundle

DaveNoCheese wrote: »

Ah lads don't talk about the show, tis no fair

Ignore them.
The show was noisy with lots of sweaty people doing this viscous form of "dance" whereby they were charging and slamming into each other. The fact that Mr. Flynn encouraged people to participate in this primitive behaviour was quite unpleasant. Others who did not participate in these thuggish antics simply shook their heads violently whilst apparently playing a non-existent guitar. Quite strange!

The preceding acts were equally as noisy with similar forms of "dancing" taking place.

It was simply most vulgar - you would not have liked to have been there.



(Machine F*****g Head! - woo hoo - \m/ )

Malice

kbannon wrote: »

lots of sweaty people doing this viscous form of "dance"

Sounds sticky!

Seth Brundle

Malice wrote: »

Sounds sticky!

Can't type today - body sore, ears ringing.

thebourke

personally i have always hated the ole ole ole crap at metal gigs....its boring at this stage...good show last night...but you are right..the sounds wasn't the best...at least it wasn't as loud as the last time

Seth Brundle

Plenty of vids from last night here...
http://www.youtube.com/user/Chromeboy2003

etloveslsd

I forgot how great this band is. I bought the tickets after release while still on a high from the new album. Haven't listened to it in ages. So I showed up to the Olympia not too enthused, but by golly were they amazing.

The sound man has some answering to do though, I thought the mix was great at the start of the gig but by the end it was just too noisey.

Highlights for me were Halo and Bulldozer. Machinehead in 2001 maybe 2002 (the Supercharger Tour) was my first metal gig and Bulldozer was the opening song that night. Ah memories!

DaveNoCheese

kbannon wrote: »

Plenty of vids from last night here...
http://www.youtube.com/user/Chromeboy2003

Thanks for this mate, got goose bumps just listening to Flynn at the start of this

Wrongway1985

I went along the other night and quite enjoyed it Bulldozer & Darkness Within my particular highlights. I dunno which was worse about the Halo,Halo,Halo,Olé ,Olé,Olé,Olé,Olé etc. that fact that it was done or the fact I found myself joining in.....Dammit!!

devildriver

DaveNoCheese wrote: »

Thanks for this mate, got goose bumps just listening to Flynn at the start of this

Yep, I was there at the Ambassador gig, a thousand years ago! Rob has mentioned elsewhere in interviews that it was one of the most memorable gigs for Machine Head.

EDIT: Found the link! : ) http://kingsizepictures.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/rock-hard-interview-robb-flynn-und-james-hetfield-englisch/

And for those interested both the Machine Head and Lamb of God sets will be streamed live from Rock Am Ring tonight:

http://www.dasding.de/ext/specials/rockamring/livestream/

TheStickyBandit

What time is the streaming starting?

lord lucan

TheStickyBandit wrote: »

What time is the streaming starting?

MH due on at 21.10 - 22.10.(That should be 20.10 - 21.10 irish time)

http://www.rock-am-ring.com/en/spielplan

DaveNoCheese

lord lucan wrote: »

TheStickyBandit wrote: »

What time is the streaming starting?

MH due on at 21.10 - 22.10.(That should be 20.10 - 21.10 irish time)

http://www.rock-am-ring.com/en/spielplan

Tonight? Yes... Have my slabs of bulmers bought today, shall be drinking few of these while watching it. Cheers Lamb of God too are worth checking out, saw them live few years back.

Is that the link to watch these or is this different?

lord lucan

This appears to be where it'll be streamed : http://www.swr3.de/specials/rockamring/livestream/

xerces

lord lucan wrote: »

This appears to be where it'll be streamed :

Yeah that's Rock am Ring's official link.

xerces

lord lucan wrote: »

MH due on at 21.10 - 22.10.(That should be 20.10 - 21.10 irish time)

Is anyone else watching Soundgarden at the moment? Is this live, or am I at the wrong link?

(Sorry if this is getting off-topic)

etloveslsd

http://www.swr3.de/musik/rock-am-ring-2012/livestream/-/id=1453978/oga2s9/index.html

I think that MH are on at midnight, those times are German and were a hour back yeah?

xerces

I think you're right, yes.

Sweet, I'll catch a bit of Amy Lee next.

etloveslsd

xerces wrote: »

Is anyone else watching Soundgarden at the moment? Is this live, or am I at the wrong link?

(Sorry if this is getting off-topic)

Soundgarden are on stage now, dunno if the stream is live though. there may be a few minutes delay.

DaveNoCheese

Listening to the feed from Rock am Ring, epic shtuff SO jelly I didn't see 'em this year!!

lord lucan

Full set from Rock Am Ring.

Malice

lord lucan wrote: »

Full set from Rock Am Ring.

Yoink as the sound quality seems really good.

weisses

Epic set they played

lord lucan

Seems Joel McIver is writing a book about MH called "Into The Machine",due for release in October. Have a couple of his books about Metallica and Cliff Burton and i like his style so really looking forward to this.

EyesClosed

I am clearly very late to the game here, but I have just been listening to hellalive all day, it's brilliant, can't wait to see them at download now

Wrongway1985

darryn wrote: »

I am clearly very late to the game here, but I have just been listening to hellalive all day, it's brilliant, can't wait to see them at download now

Will also check them out at download me thinks the clash with opeth is appalling though but after goin to the recent Olympia show and watchin the rock am ring set posted here the choice will more than likely be mh.

Motley Crue

darryn wrote: »

I am clearly very late to the game here

You are, yes, you are

....THEY'RE INCREDIBLE....:D

DaveNoCheese

Motley Crue wrote: »

darryn wrote: »

I am clearly very late to the game here

You are, yes, you are

....THEY'RE INCREDIBLE....:D

+1

They're band you have to sit down and properly listen to, once you do though, you won't regret it

bigbadcon

Been listening to a lot of Evile since the gig last week.

Thought the sound was really good when they were on. Donno who does Machine Heads sound at the gigs. They almost always get it wrong.

Saying that it was a million times better than the last one in the Olympia.

entropi

Newly released video for "Darkness Within"

Linky

Edit: Should have probably stuck a NSFW tag on there too.

lord lucan

Great video. I normally pay no attention to music videos these days but that was well worth checking out.

dcr22B

bigbadcon wrote: »

Thought the sound was really good when they were on. Donno who does Machine Heads sound at the gigs. They almost always get it wrong.

Absolutely, sound was abysmal when they played support to Slayer in the SFX back in 1994.

Olympia gig in 2010 was awful soundwise as well, had tinnitis for days afterwards!

Hyperbullet

Has anyone picked up a copy of the new live album yet? Reviews for it have been pretty good.

Motley Crue

I had a bad introduction to Machine Head - Supercharger - I remember hearing that album and thinking I was going to need new ears....Crashing Around You had it's charms but when I saw the video (I don't like Iron Maiden) it put me off

On my 18th my brother bought me Hellalive, which had just been released that month, and it became my bible. I'd been into Metallica and the likes (I was actually going to see Metallica that August, my ticket was my 18th present) but there was something about Machine Head - tracks like I'm Your God Now and The Burning Red - that I enjoyed so much....I just started to learn more and more about their music from this particular live album

A few months after Metallica I saw Machine Head for the first time, I actually found out about the gig before it had been announced on the bands website, buying my ticket (for about 30 Euro if memory serves me) to see them on Halloween night - or near enough - in the Ambassador. I also got their new album, at the time, a few days after that gig and just couldn't get enough of them. I also remember that week because it was the week I got my first college job, started working in a cinema.

Since that I saw Machine Head several times, in 2009 I saw them perform with Metallica and The Sword on the UK Death Magnetic tour twice, and I met and interviewed Phil as well. I remember the interview being in the canteen and Rob Flynn just sticking his head through the door and saying something like "has anyone seen Adam?" to which we all just shook our heads and then he took off again....surreal, especially because James Hetfield was getting his roast dinner next to him

In February 2010 I saw Machine Head again with Bleeding Through, Hatebreed and Rise to Remain...I interviewed Phil again and met the whole band that night, they were in this tiny dressing room and Dave was sitting next to me on his laptop while I was interviewing Phil....very very strange day....

Yeah I've been a fan of that band almost as long as I've been a fan of Metal, they are the "People's Metal Band" and I would also consider them my Generation's Pantera...even though they are probably also considered this generation's Pantera...and have been around nearly long enough to actually be Pantera.

The only thing that ticks me off about Machine Head is their constant reinvention, I find it frustrating (and I've only been a fan of the band since 2003) so I would imagine that any long term fans - who maybe saw them open for Slayer in the Ambassador in 1994 - just can't believe this is the same band. In some ways it is and in some ways it isn't, Machine Head have managed to stay constant and fresh for whatever generation that comes. And while that shouldn't be critical, I prefer on a personal level for my bands to grow with me, or mature with time...so that I feel as if they're on a personal journey too...with Machine Head I feel the fans are getting younger and younger and I'm just getting older lol

But a great, great band....taped this in 2010....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv_NrS_Zr34

lord lucan

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Has anyone picked up a copy of the new live album yet? Reviews for it have been pretty good.

Didn't even know they had one out. Thanks for the heads up.:)

Wrongway1985

@Motley Crue, thats a very passionate post like ta read those kinds I got into Machine Head due to the drilling the vein series twas take my scars on that particular VHS went to the local bricks & mortar they only had burn my eyes loved the cover wanted to check out the band regardless so picked it up never looked back since savage band...on the Supercharger album I understand to a certain extent how you'd dismiss the band after it I personally enjoyed Bulldozer,only the names & deafening silence but also see it as there lowest point (like most MH fans do)

@lord lucan yep new release brings back memories if you happened to be at the Olympia gig this year (chants of the album title throughout) its enjoyable but not to the quality of the mentioned Hellalive in my opinion but in fairness it had a lot to live up to!!

Napper Hawkins

"Supercharger" gets a bad rap imo. To me it was the last MH album where Robb was actually playing the music he wanted to play. There are some stinkers on that album but there are also some proper decent tracks on there, same goes for "The Burning Red". Those albums were a mistake but at least there was an honesty to them that I feel has been lost since "Through the ashes.."

I was a huge MH fan back in the day but I believe he has spent the last decade pandering to the close minded fans who gave out about "Supercharger" and "The Burning Red", with each subsequent album being more and more Metallica/Iron Maidenised, because apparently that's "real" metal. I got into MH because I didn't like Metallica or Maiden so it annoys me that they went this way. The first two albums are still far and away their best imo and they haven't topped them since.

Yes they've certainly improved over the years in terms of musical ability and don't get me wrong, I still rate them as one of the most exciting live metal bands to this day.

But "The Blackening" was where I started to tune out, too much of this harmonic choir singing going on that began with "Through the ashes..." , too much of this duelling guitar solo nonsense which is fine when used sparingly but it felt like this was utilised on nearly every single track. Again, these albums had a few decent tracks between them but the band I fell in love with in the 90's are long gone.

I do not like "Unto the locust" at all. I have tried, believe me I have tried to find enjoyment in it but I just can't, there are some decent riffs in there as usual and a couple of the songs sound decent live, but the overall feel of the album is just not what got me into this band in the first place. That "Darkness within" song is utter tripe to me.

Feel free to tear me apart for this or ignore this post completely, I'm not trying to hate on the band (who will always have my utmost respect for what they've achieved and long may it continue) or the fans who dig the new stuff but that's how I've felt about this band for a while now.

lord lucan

Continuing with the recent trend of band members parting ways,Adam Duce has decided to part ways with MH.

http://www.machinehead1.com/board_posts/machine-head-and-bassist-adam-duce-part-ways

Chikablam

Damn, I really liked Adam, shame to see him leave

machiavellianme

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

"Supercharger" gets a bad rap imo. To me it was the last MH album where Robb was actually playing the music he wanted to play. There are some stinkers on that album but there are also some proper decent tracks on there, same goes for "The Burning Red". Those albums were a mistake but at least there was an honesty to them that I feel has been lost since "Through the ashes.."

I was a huge MH fan back in the day but I believe he has spent the last decade pandering to the close minded fans who gave out about "Supercharger" and "The Burning Red", with each subsequent album being more and more Metallica/Iron Maidenised, because apparently that's "real" metal. I got into MH because I didn't like Metallica or Maiden so it annoys me that they went this way. The first two albums are still far and away their best imo and they haven't topped them since.

Yes they've certainly improved over the years in terms of musical ability and don't get me wrong, I still rate them as one of the most exciting live metal bands to this day.

But "The Blackening" was where I started to tune out, too much of this harmonic choir singing going on that began with "Through the ashes..." , too much of this duelling guitar solo nonsense which is fine when used sparingly but it felt like this was utilised on nearly every single track. Again, these albums had a few decent tracks between them but the band I fell in love with in the 90's are long gone.

I do not like "Unto the locust" at all. I have tried, believe me I have tried to find enjoyment in it but I just can't, there are some decent riffs in there as usual and a couple of the songs sound decent live, but the overall feel of the album is just not what got me into this band in the first place. That "Darkness within" song is utter tripe to me.

Feel free to tear me apart for this or ignore this post completely, I'm not trying to hate on the band (who will always have my utmost respect for what they've achieved and long may it continue) or the fans who dig the new stuff but that's how I've felt about this band for a while now.

Wow. You're the first person I've come across with the same views on MH as myself. My favourite album is Supercharger. Not because its nu-metal (which I have nothing against) but its just a band having some fun and trying to forge a different path. Same for the burning red before it. Think I listened to locust and blackening once each and nothing stood out so they're gathering dust somewhere. Great musicianship but theres plenty of technical bands out there with better tunes. Supercharger still gets a whirl in the old player once a fortnight or so, which is no mean feat for a supposedly "awful" album.

devildriver

The full beans are spilled on why Machine Head fired Adam Duce:

http://blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=186741