MACHINE HEAD — Unto the Locust (review)

MACHINE HEAD — Unto the Locust album cover

Album · 2011 · Groove Metal

3/5 · 2012-07-21
RuneWalsh2112

I picked up this album pretty recently in order to prepare myself for a Machine Head gig that I was about to witness. It's been quite a few years since I've actively listened to this band. Last time I saw them live was back during their "Through The Ashes Of Empires" tour where Machine Head was praised by both fans and critics for returning to their classic Thrash Metal roots after two albums fling with Nu Metal (on "The Burning Red" and "Supercharger").

Just as my previous Machine Head concert experience, this one was an enjoyable one even if I don't consider myself much of a Machine Head fan to begin with. Their music never hits me on a personal level. Instead, it's enjoyable and well calculated music that does it's job well but without any real passion to it. The only two albums that came close to changing my mind were "Through The Ashes Of Empires" and "The Blackening", so does it mean that "Unto The Locust" would be the 'it' album for me (since it's the next album in line)?

The album opens with an a cappella intro of "I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)" titled "Sangre Sani" followed by two more sections of the composition titled "I Am Hell" and the final 6 minute section "Ashes To The Sky", which is both the most melodic and Thrash Metal inclined one. The vocal melodies that Robb Flynn is aiming on all these tracks have a modern melodic style to it which unfortunately reminds me of all the Roadrunner singles of the recent years and thus not anything worthy of an artistic merit. Luckily the melodies aren't the only thing that "Unto The Locust" has going for it as the excellent sound of guitars and drums convey their messages quite nicely, especially during the instrumental passages.

After the first three tracks, which are all pretty memorable and will create the first impression highlights for any listener, we come to the album's 'make it or break it'-section. "This Is The End" immediately manages to rub me the wrong way with it's really irritating chorus line which unfortunately ruins even the track's midsection groove and the concluding solo for me. Fortunately "The Darkness Within" and especially "Pearls For Swine" return this album back it's momentum as we're treated to some of the band's most artistic compositions. This is why it feels even more irritating for me to hear a track like "Who We Are" right at the end. There's really no point of featuring such a ridiculous chorus line on otherwise pretty strong track and thus ruining the overall impression that I have of this release.

"Unto The Locust" is really not the direction that I was expecting Machine Head to undertake after "Through The Ashes Of Empires" and "The Blackening". This is by no means a return to their Nu Metal-era but the Thrash Metal featured on this release just seems very commercialized and dishonest to my ears, which is probably why I don't consider any of these seven compositions to be an overall highlight. The album fits my good, but non-essential labeling quite well.

**** star songs: I Am Hell (Sonata In C#) (8:28) Be Still And Know (5:44) Locust (7:36) The Darkness Within (6:28) Pearls For Swine (7:19)

*** star songs: This Is The End (6:11) Who We Are (7:07)