Machine Head’s ‘Unto The Locust’ Album Review in Reviews

Well, what can i say? I have always been an enormous fan of Machine Head, to the point that i have plans to have their Scottish style crest tattooed on me somewhere at some point and while they have not always been everybody’s stein of beer (nu/rap metal of the late 90’s and early 2000’s anyone?) they have definitely had a long and illustrious career.

From humble beginnings (Robb Flynn, actually born Lawrence Mathew Cardine, was abandoned by his parents at a young age and was eventually adopted) they have grown into a metallic powerhouse rivalling the finest the heavy world has to offer and some would wonder, after 2007’s epic The Blackening was labelled ‘Album of the Year’ where would they, or more importantly where could they go from there?

Fast forward a few years and you have your answer; Unto The Locust.

The only real downside i would pull out of this latest release is the overall length – the little over 45-minutes of original work seems to fly by too quickly compared with the 60+ minutes of its predecessor and even the special edition only has an extra couple of songs on it, all of which are covers. However on the upside there isn’t a bad song on the album, and unlike a lot of other tunes i’ve been listening to of late it didn’t take me three or four listens to really get into it. Let’s have a quick look at the tracks…

1. I Am Hell (Sonata in C#) – From the second you hit play you feel like you are inside some ancient ritual that is attempting to summon forth the Apocalypse… and succeeds. Robb, softly singing in Latin with acoustic guitars before an explosion from the deep with what sounds like a demon from your darkest dreams…. “I…. am death!” it bellows before gravitating towards more memorable lyrics like ‘God sent me to kill you’. Just the thought of this song gives me shivers down my spine – that can’t be normal can it?
2. Be Still And Know – This has to be one of the most intricate pieces of music on the entire album, i don’t think Phil Demmel in particular plays one note or cord for more than a split second for 80% of the song and on top of that Dave McClain seems to be having a jolly old time, demon on the drums that he is, playing lots of rolls. But… it works.
3. Locust – This is one of those songs that you can just see people going wild over at the gigs. From the mass moshathon, to the hair flailing thrash fest with a bit of Robb Flynn’s alter ego choir boy melodic thrown in for good measure. It’s a nice touch, and would give you a chance to recover briefly, because just when you think the song is over it belts back into it for another round. Definitely one of the standouts on the album and easily shows the diversity of Machine Head as a whole.
4. This Is The End – Just when you think Robb and the guys are doing a ballad like they have on previous albums (although usually at the end) all out war breaks lose. “This.. ends.. now” roars Robb while Phil Demmel, Dave McClain and Adam Duce fire off simultaneously for a barrage of guitar, drums and bass. The song continues at a similarly frantic pace throughout and i can foresee many a sore neck after a few listens to this monstrosity.
5. Darkness Within – By this time, hearing a melodic intro you might be preparing yourself for another surprise after a short time but this song, while it does pickup it’s probably the closest thing to an anthem on the album, and by far some of the most memorable lyrics i’ve heard in the recent past from Machine Head as well as other bands – you can’t help but get into it.
   

   “We build cathedrals to our pain,
   Establish monuments to attain,
   Freedom from all of the scars and the sins,
   Lest we drown in the darkness within!”

6. Pearls Before The Swine – Similar in speed and structure to that of This Is The End a couple of tracks earlier it is another broken neck creator of a song although even after listening to the album 10+ times before sitting down to write this review i still had to have a quick listen to it to remind me what song it was so you might say it is one of the less memorable songs on the album but still a solid effort that i can’t see myself getting tired with anytime soon.
7. Who We Are – The closing original work on the album, it begins with children singing the same lyrics that Robb Flynn chimes in with shortly thereafter. Now is it just me or is there something insanely creepy about kids singing in metal songs? I’m not sure if it’s because the lyrics seem too introspective and i’m not used to thinking about kids having that cognitive ability or if it is something else however the songs is brilliant, and once again to sound like a parrot; it works!

   In addition to this i thought at the start of the album that Robb Flynn had taken his voice to a whole other level and this is one song where it really shows, from the second he lets the fire screech out of his lungs it’s something new and invigorating – and there they are again, those shivers down my spine. Musically the song seems to have a more uplifting inflection

So there you have it; 7 songs of pure unadulterated brilliance with a sound that has matured since The Blackening while still maintaining the same musical prowess Machine Head exhibited on the aforementioned. I have a feeling this album will likely take that coveted Album of the Year title again in many places and it is definitely my personal top contender at the moment.

Score: 95/100

PS If you can get your hands on a Special Edition they do a couple of covers (Judas Priest – The Sentinel and Rush – Witch Hunt) and an acoustic version of Darkness Within all of which are worthy of being on the album and in particular, having been a fan of Judas Priest since a young age they definitely do the original justice (unlike the completely underwhelming Judas Priest concert i paid good money to go see a while back – Rob Halford seems to be running on half charged batteries these days as he slowly meanders around stage, maybe he should get together with Bruce Dickinson for some showmanship lessons? Sorry guys….)