It’s interesting to trace the journey and development of long-running bands, from the perspective of the quality of their output over the years. In the case of the now-legendary Californian metallers Machine Head, they started with all guns blazing: their first two albums being all time metal classics. They then had a slight dip, before exploding back to form. That form continues with the release of their eighth album, Bloodstone and Diamonds.
It appears Robb Flynn and co. have truly decided what their signature sound and style is. Take the nuclear strength groove and balls-out aggression of the first two records, infuse an epic vibe and a little more light and shade into the songs, and you have latter day Machine Head.
And after four albums pursuing that sound, they’re arguably doing it better than ever. Bloodstone and Diamonds is nothing short of awesome, everything a great Machine Head album should be, and plenty more. They’ve reached a point in their career where virtually every song they write is an epic, although the songs are never overblown at the same time.
Plus, there’s a fabulous sense of ebb and flow and variation across the course of the album’s almost 70 minute length. There’s plenty of mid-paced stomp and grind (Beneath the Silt for example), thrashy moments, as you might expect, gothic elements (In Comes the Flood), a quiet but dark ballad (Damage Inside), an instrumental (Imaginal Cells) and plenty more.
Bloodstone and Diamonds is probably Machine Head’s most complete and varied album. It’ll truly satiate existing fans, and could very well gain them a bunch of new ones.
BY ROD WHITFIELD
Best Track: Sail Into the Black.
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Pantera, Lamb of God, Gojira.
In A Word: Mighty
