“Usually it just kinda comes down to the fact that the music that stayed with me throughout my life has been the song that had someone wearing their heart on their sleeve and just sayin’ ‘I’m doin’ it.’ Songs like ‘Fade To Black’ by Metallica or something like that where it’s just like, I know what you are saying. Sadness, happiness, whatever it is, something that someone can relate to that they are feeling and can say I know what that guy is singing about … That’s what I hope and I don’t always do but what I try to do when I write lyrics.”
— Machine Head frontman Robert Flynn
When Machine Head started out in the early ’90s, it seemed certain that the group was destined for greatness on the metal scene. The band’s 1994 debut “Burn My Eyes” was an instant classic. And the follow-up, 97’s “The More Things Change,” was even more intense.
But then an interesting thing happened: the band started to evolve and pull in more melody to its sound. Longtime fans weren’t sure how to take the new mix. Metal critics were quick to dismiss lead vocalist Robert Flynn’s singing voice as pathetic and started to lump the band in to the media-created nu-metal scene.
In reality, the band was simply adding new dimensions to its sound. The evolution first showed up, in limited quantities, on 99’s “The Burning Red.”
It may have been the mixed reception, it may have been the band searching for a direction, it may have just been an honest mis-step, but when the group released “Supercharger” well into the new millennium, it was almost universally panned. It fact, it seems the band’s long-time label released a live album in 2003 simply to close out the band’s contract. (In truth, the band, the band asked to be let out of the deal.) Machine Head was without a home and directionless … or so it seemed.
The band regrouped and refocused its sound, releasing the critically-acclaimed “Through the Ashes of Empires” in the fall of 2002 in Europe and Asia. The album was so successful that the group’s former label ended up re-signing the band. When the album finally received a release stateside in 2003, fans were clamoring for the album that was already being hailed as album of the year in various metal publications.
While “Through the Ashes…” marked a true return-to-form for the band, it doesn’t hurt to look over the group’s entire catalogue when pinpointing a new classic. Personally, I didn’t think “Supercharger” was the abomination it was made out to be in the media. There were a handful of truly solid metal tracks. “The Burning Red” was sort of a classic in its own right, perhaps not up to the standard of some of the other albums this column has looked at, but a good release nonetheless.
Fans of the band often point to “The More Things Change” and “Burn My Eyes” as the best Machine Head had to offer. The band’s debut definitely is a classic in the truest sense of the word (but released prior to the timeframe of this column’s New Classic status).
I find “The More Things Change” an in-your-face metal masterpiece, but lacking the true focus of a classic; “The Burning Red” is one of my favorite releases of ’99, but features a band in transition; “Supercharger” was too hit-or-miss for its own good.
And what you’re left with is my choice as a New Classic.
Machine Head
Through the Ashes of Empires
Roadrunner Records
“We just sat there and basically wrote a record for ourselves. And, you know, we’re glad that we did, we’re glad that we stuck with our guns and we’re glad that things worked out the way that they did. … Record came in at #88, sold 11,000 records in it’s first week, you know the fact that it did that … the video didn’t get played until the first week of release, the record has been out for 6 months for import and download. The fact that it did that many numbers was a miracle.”
— Machine Head frontman Robert Flynn
My pick (and many others) as album of the year for 2003, Machine Head managed to focus all the intensity and aggression from its classic debut, temper the resulting material with just the right amount of melody and groove and put of one of the best metal releases of the new millennium.
The band never misses the mark on this album. From the mind-blowing opener “Imperium,” to the crunchy “Bite the Bullet” and thunderous “Left Unifinshed,” each track is a perfect blend of epic riffing and explosive drumming. Phil Demmel (lead guitar) was a perfect addition to the band, trading riffs with Adam Duce (bass) better than Logan Mader (who played on the first two albums). Longtime drummer Dave McClain continues to impress behind the kit. And Flynn still strives to prove he’s one of the best vocalists on the metal scene, rivaling Fear Factory’s Burton Bell in the screaming/melodic singing department. (Flynn has a little more deep aggression behind his vocals, in my opinion.)
The band, intentional or not, recaptured its former glory and pushed its legacy back to the forefront of the metal scene. “Through the Ashes” managed to take the band, which had all but been written off from the genre, and once again make it one of the biggest bands in the world.ÂÂ
There’s no denying the impact of the band’s debut. One of the greatest aspects of “Burn My Eyes” is its raw quality. But for everything that album represents, “Through the Ashes” is almost more. The sound is tighter, more mature and much more focused. Logically the band’s latest album could not have existed without its first, but that is actually doubly true. Machine Head knew what it was capable of creating. The band was able to revisit that raw sound and improve upon it and now it’s once again working on new material. For a band with at least two classics under its belt, I have no doubt there’s more greatness on the horizon.
Machine Head is easily on my list of top metal bands of all time. But “Through the Ashes” is definitely on my list of top albums of all time, period. From first listen, I knew this was “the” album to make the band. Already established as a formidable metal act from previous efforts, this album served notice that Machine Head was still relivant and not going away quietly. I’d be shocked if any fan of metal didn’t already have this album …
And that’s that. Until next time, take it easy. Stay tuned and enjoy the ride …
