Now, Machine Head have released two genre defining albums. Burn My Eyes (their first release) was a killer addition to the groove metal academy with fat huge riffs and grooves a plenty. They lost their way for a while until the release of album number six, The Blackening, which is an absolute beast of a record. However, the album before that (Through The Ashes Of Empires) laid the groundwork for The Blackening and is often overlooked when talking about Machine Head.
The groove and riffs returned on this monster and what a way to open up a record with Imperium. Everything I love about the band in one song. Huge pounding grooves with accompanying mighty riffs and Rob snarling his way through the vocals. Bite The Bullet is an immense track. Again, crushingly heavy with both groove and riff. There are still hints of the Nu-metal mash up with tracks like Left Unfinished on the border of both but overall the heaviness and brutality win out.
Vim crushes everything in its path with the run to the end being a monster groove fest. I know this may sound weird, but there are definite comparisons with the Chili Peppers on All Falls Down in the quieter moments that are welded onto the crunch. Imperium is my favourite tune as it just doesn’t get better than that.
If this one passed you by, give it a chance. Great record.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
