Machine Head: All Albums Ranked
Led by the empowering and occasionally divisive Robb Flynn, Machine Head have been metal legends for over 30 years. Even the albums which are often perceived as mis-steps have moments of brilliance, and we have undertaken the tricky task of ranking the albums - including 2 live records - and picking out some key (and lesser-known) tracks. What you do you think? Check out the Spotify playlist and have your say in the comments below!
I tried to like it, I really did.
Somewhere within ‘Catharsis’, there is a great album screaming to be let out. A rejigged tracklist… a culling of 2-3 tracks… a replacement of some of the most cringeworthy lyrics… a more stringent quality control process… these things could have made all the difference.
Instead, ‘Catharsis’ was, like the ‘Evening With Machine Head’ gigs at the time, FAR too long - and it is the sound of Robb Flynn indulging every songwriting idea he had, while 2 of the other 3 bandmembers (Phil Demell and Dave McClain) prepared for their imminent departure.
The build-up to “Can you feel my catharsis?” in the title track is one of Machine Head’s best-ever instances of tension and release. ‘Behind The Mask’ is an excellent, haunting ballad in the vein of Alice in Chains. If you can look beyond the stolen riffs in ‘Beyond The Pale' (‘Love’ by Strapping Young Lad) and ‘Volatile’ (‘Cleansation’ by Chimaira'), they are both excellent tracks. ‘Kaleidoscope’ is an anthemic, melodic rager. And the defiant ‘Hope Begets Hope’ wouldn’t have sounded out of place on ‘The More Things Change’, with the additional bonus of System of a Down-esque vocal harmonies.
Unfortunately, the quality drops sharply elsewhere. ‘Triple Beam’ sounds like a b-side from ‘Supercharger’, with a fun bounce but lyrics that try too hard to be street. ‘Heavy Lies The Crown’ is an attempted mini-epic that says nothing and goes nowhere, and the final 4 tracks are largely forgettable. But worst of all is the truly awful, Mumford & Sons-esque ‘Bastards’. The song itself is ok as folk-rock goes, but the middle section of “No No No No No No No No No No No” throws all subtly and tenderness out of the window and is borderline unlistenable, derailing the album in the process.
Standout Tracks: ‘Behind The Mask’, ‘Catharsis’, ‘Hope Begets Hope’
12. Machine F**king Head Live (2012)
Hot on the heels of the ‘Unto The Locust’ record, the 2-disc document ‘Machine F**king Head LIVE’ captured the band at the height of their ‘epic’ period (and by ‘epic’, we mean lengthening most songs with riff after riff after section after section in ‘The Blackening’ and ‘Unto The Locust’, mostly successfully).
Machine Head and the UK have a mutually loving relationship (‘Hellalive’ was recorded at Brixton Academy in London, and this record was recorded in Manchester and Glasgow), and the affectionate chant of “Machine F**king Head, Machine F**king Head”, which opens and titles the album, originated in the UK. As such, this record is a great demonstration of fan devotion, and it is particularly exciting for Brits to hear.
We are treated to a range of songs from Machine Head’s first 20 years, though the emphasis is very much on ‘Unto The Locust’, with 6 of its 7 tracks appearing, all of which sound huge (and ‘Darkness Within’ is particularly poignant when transformed from the studio ito a live setting). It is interesting hearing how seamlessly the tracks from the supposed ‘nu metal years’ (‘The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears’ and ‘Bulldozer’) fit alongside the labyrinthian riff-fests of ‘Be Still And Know’, ‘Halo’ and ‘I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)’; and fans from any era of the band will find something to enjoy here. It’s just a shame that, for some reason, the record isn’t available on streaming services.
Standout Tracks: ‘Darkness Within’, ‘This Is The End’, ‘Beautiful Mourning’
History hasn’t been kind to ‘Supercharger’. Admittedly some of its over-simplified, rap metal-infused moments haven’t aged well, such as the cringy ‘American High’, the forced ‘All In Your Head’ and the lacklustre ‘Kick You When You’re Down’, all of which have sprinkles of vocal ad-libs that are irritating rather than endearing. But outside of these, there are still plenty of highlights across the record, and it is nowhere near as bad as people often make it out to be.
Bookending the album are the fantastic ‘Bulldozer’ and ‘Supercharger’, both of which are full of energy, killer riffs and delightfully unhinged vocals from Robb Flynn, who sounds brimming with confidence and bravado. ‘Trephination’ has a genuine sense of danger to it that echoes some of the best moments from ‘Burn My Eyes’. And ‘Deafening Silence’ is a towering ballad that builds on the ‘The Burning Red’ and paves the way for the majestic ‘Descend The Shades Of Night’ which would follow a couple of years later.
Sure, ‘Crashing Around You’ is 100% written as a radio hit - but it is one hell of a song. It remains Machine Head’s most ‘pop’ moment but still has enough bite to maintain their credibility.
So, why did things bomb so much for Machine Head with ‘Supercharger’, when it has plenty of strong moments? Partly it was timing, with the record coming out in October 2001 when the whole world was in turmoil - and hence it received limited promotion. Partly, it upset many of the band’s core fans who were disppointed with the supposedly more polished, nu metal-influenced sound (which is only partly true). Whatever it was, it led to the band disappearing into the wilderness for a couple of years, to then return rejuvinated and invigorated with ‘Through The Ashes of Empires’.
If you can get hold of the deluxe digipak edition of the record, there is a gem of a b-side in ‘Ten Fold’ and a rollicking cover of ‘Hole In The Sky’ by Black Sabbath.
Standout tracks: ‘Only The Names’, ‘Trephination’, ‘Supercharger’
There are loads of live Machine Head documents out there, including the ‘Elegies’ DVD and the bonus live DVD that accompanied the ‘Catharsis’ album. Of the two official audio albums (this one and ‘Machine F**king Head LIVE’), ‘Hellalive’ is arguably the better one. Sure, it came out a few years earlier, and therefore doesn’t have the might of ‘Imperium’, ‘Halo’, ‘Aesthetics of Hate’, ‘Locust’ or ‘I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)’.
But what it DOES have is a shedload of prime early Machine Head cuts, including ‘None But My Own’ and ‘I’m Your God Now’ (from ‘Burn My Eyes’), interspersed with tracks from ‘Supercharger’ and ‘The Burning Red’ which sound utterly huge on the live stage. If anyone criticises Machine Head for jumping on the nu metal bandwagon on their 3rd and 4th records, this live record is proof that not one single person in that Brixton Academy crowd cared.
‘Crashing Around You’ (complete with an epic, eerie intro), ‘Bulldozer’, ‘Supercharger’ and ‘Nothing Left’ stand shoulder to shoulder with ‘Old’, ‘Take My Scars’ and ‘Davidian’. Even ‘American High’, arguably the cheesiest cut from ‘Supercharger’, sounds defiant and deserving of a place in the setlist. Mixed to perfection by Colin Richardson, ‘Hellalive’ is well worth your time.
Standout tracks: ‘The Blood The Sweat The Tears’, ‘Crashing Around You’, ‘Davidian’
‘Bloodstone & Diamonds’ is arguably the Machine Head album that gets talked about the least. This is curious, because there are plenty of highlights, including the catchy rush of ‘Game Over’, the lush orchestrations of opener ‘Now We Die’ and the bruising single ‘Killers and Kings’. It may be somewhat bloated and could benefit from some editing / culling, but overall it is a solid listen.
You could argue that the broader metal community had had enough of Machine Head after ‘The Blackening’ and ‘Unto The Locust’. Mainstream tastes were changing, embracing deathcore, metalcore, tech-death and symphonic metal, and the appetite wasnt as strong for Machine Head’s style in 2014. There was far less of a promotional push from the label, and the band also made a conscious choice to avoid the festival circuit, preferring instead to play their own shows without a support band. As such, ‘Bloodstone and Diamonds’ is the sound of Machine Head making a competent record for long-term fans, but doing little to gain new fans or bring anything particularly new to the table.
There are some gems to discover. ‘Sail Into The Black’ is a deliciously dark, slow-burning track, and ‘Night of Long Knives’ is one of the most vicious-sounding songs in their history (especially given its subject matter). ‘Beneath The Silt’ sounds like it came from the ‘Supercharger’ sessions, albeit with a maturity from the band being 13 years older.
If the more forgettable songs (‘Eyes of the Dead’, ‘In Comes The Flood’ and ‘Damage Inside’) had been culled, trimming the record from its unneccessary 70-minute running time, ‘Bloodstone and Diamonds’ could have made it higher on this list.
Standout Tracks: ‘Night Of Long Knives’, ‘Now We Die’, ‘Sail Into The Black’
Following all the ups and downs of Machine Head’s career (line-up changes, accusations of bandwagon-jumping blah blah blah), ‘Of Kingdom and Crown’ helped the band to plateau, appeasing fans and critics and showing that they are a known quantity that is here to stay. As such, both the expectations and fears for ‘Unatoned’ were relatively low, which is probably a good thing.
Promotion of the album didn’t get off to the best start. First single ‘These Scars Won’t Define Us’ was a cheesefest. Second single ‘Unbound’ was better, but suggested a worrying reduction in vocal range from Robb Flynn, whose screams sounded weary and worn-out. Third single ‘Bonescraper’ recycled the melody from ‘No Gods, No Masters. And the ALL CAPITALS TYPEFACE was just annoying.
It was a pleasant surprise, then, when the rest of the ‘Unatoned’ album turned out to be REALLY good. ‘Atomic Revelations’ is a fantastic opener, using the ‘Darkness Within’ vocal style in the chorus to excellent effect. ‘Outsider’ is a very well-crafted song, with echoes of ‘The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears’ in its energy. ‘Addicted To Pain’ and ‘Shards of Shattered Dreams’ have a wild, Slipknot-esque vibe. Robb’s singing voice is arguably the best it has ever sounded in ‘Not Long For This World’ and ‘Scorn’.
With some subtle electronic flourishes augmenting the sound, courtesy of modern metal rent-a-soundmaker Jordan Fish, ‘Unatoned’ turned out to be much better than the early singles suggested it would.
Standout tracks: ‘Outsider’, ‘Scorn’, ‘Atomic Revelations’
Following ‘The Blackening’ was never going to be an easy task. Their magnum 2007 opus put Machine Head up at the very top of the metal world, and suddenly it was cool to like them again after what many considered to be their sell-out years.
Doubling down on their ‘epic’ side (i.e. occasionally padding out mediocre songs just for the sake of it), Machine Head produced 7 intricate, labyrinthian tracks for their next effort, ‘Unto The Locust’.
At some points, they took things to the next level, such as the guitar wizardry and blast beats of ‘This Is The End’, the Enter Sandman-esque stadium rock of ‘Locust’, and the confessional, urgent acoustic strums of ‘Darkness Within’.
At other times, there was a rehash of some of the ideas from ‘The Blackening’. ‘Be Still And Know’ is very reminiscent of ‘Beautiful Mourning’, for example; and ‘Pearls Before The Swine’ has echoes of both ‘Slanderous’ and ‘Wolves’.
It was a bold choice to end with the children’s choir and pop-rock chord progression of ‘Who We Are’ - but unfortunately the novelty wears off quickly and it is unlikely this will be any Machine Head fan’s go-to album closer.
All in all, ‘Unto The Locust’ was a worthy successor to ‘The Blackening’, but it is by no means perfect.
Standout Tracks: ‘This Is The End’, ‘I Am Hell’, ‘Locust’
Something had to change following the relative disappointment of ‘Catharsis’ and the departure of both Phil Demmell (guitar) and Dave McLean (drums), both of whom had formed such an important part of Machine Head’s sound (Phil from 2003’s ‘Through The Ashes of Empires’ and Dave from 2nd album ‘The More Things Change’).
2022 marked the rebirth of Machine Head, with the utterly ferocious, confident ‘Of Kingdom and Crown’. Bolstered by razor-sharp production, songs like ‘Choke on the Ashes of Your Hate’ and ‘Become The Firestorm’ took no prisoners, and presented the kind of rage that hadn’t been seen since the thrashier moments of ‘Burn My Eyes’. There were inventive, bold melodies in ‘Unhallowed’, ‘Arrows in Words From the Sky’ and ‘My Hands Are Empty’, with none of the cheese that the melodic moments on ‘Catharsis’ had; and the mid-tempo bruisers such as ‘Rotten’ and ‘Bloodshot’ were like being hit over the head with a sledgehammer.
The only thing that lets ‘Of Kingdom and Crown’ down, aside from the strange use of CAPITAL LETTERS FOR EVERYTHING (which now, annoyingly, seems to be here to stay), is Robb Flynn’s insistence that it is a concept record. If you are drawn to concept records such as Mastodon’s ‘Crack The Skye’, then don’t get your hopes up. There is very little coherent narrative, and this record is only really different from Machine Head’s other albums through having some ambient pauses and muffled talking between a few tracks, which add little to the experience. It is perhaps best to listen to ‘Of Kingdom and Crown’ purely as a collection of great songs - and, as such, it is a very strong one.
Standout Tracks: ‘Become The Firestorm’, ‘Unhallowed’, ‘Arrows in Words From The Sky’
Much was made of ‘Through The Ashes of Empires’ being a return to form following what most people consider to be the disappointment of ‘Supercharger’, alongside the departure of Ahrue Luster on guitar, and Machine Head being dropped by their label. It certainly signified a shift back to more traditional metal, though with passing of time it wasn’t perhaps the seismic change that it was made out to be at the time. The rap elements certainly disappeared, but some of the groovy, nu-metal influences still permeated a few tracks (‘Wipe The Tears’, ‘Vim’, ‘Elegy’, 'In The Presence of My Enemies’ and ‘Bite The Bullet’, in particular) - and this isn’t a criticism at all. The sound was more expansive, with an overall increase in technical guitar work courtesy of new arrival Phil Demmell.
‘Through The Ashes of Empires’ is bookended by two of Machine Head’s best-ever tracks: the magnificent opener ‘Imperium’ and stunning closer ‘Descend The Shades of Night’. Nothing can touch the quality of those two songs, but the rest of the album is still solid and makes for a cohesive, enjoyable listen from start to finish.
It is worth noting that ‘Seasons Wither’ wasn’t on the original tracklisting, and was added to the album around a year later when it was re-released for the US market. ‘Seasons Wither’ is an absolute rager, and more or less covers every aspect of Machine Head’s sound in one track: fast thrash, circle pit-inducing riffs, dual guitar leads, and a delicate, melodic mid-section.
Standout Tracks: ‘Days Turn Blue To Grey’, ‘Imperium’, ‘Descend The Shades of Night’
‘The Burning Red’ has been criticised a lot over the years and is often lumped together with ‘Supercharger’ when people lament Machine Head’s foray into nu metal - but this is very unfair.
Outside of the rapping in opener ‘Desire to Fire’, the gigantuan chorus and rap-metal elements in ‘From This Day’, and the divisive cover of The Police’s ‘Message in a Bottle’ (which is far better than most people would lead you to believe), ‘The Burning Red’ is a raging, snarling beast with tremendous emotional depth, bold melodies and just the right balance of catchiness, vulnerability and menace.
In fact, from start to finish, ‘The Burning Red’ is arguably Machine Head’s most cohesive record. It flows brilliantly, through the Korn-esque ‘Nothing Left’, the almost danceable ‘The Blood The Sweat The Tears’, the melodic ‘Silver’ and the late-album run of the 3 heaviest songs: ‘Devil With the King’s Card’, ‘I Defy’ and ‘Five’, culminating in the emotional dredging of the title track.
Machine Head had never written a ballad before, Albums 1 and 2 both had some quieter moments; but the track ‘The Burning Red’ was a bona-fide ballad in the vein of Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’. It was a surprising left-turn for a band that had already mastered what it was to be ‘heavy’ and were now chanelling this spirit into introspection and melodic songwriting. Moments like this mean that their 3rd record is FAR from the nu-metal sellout that the history books would have you believe.
Standout tracks: ‘I Defy’, ‘Exhale The Vile’, ‘The Burning Red’
The one that started it all. Machine Head arrived so fully-formed with their debut record that it almost seemed unfair.
Having built up a devoted following through their crushing live shows, and with experience from other established bands (most notably, Vio-lence), Machine Head knew exactly what they were doing when they released ‘Burn My Eyes’. Every song was meticulously crafted and produced to perfection, with a mix that will still sound just as potent in 2034 as it did in 1994.
Introducing Machine Head to the world was the legendary ‘Davidian’, with its pummelling intro, empowering refrain of ‘Let freedom rain with a shotgun blast!” and glorious slowing-down outtro riffs. Just as good are the bouncy ‘Old’, the raging ‘Block’ and the Slayer-esque ‘Blood For Blood’.
A few of the songs (‘None But My Own’, ‘I’m Your God Now’, ‘The Rage To Overcome’ and ‘A Nation On Fire’) have a similar structure, building from a quiet intro and ending with a burst of lightning-fast thrash. This is the only thing that lets ‘Burn My Eyes’ down, given how Machine Head have honed and refined their craft and ventured into creative new directions over the years since. A true classic - though, in 3rd place, still not the absolute pinnacle of the band.
Standout tracks: ‘Blood For Blood’, ‘Block’, ‘Old’
There was SO much hype for ‘The Blackening’ in the lead-up to its release (admittedly, mostly from Robb Flynn) - but for good reason. It is quite simply a masterclass in modern metal.
Much was made at the time of Machine Head’s new foray into ‘epic’ (i.e. long) songs. In more recent albums, some songs are arguably long just for the sake of it - but in ‘The Blackening’, they were long because of the sheer number of ideas crammed into every track. Opener ‘Clenching The Fists of Dissent’ is a good case in point, starting with a gently-strummed acoustic opener, leading to multiple snare drums in what sounds like a battle march, before all hell breaks loose.
There are fewer melodies than in the previous album ‘Through The Ashes of Empires’ - and the melodies that do feature (such as the single ‘Now I Law Thee Down’ and the closer ‘A Farewell to Arms’) are dark, unsettling and perfectly reflected in the black and white skeleton on the front cover. This record is dark, serious and snarling.
‘Aesthetics of Hate’ is arguably Robb Flynn’s most pissed-off vocal performance ever "(“For the love of brother (i.e. Dimebag) I will say these f**king words. Aesthetics of Hate: I hope you burn in Hell’). ‘A Farewell To Arms’ seems to have been an inspiration for some of the proggier moments in Mastodon’s ‘Crack The Skye’ (released 18 months later). Even Robb Flynn’s least-favourite song, ‘Slanderous’, has a strident chorus and kick-ass riff.
If you are a fan of unconventional song structures, RIFFS, grandiose production, RIFFS, the more progressive side of metalcore, and RIFFS, ‘The Blackening’ is for you.
Standout tracks: ‘Wolves’, ‘Aesthetics of Hate’, ‘Clenching the Fists of Dissent’
It may not have the variety of ‘The Burning Red’, the musicianship of ‘Unto The Locust’, the epic songwriting of ‘The Blackening’, the melodies of ‘Unatoned’ or the zeitgeist-changing impact of ‘Burn My Eyes’; but ‘The More Things Change’ is, in our opinion, the best Machine Head album. It achieves this status for its sheer power, its direct, straight-down-the-line focus, and its utter sense of dangerous rage, born on the streets of Oakland, California.
For context, 1997 was a curious time for metal. Metallica had released the divisive ‘Load’, Slayer had gone off the boil, and there were rumblings of a more simplified, grooving style of heavy music that was soon to be called ‘nu metal’. Reflecting on ‘The More Things Change’ now, it actually feels, alongside Fear Factory and Pantera, like a forerunner for the low-tuned, 2-note riffage of Coal Chamber, Disturbed, Soulfly, Static X, Spineshank and - dare we say it - Limp Bizkit. Only, it also came with a grubby, deadly serious and street-smart aggression at its core.
Turn this record up loud and it will shake your house to its core. ‘Ten Ton Hammer’ is one of the most perfect names for a Machine Head song, with riffs that are impossible not to bang your head to. ‘Take My Scars’ has some of Robb Flynn’s boldest vocal performances. ‘Struck a Nerve’ and ‘Bay of Pigs’ are angry thrash metal of the highest order. And the brooding, slow-burning ‘Violate’ and ‘Blood of the Zodiac’ may not be the most nuanced and dynamic, but they have an ominous heaviness in the vein of Neurosis - dirty and unpleasant.
‘The More Things Change’ isn’t the most fun album, but it is almost unmatchable in its sheer brute power. You can see where 00s and 10s metalcore got its heaviness from - and this record was more influential than you might think. Now, go and listen to ‘Spine’ and tell me it isn’t one of the most awesome slabs of 90s metal.
Standout tracks: ‘Spine’, ‘Violate’, ‘Struck a Nerve’
