Machine Head

The Burning Red (1999, Roadrunner)

Home | Interviews | Live Pictures | Reviews | News | Tourdates | Message Boardz | Metal Dictionary | Metal Chat | Links | Search | CD Store | Trade Index | Mailing List |

That's right, I've finally got the metal release of the year in my hands (thanks to Roadrunner) and since I can't get it out of my cd player, here's a track by track review...

This album is quite different from the last two... there are almost no guitar solos, and the drums we are used to hearing on the last 2 albums have been replaced by simpler beats. The harmonics are there, but not as often, maybe only on one or 2 songs...It's still Machine Head all the way...but..different.

Intro - This is weird, has some trippy Fear Factory-like piano/keyboard (or is it actually a guitar with really fucked up effects?) only about 50 seconds long...

Desire To fire - This track opens with the old live intro they used to do around '95 and goes into a cool hip-hop kinda groove, classic MH chorus and some very cool one liners in the lyrics ("prevail by daring to fail") Think this is my fav track right now...

Nothing Left - starts off kinda slow and groovy then picks up, very cool melodic vocal parts in the middle.. bulids up then goes nuts

The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears - killer drum beats start this out, (that seem different from past MH albums)...vocals ride the bassline then guitars kick in your face, sweet solo? (more of a melodic interlude) in this one and yes, that's Robb actually singing.. very intense track

Exhale The Vile - Basic MH drum intro (kinda like some stuff on Burn My Eyes), melodic...then heavy chorus, crushing riffs, classic MH harmonics

Silver - slow creepy intro, very catchy chorus...mellow tune (for MH anyways). Any station that plays Fear Factory now should be playing this tune soon if it's a single

From This Day - The first single...intro is heavy on the wah pedal. very catchy riff and vocal lines... strong hip-hop groove. Weird vocal effect in the interlude

Devil With The King's Card - gee, I wonder who might have inspired these lyrics? Heavy as shit, very, very cool track (are those keyboards I hear? on a MH album?) very killer riffs, intense stuff, this song rules

Message In A Bottle - you're gonna have to play this track a few times to make sure it's really Machine Head ...pretty surprising (and possibly accidental?) choice for a cover, yet cool.. guitars in the mellow parts sound like they are underwater (try listening while stoned haha).

I Defy - Fast and heavy, with a slower crunchy chorus ...shreding MH style stuff

Five - Killer melodic vocals with some different lyrics than what I'm used to hearing from Robb, (that probably won't be printed). Very cool sort of "And Justice For All" guitar in there, also a little random little clean guitar part in the middle of nowhere...pretty intense ending.

The Burning Red - The most surprising track on the album (even more than Message In A Bottle) this has to be the most mellow MH track ever. Clean guitars, some fucked up noise I have yet to figure out..and distorted drums? Very, very cool shit...Didn't know Robb could sing like that did ya?

Sure this album was produced by Ross Robinson, but you won't notice it much except for the killer vocals, there's no Korn sounding stuff on here, so chill, it's all pure MH. I also doubt that anyone will be complaining about Logan being replaced...