Albums Of The Decade: Machine Head – ‘The Blackening’
Machine (fucking) Head come of age and release one of the finest metal records of this decade. Click here to see our other choices for ‘Albums of the Decade’!
In Hammer writer Dom Lawson’s recent Megadeth are better than Metallica blog, he mentioned that when the press heard ‘Death Magnetic’ for the first time, there was a collective sigh of relief from everyone who had feared Metallica had lost it for good. After ‘St. Anger’ and some of the more questionable tracks from ‘Load’ and ‘Reload‘, it was a very fair point indeed.
The same relief echoed around the metal community when Machine Head released ‘Through The Ashes of Empires’ in 2003. Following the unstoppable start to the band’s career on the ground-breaking ‘Burn My Eyes’ and its stellar follow-up ‘The More Things Change’, Machine Head spent a few years losing the plot in spectacular style.
‘Producer de jour’ Ross Robinson was brought in to oversee the nu-metal tinged ‘The Burning Red’ and, while there were still plenty of great moments on the record, it just wasn’t what Machine Head fans had wanted from the band.
Although ‘The Burning Red’ had its merits, it was hard to find any redeeming qualities in MH’s 4th album, ‘Supercharger’. Encouragingly, while many were writing the band off as a creative force, the live shows supporting the album were as ferocious as ever and songs from the record still crush live. Even still, the record had left both fans and critics questioning whether or not Machine Head had lost their mojo and were a spent force. It’s worth pointing out that this was never a view that Metal Hammer shared. Fuck all y’all haters etc.
As such, when Flynn roared “hear me now!!!!!” at the beginning of ‘Imperium’ and a riff kicked in that was heavy enough to make every baby within a ten mile radius wail like you’d just dropped thumbtacks into their cot, relief was used by most while we sat back with a smug ‘told you so’ look on our face.
Reforming a devastating partnership with former Vio-lence colleague Phil Demmel, Flynn lead Machine Head to a glorious comeback on ‘Through The Ashes Of Empires’. Epic in scope, devilishly heavy and with no sign of rapping or dodgy haircuts, the people’s Machine Head had returned to form with devastating effect.
As good as ‘…Ashes…’ was, nothing could prepare us for ‘The Blackening’.
Seeing as the band had taken to writing lengthier tracks on its predecessor, it was always a sure-fire bet that ‘The Blackening’ would continue this trend, but opening with the 10 minutes 37 seconds ‘Clenching the Fists Of Dissent’ was a decision that took balls the size of bulldozers. An all-out assault of stunning riffs, apocalyptic drums, a punishing chant-a-long beatdown and some snarling anti-war lyrics (“there’s something fucking wrong when war takes sons and daughters our lambs mislead to slaughter” being a personal highlight), Machine Head had written an album opener to rival ‘Davidian’ and ‘Imperium’ and one of the finest songs of their career.
The amount of venom flowing from the record was also jaw-dropping. The opening scream of “fuck you all” at the beginning of ‘Beautiful Morning’ is a decent example but for sheer, fist-flying, teeth-clenching rage, nothing gets close ‘Aesthetics Of Hate’.
Written in response to a vomit-inducing, knuckle-headed piece written by the ignorant and idiotic The Iconclast contributor, William Grim, (during which the vacuous asshole described Dimebag Darrell as “contributing to the soul-deadening culture of death, ugliness, depravity and inhumanity that spawned his killer” just days after the legendary guitarist had been shot dead onstage), ‘Aesthetics Of Hate’ was not only a thrash masterpiece, it was a song that united lovers of heavy metal the world over. It also earned the band their very first Grammy nomination for ‘Best Metal Performance’, (the accolade going to Slayer for ‘Final Six’). Hell, Metallica’s James Hetfield liked it so much he joined the band onstage to play the song!
‘The Blackening’ also features some of the finest ‘slower’ songs of Machine Head’s career in ‘Halo’ and ‘A Farewell To Arms’. Both clocking in at over 9 minutes, these represent 2 of the most audacious tracks in Machine Head’s back-catalogue and go to show just how far the band had come in the 13 years since ‘Burn My Eyes’.
This also represents the greatest thing about ‘The Blackening’ – the sheer range of musical landscapes that are visited throught the record. At its heaviest, it’s enough to make you want to open every door in your house via the power of a headbutt, but it’s also stunningly intricate and verging on the faultless in musicianship.
Even tracks that are rarely mentioned, such as ‘Slanderous’ and ‘Wolves’, are faultless exercises in modern metal. Is there a track on this record that’s anything less than incredible? Is there fuck!
‘The Blackening’ is the closest thing that this generation has had to ‘Master Of Puppets’. It’s a showcase for everything that is great about heavy music and if you don’t own this record, there’s a monumental gaping hole in your record collection.
This feature sees us visiting the best albums from the noughties. Of all of the albums that we’ll be covering, this has a serious claim to be the best of the whole bunch.
All hail Machine fucking Head.
Click here to see our other choices for ‘Albums of the Decade’!
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Is there really any need to carry on with this feature?
This is the winner!
Its one of those albums that you can listen to without skipping tracks on repeat listens.
You can’t say that about many other albums.
It’s a shame they’ve shown their now too big for their boots by geting upset about moving down a slot at Sonisphere…
Amazing album though!
This album is totally epic! Masterworks in metal. Altho “..Ashes…” always went down better with me. Not playing down this album at all tho! Just personal preference…
Also: William Grim describes us as “Intellectually incoherent” and “more simian then human” – How can anyone expect to unerstand about differn’t social groups when people like this write vicous slanderous articles like that?! No wonder people like poor Sophie Lancaster were killed >(
(Dimebag: R.I.P)
Best album of the decade imo, and possibly my best album ever (or clayman by in flames).
Loved the review, truly an epic album, never regret the day I ordered it, an album that every metal fan should have in his or hers collection, and there live performance at Newcastle last december blew me away, still get goosebumps when I think of Imperium being played, met Phil Demmel that day aswell, incredible guy to meet.
Great review guys. Even though im with Michael and prefer ‘Ashes’ its hard to dispute the massive effect ‘The Blackening’ has had in the metal community. (bloody good album that it is)
As for the point of carrying on with the feature. I hope it goes on for the better part of the year metalfan666 and Noobpotato. The Blackening may well be a strong contender for album of the decade but theres more bands out there than just Machine Head. Personally im looking forward to seeing if bands/albums such as SOAD – ‘Toxicity’, Emperor – ‘Prometheus’ and Down – ‘Over The Under’ get a feature. And then theres bands like Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Slipknot, Testament and Tool who have all made fantastic albums over the last 10 years. Not a dig at you dudes, im sure theres loadsa folks who reckon this is the creme de la creme.
Don`t really think it`s that amazing, Aesthetics is a great song, Now i lay thee down is great, but best album of the last nine or so years? nah
this or toxicity,
i just cant choose between those 2…
stupid sellout cunts
i’ll choose for you then, The Blackening
The Blackening is an awesome. Every time I hear somebody talking about it like its Master of Puppets or Dark Side of the Moon I roll my eyes… but when you listen to it, there’s just no argueing, its a world class record. One of the few albums that deserves as much praise as it gets or gets as much praise as it deserves.
no word of a lie amazing album got me into Machine Head fully every track was pure metal gold which we needed considering that the “heaviest” bands were pretty much pop punk won’t name drop but you catch my drift
The album that got me back into the band, having pretty much ignored them since The More Things Change. Burn My Eyes is the best debut album I have ever heard, this almost tops it for ferocity. Aesthetics Of Hate is one of the best metal songs ever. All hail Machine Fucking Head!!! Oh, and stop your whinging about Sonisphere! The Metallica gig in Dublin has lost Lamb of God, Thin Lizzy AND The Sword. But we still have fucking Avenged Sevenfold. Woo hoo (I dont think)!!!
we lost Thin Lizzy, The Sword, Fear Factory and Machine Head
Oh yeah, and The Blackening kicks ass, ALL HAIL MACHINE FUCKING HEAD!!!!!!!
Machine Head – The Blackening enough said.
I got my tickets back in Feb. cos Machine f Head were playing and NOTHING will make up for it unless they do Bloodstock! I would have gone to Wacken instead but that sold out yonks ago.
Yeah, The Blackening is the best album in the half century!
In response to merk: I also want to see this feature carry on as I want to see the other Albums that the hammer staff have chosen.
I was just expressing that I honestly think this album should win!
Trust a generic Roadrunner Records band to win that “award”
Did you bother to even read the article “Real Metaller”??? Its part of an ongoing online feature ya muppet!!!!
Diablo, don’t listen to him. The fact that he calls himself Real Metaller already says he’s a cock
Just like Frank sounds like Wank
A “generic Roadrunner Records band”!?
Pfft! Some “Real Metaller” you are :L
MUDVAYNE – LD50
This album is truly a masterpiece and AMAZING must but vocally kind of stale compared to Burn My Eyes; however, this album is no where near album of decade considering the fact that SEVERAL black metal bands played this style and did it million times better. If there is an album that should be crowned album of the decade it sould be rumpelstiltskin grinder’s buried int he front yard. This is because that album TRULY changed the metal scene into playing and thinking in a more old school way. Now there are a million copy cats that do not do it quite as well and try to be raw and it all because of the first rumplestilitskin album. Before this album came out everyone wanted to be like lamb of god, now everyone wants to play old school thrash the way rumpelstiltskin grinder do. Also buried in the front yard is one kick ass rocking album.
im with you there metalfan dude. It wouldnt be my choice from personal taste (i love the album, i just think there are better ones) but damn its hard to deny that its an epic milestone for Machine Head and Heavy Metal.
Real Metaller, what do you consider to not be a ‘generic’ metal band? Just asking, since Machine head have played pretty much most of the different metal genres over the last 15+ years (maybe excluding black and industrial)…
The music (which is excellent in all respects) aside, the Blackening exposes all the crap politics and religious bollocks that has happened in the last, at least, 10 years. Machine f head have influenced other bands and given them the confidence to put their (our) beliefs into music. MfH Rule. People in the street are offended by the ‘Halo’ t-shirt, (first hand experience) but if it makes them think for just 5 seconds then MACHINE FUCKING HEAD!!!!!!!!
If James Hetfield likes MfH so much why didnt he make a stand with them over the Limpid Biscuits taking their slot at Sonisphere. I still can’t get over MfH not being there its so sad………
This record is the sound of Machine Head pandering to current trends, specifically Trivium metalcore-isms. It is in no way a classic. ‘Through The Ashes..’ was much better. Machine Head unfortunately have a nasty habit of making ‘trend-metal’ albums, other examples being The Burning Red and Supercharger. Of course they sell loads and are falsely branded ‘classic’ as they are aimed squarely at the present metal market.
Real Metaller what planet are on?
Roadrunner have some of the best metal artists of today; Lamb of God, Slipknot, Machine ‘Fucking’ Head, Killswitch Engage, Satryicon…
Although they do have Madina Lake, but then all labels have a few shit bands.
And you are probably just a fan of black metal (I like some black metal, but i like to widen my listening experience) and therefore think everythink else is shit.
Oh and music fan this is a bona fida classic.
Not only one of the finest metal records of this decade, but also one of the finest metal records of all time. This album wipes the floor with all of the shitty nu/rap metal and metalcore bands that are dumbing down the metal scene of today.
Hoping to see more good albums with this feature. Evile’s Enter the Grave and Lamb of God’s Ashes of the Wake are must-picks.
Personally I don’t think this is as good as Through The Ashes, but it’s reasonable enough.
Roadrunner artists are a bit hit and miss; Opeth and Satyricon being two of the recent hits.
I disagree with people criticising Real Metaller, as to what bands he classes as real metal, I would assume he means the likes of; Immortal, Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Vader, At The Gates, Mayhem, Suffocation, Carcass, (Pre Gossard) Arch Enemy, Hypocrisy, Kataklysm etc.
So certainly not just black metal – quite a mix!
I agree that the blackening is a good album, but it’s not the album of the decade…. Or even machine head’s album of the decade … Through the ashes of empires is a much better album
I like your comment Metalfan666. It made me laugh. And yes, as the Innovator says. I do like bands like Kataklysm and Nile and the such. But I also enjoy music, which isn’t metal. I’m not a narrow minded git. But it’s not surprising at how much coverage Roadrunner bands get from Metal Hammer. They must get paid a shit load from RR for advertising their bands, but it’s nearly always the same (Trivium) there are some good bands on that label. I’ve not nothing against advertising and earning a bit of cash, but bloody hell do articles on other bands for once.
i hear that kerrang have started there own best albums of the 21st century hhhmmm wonder how crappy that will be then???
the blackening was easily best album of the year it came out an at the time was defo the best album of the 00’s aswell but since then theres alot of fuckin epic albums that have been released like lamb of god, mastodon, gojira, meshuggah and others so itll defo be gd to see what hammer come up with next
Why can’t people understand the purpose of the article! It’s not a competition, it’s a celebration! A retrospective on the best albums to come out in this decade.
Kudos for getting ‘The Blackening’ out of the way early. It’s a very good album but it was getting tedious with everyone going ‘X album, pah, ‘The Blackening’ owns X album’.
Perhaps understandably, there’s a notable amount of criticism being levelled against ‘The Blackening’. The backlash seems to be the result of over-exposure in the music press and in forums (how many times does someone need to post something about how great ‘The Blackening’ is) and the overly reverential tone in which ‘The Blackening’ is regarded (DevilDriver may be the next band to experience this kind of backlash). These are all erroneous reasons to criticise Machine Head.
They’ve been on Roadrunner since 1994 before all the faddish additions to the label and they’ve successfully regained the respect and credibility they lost after the massive fuck ups of ‘The Burning Red’ and ‘Supercharger’. Not to mention the fact that they’ve toured endlessly. A lesser band who didn’t really care about ‘the metal’ would have given up.
If your yardstick for ‘metal’ is being Scandinavian and recording your albums on a dictaphone in a forest/haunted house/garage then this is quite frankly, retarded. ‘Fake metal’ and ‘real metal’ is a pointless dichotomy. It’s either good, shit, or alright.
Those are your options. If you don’t like ‘The Blackening’ that’s your opinion, but there’s nothing ‘fake’ about Machine Head.
Ok, no doubt, there are plenty of good albums. No arguing – lamb of god, mudvayne, damgeplan, hellyeah, pantera (don’t forget 00 year), down at so on….
But as you can assume there’re different sub-genres in metal, so it’s really tricky to pick ONE album of the decade.
It’s a much more personal choice I like to say. I have few really beloved albums for this decade, but if I have to pick one – that will be 07 MH album, no doubts. It’s just fuckin’ brutal man! Pure Machine Head. Pure sound. Pure beauty!
Much respect for Steamboat, amazing post! 100% hats down for you man. So mature opinion!
PS: So, don’t be so judgemental after all. If you like Trivium – ok, they are the best. If you like Madonna – ok, she’s the best. If you like Machine Head – you are my friend
))
You get my point.
Don’t be “dark bad looking metal dude”… it’s a music after all. It’s a fun!
You guys really don’t know what metal is… It’s a pitty because England created it. And now destroys it… HIM? Bullet for my Valentine? Anyway…
I was dissapointed that Ashes of the Wake wasn’t in the top 10, but The Blackening was a great choice for NO.1